Bombadil was the name of a doll in Tolkien's home. That's why he was the "oldest", because the name predates the book itself. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w

Bombadil was the name of a doll in Tolkien's home. That's why he was the "oldest", because the name predates the book itself. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Bombadil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Bombadil