Chester is a surname of English origin. Its Romance (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Galician) equivalent is Castro.

Notable people with the surname include:

• Albert Chester (1886–1943), English footballer
• Art Chester (1899–1949), American air racer
• Beverly Chester-Burton (born 1963), American politician
• Bob Chester (1908–1977), American jazz and pop music bandleader and tenor saxophonist.
• Charlie Chester (1914–1997), British stand-up comedian
• Craig Chester (born 1965), American actor and screenwriter
• Darren Chester (born 1967), Australian politician
• Elroy Chester (1969–2013), American murderer
• Frank Chester (politician) (1901–1966), Canadian politician
• Frank Chester (umpire) (1895–1957), English first-class cricketer and notable international cricket umpire
• Gary Chester (1924–1987), American session drummer and drum teacher
• George Randolph Chester (1869–1924), American writer and screenwriter
• Major F. G. L. Chester (1899–1946), also known as Gort Chester, British soldier and member of Z Special Unit in Borneo
• Harry Chester (1806–1868), British civil servant
• Ilan Chester (born 1952), Venezuelan singer, keyboardist, arranger and composer; he was born in Israel as Ilan Czenstochowski
• James Chester (born 1989), Welsh footballer who plays for Hull City
• John Chester (disambiguation), several people
• Joseph Lemuel Chester, American genealogist
• Norman Chester (1907–86), British political economist associated with Nuffield College, Oxford
• Peter Chester, English convicted murderer and paedophile
• Peter Chester (governor), Governor of West Florida between August 10, 1770 and May 9, 1781
• Raymond Chester (born 1948), retired American football tight end
• Robert Chester (disambiguation), multiple people
• William Chester (disambiguation), multiple people