Folco Boffin was a hobbit of the Shire and one of Frodo Baggins's close friends and kin. He was among the small circle who helped Frodo prepare his secret departure from Bag End and the move to Crickhollow; but unlike Merry, Pippin, and Sam, Folco did not go on the road, staying behind in the Shire when the others set out into the wild.