What is the name of the fictional innkeeper who hosts Frodo in Bree in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings?

The innkeeper who hosts Frodo in Bree in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is Barliman Butterbur.

Butterbur runs The Prancing Pony, the principal inn in Bree. Frodo and his companions stay there after leaving the Shire, and Butterbur gives them information about the surrounding roads and travelers.

He is forgetful and fails to deliver a message from Gandalf promptly, but he later helps the hobbits by providing a letter and arranging ponies. His actions show that ordinary people can affect the progress of the larger quest.

Butterbur should not be confused with Hamfast Gamgee, Frodo’s gardener and Sam’s father, or Will Whitfoot, the Mayor of Michel Delving. Those characters are both associated with the Shire, while Butterbur belongs to Bree.