Townley is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
A. C. Townley (1880–1959), American political organizer, founder the National Non-Partisan LeagueAlvin Townley (born 1975), American author who writes about adventure with a greater purposeAthol Townley (1905–1963), Australian politician and Minister for DefenceBen Townley (born 1984), professional motocross rider originating from Taupo, New ZealandCharles Townley (1737–1805), English country gentleman, antiquary and collector of the Townley MarblesCharles Townley (officer of arms) (1713–1774), long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in LondonDoody Townley (born 1925), driver of standardbred racehorses in New ZealandFred Townley, architect who designed many buildings in Vancouver, CanadaFrederick Townley-Smith (1887–1961), Co-operative Commonwealth Federation member of the Canadian House of CommonsGeorge Townley (1891–1977), the sixth Bishop of Hull in the modern era from 1957 until 1965Henry Townley Heald (1904–1975), president of Armour Institute of Technology from 1938 to 1940Jack Townley (1897–1960), American screenwriterJames Townley (1714–1778), English dramatist and anonymous playwrightJimmy Townley (1902–1983), English professional footballerJohn Townley (born 1945), musician who was a member of the folk-rock group The Magicians from 1965 to 1966John Wes Townley (born 1989), former NASCAR Nationwide Series driverJonathan Townley Crane (1819–1880), American clergyman, author and abolitionistMax Townley (1864–1942), British land agent, agriculturist and politicianMichael Townley, US citizen living in the United States under terms of the federal witness protection programMichael Townley (Australian politician) (born 1934), former Tasmanian senatorRex Townley (1904–1982), Australian politician who served as leader of the Liberal Party in Tasmania from 1950 to 1956Richard Greaves Townley (1786–1855), English Whig politicianRichard Townley (died 1711), the 8th son of Nicholas Townley of Littleton and Joanne WhiteRobert Townley Caldwell, the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge from 1906 to 1914Roderick Townley (born 1942), American author of juvenile, young adult, and adult booksSidney Dean Townley (1867–1946), American astronomer and geodeticistSimon Townley, piano player and composerThomas Townley (1862–1935), Canadian lawyer and the eighth Mayor of Vancouver, British ColumbiaToke Townley, (1912–1984), English actorSir Walter Townley (1863–1945), British ambassadorWilliam Townley, (1866–1950), English football (soccer) player and coachWilliam Townley Mitford (1817–1889), Victorian Conservative Party politician in BritainWinfield Townley Scott (1910–1968), American poet, critic and diarist