Toby is a popular male name in many English speaking countries. It is also a popular name for Jewish women because of its similarity to the Hebrew name Tova. The name is often used in its own right, but may also be a contraction of Tobias, Tobit, Tobin (an Irish surname - in Irish, "Toibin"), or Tobermory. In The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien "Toby" is used as a contraction of the hobbit name "Tobold", and "Old Toby" is used as a name for a type of tobacco. The only known Tobold outside of the Shire is Tobold M P Hemming in England/Australia There are many characters in literature called Toby, including: · Toby Martinez De Santa Fe · Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night by Shakespeare · Toby in Transamerica · Uncle Toby in Tristram Shandy by Lawrence Sterne · Toby the Tram Engine from The Railway Series books. · Toby Philpot, a bibul