Hamm is a surname with multiple possible origins. It can be:
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German: A short form of names beginning with "Ham-," such as Hamberht (meaning "home bright") or Haimo (meaning "home"). It can also be a topographic name for someone who lived on a corner or projection of land, derived from the Middle High German word "ham," meaning "corner" or "bend." Furthermore, it could be a habitational name from places named Hamm, found particularly in Westphalia.
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English: A variant of Ham, which can be derived from residence at or near a "hamm," an Old English word meaning "enclosure," "homestead," "river meadow," or "hemmed-in land." It can also be a shortened form of the biblical name, "Ham."
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Dutch: A topographic name denoting someone who lived by a bend or projection of land, similar to the German origin, or a habitational name from a place called Hamm.
Distribution of the surname is most common in Germany and the United States. The spelling may vary slightly in different regions and time periods (e.g., Ham).