Desmond (name)

Desmond is a given name and a surname, derived from the Irish place-name Desmond, an anglicization of the Irish Deas-Mhumhna ("South Munster").^[1] The Irish peerages of Ormonde, Desmond, and Thomond represented the old sub-kingdoms of East, South, and North Munster, respectively.^[2] 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).

Notable people with the given name[edit]

• 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 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 (born 1928) 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 Rice (1924–2020), British Army officer
• Desmond Ridder (born 1999), American football player
• Desmond Tan (disambiguation), various people
• Desmond Tutu (1931–2021), South African archbishop, civil rights activist and opponent of apartheid

Stage name[edit]

• Desmond Child, stage name of John Charles Barrett (born 1953), American songwriter

Notable people with the surname[edit]

• Casey Desmond (born 1986), American singer-songwriter
• Charles S. Desmond (1896–1987), Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
• Connie Desmond (1908–1983), American sportscaster
• Cornelius Desmond (American politician) (1893–1974), Massachusetts state Representative
• Cornelius "Con" Desmond (1898-1974), Irish politician
• Dan Desmond (1913–1964), Irish politician
• 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), Wisconsin state legislator, lawyer, writer, and newspaper editor
• Ian Desmond (born 1985), American Major League Baseball player
• Mabel Desmond (1929–2023), former Maine state Representative
• Matthew Desmond, American sociologist
• Meighan Desmond (born 1977), New Zealand actor
• Michael J. Desmond, American lawyer
• Paul Desmond (1924–1977), American jazz saxophonist
• Richard Desmond (born 1951), British publisher
• Robert Desmond (1928–2002), English actor
• Thomas C. Desmond (1887–1972), New York state senator
• Viola Desmond (1914–1965), Canadian beautician and civil rights advocate
• Walter Desmond (1876–1951), American judge

Stage name[edit]

• Johnny Desmond, stage name of Giovanni Alfredo De Simone (1919–1985), American singer active in the 1940s and 1950s
• 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[edit]

Given Name[edit]

• Desmond, mascot of Auto Magazin
• Desmond Ambrose, lead character in the British sitcom Desmond's
• Des Barnes, in the British soap opera Coronation Street
• Desmond Belmont, the only playable in Castlevania: Order of Shadows
• Des Clarke (Neighbours), in the Australian soap opera Neighbours
• Desmond Hume in the television series Lost (2004)
• Desmond Jones, one of the central characters of the Beatles song Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
• Desmond Larochette in the movie The List
• Desmond Miles in the Assassin's Creed series of video games (2007)
• Desmond Sycamore, one of the main characters in the video game Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy
• Des Tiny in the book series The Saga of Darren Shan (2006)
• Desmond, the brother of Sigurd, mentioned in the logs of Lethal Company

Surname[edit]

• Damian Desmond, a character from anime/manga series Spy × Family
• Francine Desmond in the 1980s American TV show Scarecrow and Mrs. King
• Norma Desmond, central character in the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard

See also[edit]

• List of Irish-language given names
• Dez (disambiguation), sometimes a short form of Desmond (or Dezmond)
• Des, frequently a short form of Desmond
• Dessie (given name), often a short form of Desmond

References[edit]

Name list

This page or section lists people that share the same given name or the same family name.
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