Desmond is a given name and a surname, derived from the Irish place-name Desmond, an anglicization of the Irish Deas-Mhumhna ("South Munster"). The Irish peerages of Ormonde, Desmond, and Thomond represented the old sub-kingdoms of East, South, and North Munster, respectively. South Munster existed as an independent territory between 1118 and 1543. The title of Earl of Desmond (fourth creation) in the Peerage of Ireland originates in 1628; it is currently held by Alexander Feilding, 12th Earl of Denbigh (born 1970).
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Notable people with the given name
Desmond Amofah (1990–2019), American YouTuber better known as Etika
Desmond Arthur (1884–1913), Irish Lieutenant in the No. 2 Squadron RAF, known for being the Montrose Ghost
Desmond Barrit (1944–2026), Welsh actor
Desmond Claude (born 2003), American basketball player
Desmond Connell (1926–2017), Cardinal Archbishop of Dublin
Desmond de Silva (1944–2022), Sri Lankan musician
Desmond Dekker (1941–2006), Jamaican singer
Desmond Devenish, English-American filmmaker
Desmond Devlin, American comedy writer
Dez Dickerson (born 1955), American guitarist and singer, former member of Prince's former band The Revolution
Desmond Digby (1933–2015), Australian set and costumer designer and illustrator
Desmond Doss (1919–2006), first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor
Desmond Douglas (born 1955), Jamaican-born British table tennis player
Desmond Elliot (born 1974), Nigerian actor, director and politician
Des Ferrow (1933–2020), New Zealand cricketeer
Desmond Fitzgerald (disambiguation), various people
Desmond Ford (1929–2019), Christian speaker and theologian
Desmond Green (born 1989), American mixed martial artist
Desmond Harrington (born 1976), American actor
Desmond Harrison (American football) (born 1993), American football player
Desmond Haynes (born 1956), West Indian international cricketer
Des Headland (born 1981), Australian Rules footballer
Desmond Howard (born 1970), former National Football League player and Heisman Trophy winner
Desmond Jennings (born 1986), American Major League Baseball player
Des Kelly (born 1965), British journalist
Desmond Kitchings, American football coach
Desmond King (American football) (born 1994), American football player
Des Lee (born 1946), Irish musician in The Miami Showband
Desmond Lewis (1946–2018), Jamaican cricketer
Desmond Llewelyn (1914–99), Welsh actor
Des Lynam (born 1942), British television presenter
Des Lyttle (born 1971), English footballer
Desmond Mason (born 1977), American basketball player
Desmond McKenzie (born 1952), Jamaican politician
Desmond Morris (1928–2026), English zoologist, ethologist, surrealist painter and author (The Naked Ape)
Desmond Muirhead (1923–2002), English-born American golf course designer
Desmond Mullen (born 1966), American producer, director, actor, and writer
Desmond Norman (1929–2002), English aircraft designer and businessman
Desmond N'Ze (born 1989), Italian footballer playing in the Japanese league
Des O'Connor (1932–2020), British entertainer
Desmond O'Malley (1939–2021), Irish politician, government minister and founder and leader of the Progressive Democrats
Des O'Neil (1920–1999), Australian politician
Desmond Purnell (born 2003), American football player
Desmond Reid (born 2004), American football player
Desmond Rice (1924–2020), British Army officer
Desmond Ricks, American football player
Desmond Ridder (born 1999), American football player
Desmond Tan (disambiguation), various people
Desmond Trotter (born 2000), American football player
Desmond Tutu (1931–2021), South African archbishop, civil rights activist and opponent of apartheid
Desmond Watson (born 2003), American football player
Desmond "Dee" Williams (born 1999), American football player
Stage name
Desmond Child, stage name of John Charles Barrett (born 1953), American songwriter
Notable people with the surname
Casey Desmond (born 1986), American singer-songwriter
Charles S. Desmond (1896–1987), American jurist from New York
Connie Desmond (1908–1983), American sportscaster
Cornelius Desmond (American politician) (1893–1974), American politician from Massachusetts
Cornelius Desmond (Irish politician) (1898–1974), Irish politician
Dan Desmond (1913–1964), Irish politician
Earl D. Desmond (1895–1958), American politician from California
Eileen Desmond (1932–2005), Irish politician
George Henri Desmond (1874–1965), American architect
Gerald Desmond (1915–1964), American civic leader and politician
Humphrey J. Desmond (1858–1932), American politician, lawyer, writer, and newspaper editor from Wisconsin
Ian Desmond (born 1985), American baseball player
Mabel Desmond (1929–2023), American politician from Maine
Matthew Desmond, American sociologist
Meighan Desmond (born 1977), New Zealand actor
Michael J. Desmond, American lawyer
Stage name
Florence Desmond, stage name of Florence Dawson (1905–1993), English actress, comedian and impersonator
Johnny Desmond, stage name of Giovanni Alfredo De Simone (1919–1985), American singer
Olga Desmond, pseudonym taken by Olga Sellin (1891–1964), German dancer and actress who promoted nudity on the stage
Paul Desmond, stage name of jazz saxophonist Paul Emil Breitenfeld (1924–1977)
Fictional characters
Des Barnes, in the British soap opera Coronation Street
Des Clarke (Neighbours), in the Australian soap opera Neighbours
Desmond Hume in the television series Lost (2004)
Desmond Miles in the Assassin's Creed series of video games (2007)