Tolkien identifies Sméagol, later called Gollum, as a Hobbit-like member of the Stoor people.
In The Lord of the Rings, Sméagol belongs to the Stoors, one of the Hobbit groups associated with the Anduin region. He acquires the One Ring after Déagol finds it while fishing, and Sméagol murders Déagol to take it. The Ring’s influence and Sméagol’s long isolation gradually transform his body, mind, and identity.
The name Gollum comes from the unpleasant swallowing sound he makes. Tolkien’s narrative keeps both names important: Sméagol represents the earlier person who still retains traces of loyalty and remorse, while Gollum reflects the personality shaped by possession and obsession. This duality is central to the character’s role in the story.
Readers sometimes classify Gollum as a generic monster, but Tolkien gives him a specific Hobbit-related origin. He is therefore not an Elf, Dwarf, or Man, and his history helps explain why he can understand Hobbit habits and speech.