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).
| Gender | male |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | anglicized Irish |
| Region of origin | English-speaking world |
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
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