What was Frodo's original name in Tolkien's early drafts?

Frodo’s original name in Tolkien’s early drafts was Bingo Baggins. Tolkien initially imagined the central hobbit of the developing sequel to The Hobbit as Bilbo’s son, and the character appeared under the name Bingo before becoming the Frodo readers know.

The name changed several times during composition. In a later draft, Tolkien used Bingo Bolger-Baggins and altered the character’s parentage, making him the son of Rollo Bolger and Primula Brandybuck. Tolkien eventually replaced “Bingo” with “Frodo” during a later phase of writing, after much of the early narrative had already taken shape.

The draft history creates an easy source of confusion. “Fosco Baggins” was another early name in Tolkien’s genealogical and character notes, while Drogo Baggins became Frodo’s father in the published story. Bilbo Baggins remained his older cousin and adoptive guardian, not Frodo’s original name.

Tolkien also used “Frodo” for a character who eventually became Pippin in some early drafts, showing how fluid the names and roles were while the novel was being created.