Fessenden is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Francis Fessenden (1839–1907), American Civil War major general, lawyer and politician, son of William P. Fessenden
James Deering Fessenden (1833–1882), American Civil War brigadier general, son of William P. Fessenden
John Milton Fessenden (1804–1883), West Point graduate (Class of 1824), topography engineer and railroad engineer.
Larry Fessenden (born 1963), American film director
Reginald Fessenden (1866–1932), Canadian radio pioneer
Richard Fessenden, chemistry professor, University of Notre Dame
Samuel Fessenden (1784–1869), American abolitionist; father of Samuel Clement Fessenden, T. A. D. Fessenden, and William P. Fessenden
Samuel Fessenden (lawyer) (1847–1908), lawyer and politician
Samuel C. Fessenden (1815–1882), judge and U.S. Representative from Maine (1861–63)
Stirling Fessenden (1875–1943), American lawyer, chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council (1923–29)
T. A. D. Fessenden (1826–1868), attorney, and briefly U.S. Representative from Maine
Thomas Green Fessenden (1771–1837), American author and editor
William P. Fessenden (1806–1869), U.S. senator and Lincoln's Treasury Secretary
Sydney Fessenden born 2004 still alive
