Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, and Samwise Gamgee—we all know J.R.R. Tolkien created these beloved hobbits for his Hobbit (1937) and Lord of the Rings (1954–55) books. Hobbits are an imaginary race similar to humans, but they are short and have hairy feet.

Did hobbits exist before Tolkien?

An explicit, well-documented use of the word hobbit predates Tolkien's creation by well over 100 years -- and it has nothing to do with halflings, fantasy, or Middle Earth. ... Similar terms, some of them very close to hobbit, appear in works that predate Tolkien by nearly as many years.

Where did Tolkien get the idea for hobbits?

Tolkien himself pointed to the quiet country shire folk he grew up around as inspirations for the Shire-folk of The Lord of the Rings, so he clearly blended many influences in creating the character and nature of hobbits.