Besant is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Annie Besant (1847–1933), British socialist, theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator Derek Michael Besant (born 1950), Canadian artist Walter Besant (1836–1901), English novelist and historian W. H. Besant (1828–1917), British mathematician See also James Anderson-Besant (born 1998), British organist and choir director Mabel Besant-Scott (1870–1952), British philosopher