Chesnut is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Eleanor Chesnut (1868–1905), American Christian missionary James Chesnut Jr. (1815–1885), American planter, lawyer, politician and general Jerry Chesnut (1931–2018), American songwriter Mary Boykin Chesnut (1823–1886), American author from South Carolina Victor King Chesnut (1867–1938), American botanist and chemist William Calvin Chesnut (1873–1962), American judge
See also Chesnutt Chestnut (surname)