Wilcome ‘Jolly’ Cotton

III 2984 was also the year of the birth of Wilcome's sister Rose (who would later marry Samwise Gamgee), which raises the strong possibility that Rose and Wilcome were twins. This isn't necessarily the case (Rose might have been born very early in the year, and Wilcome very late), but it does seem the most parsimonious explanation for their shared birth year.

Wilcome shared a name with, and was presumably named for, his uncle, the brother of his father Tolman Cotton. As a real English name, 'Wilcome' would usually mean 'willow valley', or possibly 'well valley' (that is, a valley containing a spring). The implication seems to be that the 'Wilcome' originated as a place-name, presumably one important in the history of the family, though Tolkien does not explain the name's intended source.