Desmond is an Irish surname turned first name, from Deasmhumhain, meaning "south Munster" or "from South Munster", the Irish province that was once the Desmond earldom. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African Nobel Peace laureate, and the singer Desmond Dekker made it known far beyond Ireland. Desmond has been in the US top 1000 throughout this century, peaking at number 324 in 2018 and ranking number 376 in 2025.