Surname
Townsend
- 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
- 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
- Bruce C. Townsend, American politician
- 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, songwriter
- 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 (1841–1914), American journalist and novelist
- George Fyler Townsend (Reverend), British writer and translator
- Gregor Townsend, Scottish rugby player
- Graeme Townsend, Australian artist
- 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
- JoAnn Clayton Townsend (1935–2020), American space policy analyst
- 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
- Jon Townsend, a historical YouTuber
- 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
- Rick Townsend, American politician
- 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
- Tommy Townsend (born 1996), American football player
- Trey Townsend (born 2002), American basketball 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
Townshend
- Anne Townshend (1573–1622), English Puritan
- Aurelian Townshend, English poet
- Cenzo Townshend, English music producer
- Charles Townshend (disambiguation)
- The Honorable Charlotte Anne Townshend, English landowner (Melbury House, Dorset) and daughter of the 9th Viscount Galway [1]
- Chauncy Hare Townshend, English poet and collector
- Cliff Townshend, musician (1916–1986)
- Dorothea Petrie Townshend Carew (1895 - 1968), poet, writer and the editor of a literary magazine
- Emma Townshend, writer and musician, daughter of Pete Townshend
- George Townshend (disambiguation)
- Graeme Townshend, retired ice hockey forward
- Henry Townshend (disambiguation)
- John Townshend (disambiguation), several people
- Pete Townshend, guitarist and songwriter of The Who
- Robert "Fuzz" Townshend, British drummer
- Simon Townshend, musician (brother of Pete Townshend)
- Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney
- William Townshend (colonial governor)
Fictional characters
- Henry Townshend, main protagonist of the 2004 video game Silent Hill 4: The Room
Townesend
- Stephen Townesend (priest), Dean of Exeter, 1583–1588
- Stephen Townesend (surgeon), English surgeon, stage actor, anti-vivisectionist and writer
