A habitational name is a type of name. These names denote the starting inhabited location. Such locations can be any type of settlement, such as: homesteads, farms, enclosures, villages, hamlets, strongholds or cottages. The second element of a habitational name describes the type of settlement. Examples of Old English elements frequently found in the second element of habitational names are: hām "homestead", tūn "farm", worth "enclosure", wīc "dwelling", cot "cottage", burh "stronghold". Two common Old Norse elements in habitational names are: bý "farmstead" and thorp "outlying farmstead"..[1]
The habitative elements in such names can differ in meaning, according to different periods, different locations, or with being used with certain other elements. For example, the Old English element tūn may have originally meant "enclosure" in one name, but can have meant "farmstead", "village", "manor", or "estate" in other names.[1]