Townsend is a topographic surname of Yorkshire and Norfolk origin, indicating residence at the extremity of a city or burgh (from Middle English touun "village", "hamlet", "stead" + ende "end".) Popular variants are Townshend (of Norfolk variety), and Townend.

Given name

• Townsend Bell, motor racing driver
• Townsend Coleman, American voice actor
• Townsend Cromwell, oceanographer
• Townsend Dodd, US Army aviator
• Townsend Haines (1792–1865), American politician and judge from Pennsylvania
• Townsend Harris, 19th century American merchant and politician
• Townsend Hoopes, former Undersecretary of the US Air Force
• Townsend Saunders, Olympic medalist in wrestling
• Townsend Scudder, US Congressman from New York
• Townsend Whelen, American hunter, soldier, writer, outdoorsman and rifleman

Middle name

• Charles Townsend Ludington, American aviator
• Cyrus Townsend Brady, American journalist
• Frederick Townsend Martin, American author
• Frederick Townsend Ward, American mercenary
• James Townsend Saward, English barrister and forger
• John Townsend Trowbridge, American author
• Light Townsend Cummins, American educator and historian
• Lynn Townsend White, Jr., American professor
• Mary Townsend Seymour, African-American politician
• Sylvia Townsend Warner, English novelist and poet
• Thomas Townsend Brown, American inventor

Surname

Townsend

Miss Beatrice Townsend by John Singer Sargent, oil on canvas, 1882

• A. A. Townsend, American pioneer and politician
• Albert Alan Townsend (1917–2010), Australian fluid dynamicist
• Alf Townsend, rugby league footballer of the 1920s for New Zealand
• Amos Townsend (1821–1895), American politician
• Andre Townsend, American football player
• Andros Townsend, English football player
• Andy Townsend, Irish soccer player
• Anna Townsend, American silent film actress
• Anel Townsend, Peruvian politician
• Ben Townsend, English football player
• Bertha Townsend, American tennis player
• Bill Townsend, American entrepreneur
• Bill Townsend (footballer), English football player and manager
• Boris Townsend, English physicist
• Brian Townsend (poker player), American poker player
• Camilla Townsend (born 1965), American historian
• Cathy Townsend (born 1937), Canadian ten-pin bowler
• Charles Townsend (disambiguation) (multiple, includes "Charlie")
• Chauncy Townsend, British politician
• Chris Townsend (disambiguation)
• Clinton Paul Townsend (1868 — 1931), American chemist
• M. Clifford Townsend, former Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana
• Cornelia Townsend (born 11 August 1851, date of death unknown), American composer
• Cyril Townsend, Sir Cyril David Townsend (1937-2013), British politician.
• Dallas Townsend, Dallas S. Townsend, Jr., American broadcaster
• Darian Townsend, South African swimmer
• Dave Townsend, contemporary British musician
• David Townsend (disambiguation)
• Deshea Townsend, American football player
• Dequan Townsend, American mixed martial artist
• Devin Townsend, Canadian musician
• Douglas Townsend, American composer
• Dwight Townsend (1826-1899), U.S. Representative from New York
• E. Reginald Townsend, American politician and journalist
• Ed Townsend, song writer
• Eddie Townsend, boxing trainer
• Edward D. Townsend, Adjutant General of the United States Army
• Edgar Jerome Townsend (1864–1955), American mathematician and translator of David Hilbert's Grundlagen der Geometrie.
• Eliza Townsend (1788-1854), American poet
• Elizabeth Sthreshley Townsend (died 1919), American inventor
• Emma Jose Townsend, British recipient of the Empire Gallantry Medal
• Emily Vermeule, née Emily Dickinson Townsend
• Ernest Townsend, British portraitist from Derby (1880-1944)
• F. H. Townsend, British cartoonist and illustrator (1868-1920)
• Fitzhugh Townsend (1872–1906), American fencer
• Frances Townsend, former Homeland Security Adviser to U.S. President George W. Bush
• Francis Townsend, creator of the proposal for an old-age pension plan during the Great Depression
• Franklin Townsend (1821–1898), 47th Mayor of Albany, New York, Adjutant General of the State of New York
• Frederick Townsend (1825–1897), Union Army officer in the Civil War, Adjutant General of New York
• Fred Townsend, American politician
• Gareth Townsend, English cricketer and cricket coach
• George Alfred Townsend ("Gath"), war correspondent
• George Fyler Townsend (Reverend), British writer and translator
• Gregor Townsend, Scottish rugby player
• Harry Everett Townsend WWI war artist
• Henry Townsend (missionary) (1815–1886), Anglican missionary
• Henry Townsend (musician) (1909–2006), American blues singer, guitarist and pianist
• Henry Townsend (Norwich) (1626–1695), early American colonist born in Norwich, Norfolk, England
• Henry Townsend (Oyster Bay) (1649–1703), American colonist born in Oyster Bay
• Howard Townsend (1823–1867), physician and lecturer in Albany, New York
• James Townsend (disambiguation), several people
• Jill Townsend, American actress
• John Townsend (author) (born 1956), American psychologist and author
• John Townsend (basketball) (died 2001), American basketball player
• John Townsend (footballer) (born 1943), Australian rules footballer
• John Townsend (Mayor) (1783–1854), 37th mayor of Albany, NY
• John Townsend (Norwich) (1608–1668), early American settler in Oyster Bay, Long Island
• John Townsend (Wisconsin politician), American politician
• John Townsend (MP for Greenwich) (1819–1892), British politician and Member of Parliament for Greenwich
• John Townsend (Irish politician) (1737–1810), Irish MP for Dingle, Doneraile and Castlemartyr
• John G. Townsend, Jr. (1871–1964), American businessman and politician, Governor and Senator from Delaware
• John Kirk Townsend (1809–1851), American naturalist
• John Rowe Townsend (1922–2014), British children's author
• John Sealy Townsend (1868–1957), Irish physicist
• John Selby Townsend, American politician
• Johnny Townsend (American football), American football player
• Joseph Townsend (1737–1816), English minister and economist
• Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, American politician
• Lady Juliet Townsend (1941–2014), British writer and Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire
• Larry Townsend (politician), American politician
• Lauren Townsend (disambiguation), several people
• Lena Townsend, British politician
• Les Townsend, Australian cricket umpire
• Leslie Townsend (disambiguation)
• Madame Lawrence Townsend (see Natalie Townsend)
• Mansfield Townsend (see Marie Townsend)
• Marie Townsend (1851-1912) American author and composer, aka Mansfield Townsend
• Mark Lee Townsend, American rock guitarist
• Mary Townsend (artist) (1822-1869), New Zealand artist
• Mary Townsend (entomologist) (1814-1851), American abolitionist and entomologist
• Mary Ashley Townsend (1836-1901), American poet and writer
• Michael Townsend, English footballer
• Mike Townsend, American football player
• Natalie Townsend (1866-1962), American composer aka Pearl Townsend and Madam Lawrence Townsend)
• Norman Townsend, Australian cricket umpire
• Paul Townsend, British physicist
• Pearl Townsend (see Natalie Townsend)
• Peter Townsend (RAF officer) (1914–1995), British air-soldier and royal-family associate
• Peter Townsend (sociologist) (1928–2009), economist and author
• Prescott Townsend, American gay rights activist
• Primi Townsend, British actress
• Ralph Townsend, American author and activist
• Randolph Townsend, American politician
• Raymond Townsend (born 1955), American basketball player
• Richard Townsend (mathematician) (1821–1884), Irish mathematical physicist
• Richard Townsend (soldier), colonel of Oliver Cromwell's army
• Robert Townsend (disambiguation), several people
• Ryan Townsend, Australian footballer
• Simon Townsend, Australian television presenter
• Solomon Townsend, Revolutionary War era ship captain and ironworker
• Stacy Townsend, fictional character in Doctor Who
• Stephen J. Townsend, United States army officer
• Stuart Townsend, Irish actor and director
• Sue Townsend (1946–2014), English writer and humorist
• Tammy Townsend, American actress and singer
• Taylor Townsend (disambiguation)
• Tom Townsend, English bridge player
• Tom Townsend, name of Captain Flag, fictional character
• Tommy Townsend (born 1996), American football player
• Veronica Townsend, fictional character
• Wade Townsend, American baseball pitcher
• Wallace Townsend, American lawyer and politician
• Washington Townsend, American politician
• Willard Saxby Townsend (1895–1957), African-American labour leader
• William Townsend (disambiguation), several people
• William Cameron Townsend, prominent Christian missionary and founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators
• Yulia Townsend, Russian-born New Zealand singer

Fictional characters

• Charlie Townsend, fictional character from Charlie’s Angels
• Dr. Leland Townsend, main character from American TV series Evil
• Mia Townsend, main character portrayed by American actress Josie Maran in the 2005 video game Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Pseudonyms

• Mike Townsend, pseudonym of Michael McCrea, a British financial adviser, author and convicted killer

See also

• Townend (surname)
• Tausend (surname)

References