Despard is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Aileen Despard (1908–1981), Irish actress Catherine Despard (died 1815), British activist Charlotte Despard (1844–1939), British suffragette and Sinn Féin activist Edward Marcus Despard (1751–1803), Irish-born British colonel turned revolutionary George Despard, character Jacob Despard (born 1996), Australian sprinter John Despard (1744–1829), British general
See also Despard, West Virginia