Butterbur Family

Butterbur was an old family of Bree, that had kept the inn there, the Prancing Pony, for years beyond reckoning. The innkeeper at the time of the War of the Ring was Barliman Butterbur.

Etymology

Butterbur (Petasites vulgaris) is a fleshy plant with a heavy flower-head on a thick stalk, and very large leaves. It contains the element 'butter' also found in English place-names and surnames.