'hometown' originates from the combination of 'home' and 'town', where 'home' meant 'a place where one lives' and 'town' meant 'a settlement'.

'hometown' evolved from the Old English words 'hām' (home) and 'tūn' (town), eventually becoming the modern English word 'hometown'.

Initially, it meant 'the town where one's home is', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.