Dean Alvord (December 4, 1856 – April 18, 1941) was an American real estate developer, college professor, and philanthropist known for his real estate developments in the New York City Metropolitan Area and in Florida. He was a relative of both Jonathan Edwards and Aaron Burr.

Dean Alvord was born in Syracuse, New York, on December 4, 1856. He graduated from Syracuse University in 1882. He was a member of Syracuse University's Phi Gamma chapter of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

Alvord eventually moved to Brooklyn in New York City in order to continue pursuing his career in real estate and development after initially starting his career in Rochester, New York, where he developed a successful neighborhood.

Around 1899, Alvord would purchase roughly 60 acres (24 ha) of farmland in Brooklyn and would soon develop it into a neighborhood called Prospect Park South. He chose the location in part to take advantage of the area's public transportation. Soon afterwards, Alvord developed the Laurelton section of Queens.

In the first decade of the 20th century, Alvord began developing the famed community of Belle Terre in Port Jefferson, New York, c. 1902–1903.

In 1905, Alvord purchased and developed a large area in Shinnecock Hills on the eastern end of Long Island. Following (and as a result of) this purchase, Alvord became the owner of roughly 10% of Long Island's shoreline.

Around 1908, Alvord began developing another well-known community, Roslyn Estates, New York, which was developed with winding roads and ponds.

Alvord's development corporation went into receivership around 1913.