57.1501° N, 2.1018° W
ABERDEEN
Most Famous People Born in Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- Notable people
- 885
- Peak decade
- 1980s
- Median birth year
- 1911
- Most distinctive
- Surgeon 7.8×
Granite-city overachievers: the Surgeon and Physician benches reflect the medical school that trained the founders of modern anaesthesia and tropical medicine, and the Botanist cluster comes from Kew-adjacent plant hunters who combed the empire. The Golf reading is simply what happens when your coastline invented the sport.
One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Aberdeen during each.
Notable Births by Decade
Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1980s with 79 notable births.
What Aberdeen Is Known For
Click any row to filter the list of people below.
Football is Aberdeen's biggest profession — 22% of all notables (195).
Aberdeen over-indexes on surgeon — 7.8× the global rate.
Aberdeen under-produces actor — only 0.6× the global rate.
Profession Mix Over Time
Each band shows a profession family's share of Aberdeen's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.
- Sports
- Science
- Politics & Law
- Writing
- Art & Design
- Music
- Other
John Christie Wright
1889 - 1917
Forbes Johnston
1971 - 2007
Leslie Mavor
1916 - 1991
James Cameron Mackenzie
1852 - 1931
Muriel Thompson
1875 - 1939
Robert Grierson Combe
1880 - 1917
Charlie Allan (journalist)
Born 1958
Euan Wemyss
-
Scott Michie
Born 1983
John Maconnachie
1885 - 1956
Theodore Grant Gray
1884 - 1964
Jamie Clark (footballer)
Born 1976
Robin Galloway
Born 1961
Finn Ross
Born 1982
David Coulter (karateka)
-
Thomas Gordon (philosopher)
1714 - 1797
Harry Bannerman
Born 1942
Malcolm Kpedekpo
Born 1976
Fiona Campbell
Born 1981
Eliza Rennie
1813 - 1869
Ian Donald (footballer)
Born 1951
John Black (composer)
1520 - 1587
Neil Stirton
Born 1981
Jason Hogg
Born 1982
James Henry Skene
1812 - 1886
Niall Iain MacDonald
Born 1974
Barry Reamsbottom
Born 1949
William Gordon (bishop of Aberdeen)
1500 - 1577
Jason Steele (wrestler)
Born 1980
Mark Perry (Scottish footballer)
Born 1971
Inga Kennedy
Born 1962
Seaton Baxter
Born 1939
Craig McKeown
Born 1985
George Kelly (footballer)
1933 - 1998
Patrick Walliser
Born 1951
Jamie Bennett (businessman)
-
Robert Absalom Thom
1873 - 1955
Sir Alexander MacRobert, 1st Baronet
1854 - 1922
Mike Biggar
Born 1949
Ben Anderson (footballer)
Born 1946
William Forbes of Callendar
1756 - 1823
John Letford
Born 1935
Barrie Mitchell
Born 1947
Alice Creswick
1889 - 1973
John Taylor (bishop of Glasgow and Galloway)
Born 1932
Olwen Thorn
Born 1984
James Bisset (mayor)
1836 - 1919
William Angus (Australian politician)
1871 - 1965
Dick Donald
1911 - 1993
George Smith (financier)
1808 - 1899
Michael Watt (footballer)
Born 1970
David Cumming
1910 - 1993
John Paul Jameson
1659 - 1700
Martin Bavidge
Born 1980
Alex Caie
1877 - 1912
Terence Cawthorne
1902 - 1970
James Campbell Brown
1843 - 1910
Chris Anderson (footballer, born 1925)
1925 - 1986
Jackie Robertson
1928 - 2014
John Imlah
1799 - 1846
Hugh Martin (Scottish minister)
1822 - 1885
Graeme Catto
Born 1945
Kirsty Hayes
Born 1977
Davie Johnston (footballer, born 1948)
Born 1948
William Reid (civil servant)
Born 1931
Andrew Wilson Baird
1842 - 1908
Marion Patterson
1911 - 1993
Mary Esslemont
1891 - 1984
John Davidson (botanist)
1878 - 1970
Dod Orsborne
1902 - 1957
Lindsay Symon
1929 - 2019
John Rennie (GC)
1920 - 1943
John Black (Lower Canada politician)
Born 1764
Charles Fraser (minister)
1823 - 1886
Forbes Falconer
1805 - 1853
Morag Pirie
Born 1975
James Birnie
1762 - 1844
James Alastair Taylor
Born 1951
Dave Davidson (footballer)
1905 - 1969
Matthew Dymond
1911 - 1996
Thomas Jaffrey
1861 - 1953
Sue Mackay
Born 1960
Bill Murray (footballer, born 1901)
1901 - 1961
James W. Robison
1831 - 1909
John Burnett (advocate)
1760 - 1810
J. Murdoch Ritchie
1925 - 2008
Wilf Low
1884 - 1933
Willie Watt (footballer, born 1946)
Born 1946
Arch Dale
1882 - 1962
Steve Lennox
Born 1964
Herbert Murray (footballer)
1886 - 1918
Kieran Murphy (rugby union)
Born 1990
Robert Murray (educator)
1888 - 1967
Angela Palmer
Born 1957
Edward Wyllie Fenton
1889 - 1962
John Sjoberg
1941 - 2008
Alexander Wedderburn (businessman)
1796 - 1843
Charles Irvine
1693 - 1771
Les Massie
Born 1935
Alex Rhind
1849 - 1922
Charles James William Grant
1861 - 1932
Gordon Kerr (British Army officer)
Born 1948
Bobby Pratt
1927 - 1968
Bruce Watson (politician)
1910 - 1988
Stewart Davidson
1886 - 1960
Adam Scott Nicol
Born 1997
James Ferguson, 1st Laird of Pitfour
1672 - 1734
John Joseph Dougall
1860 - 1934
William Bain Scarth
1837 - 1902
Patrick Copland (philanthrope)
1572 - 1651
Billy Pirie
Born 1949
James Gibb (Presbyterian minister)
1857 - 1935
Jimmy Rae
Died 1958
John Ogston
1939 - 2017
Mike Small (author)
Born 1998
George Buchan
Born 1950
Stephen Robertson (politician)
Born 1962
Luke Robertson
Born 1985
J. M. Gordon
1857 - 1944
Paul McKenzie (footballer, born 1969)
Born 1969
Muriel Thomson
Born 1954
Tessa Holyoake
1963 - 2017
John Milne (politician)
1839 - 1922
Gordon Forbes (British Army officer)
1738 - 1828
John Black (music manager)
Born 1967
Stuart Monro
Born 1947
Peter Ross (cricketer)
Born 1992
Jimmy Philip
Died 1930
David Caldwell (footballer, born 1960)
Born 1960
Ken Thomson (footballer)
1930 - 1969
Dennis D'Arcy
Born 1951
Allan Lawrie
1886 - 1915
Johnny Pattillo
1923 - 2002
John Coutts (shipbuilder)
1810 - 1862
Dave Bennett (footballer, born 1938)
Born 1938
William Black (1771–1866)
1771 - 1866
George Black (RAF officer)
Born 1932
Frank Findlay
1884 - 1945
Louise Steel
Born 1985
James Forbes (hospital inspector)
1779 - 1837
Maxwell Findlay
1898 - 1936
Bert Henderson (footballer)
1931 - 2008
Alan Main (minister)
Born 1936
Bryan Burnett
-
Edward Bannerman
-
George Imlay
1794 - 1846
John Skene (New Jersey)
1649 - 1695
Graeme Ritchie
1957 - 1997
Calum Cusiter
Born 1980
John Black (merchant)
1765 - 1823
Dennis Hay
Born 1940
Suzy Enoch
-
Quita Shivas
1925 - 2013
Ernie Michie
Born 1933
John Dunlop Lumsden
Born 1860
Helen Black (mayoress)
1896 - 1963
Tom Dalgliesh
Born 1945
Louis Harper
-
George Elrick
1903 - 1999
Alexander Bur
1320 - 1397
Wilfred Bleaden
1887 - 1965
James Leith (VC)
1826 - 1869
Laurie Macmillan
1947 - 2001
George Young (swimmer)
1909 - 1972
Fred Watson (Scottish footballer)
1888 - 1917
Jean Elmslie Henderson Findlay
1885 - 1944
Laura Grant
Born 2001
Lisa Livingstone
-
Jock Kirton
1916 - 1996
John Beattie (footballer)
1912 - 1992
David McCall (businessman)
Born 1934
Stewart Fraser (footballer)
Born 1936
Andrew Hamilton (footballer, born 1882)
1882 - 1915
Alex Wright (footballer, born 1890s)
Born 1897
George Scott (footballer, born 1944)
Born 1944
Angelica Fraser
1823 - 1910
James Macdonell (journalist)
1841 - 1879
Gordon Low
Born 1940
Alfred M. Robertson
1911 - 1975
Peter Imlay
1797 - 1881
Andy Greig
-
Bisset Berry
1839 - 1922
Fred Smith (footballer, born February 1926)
1926 - 2005
George Fraser (New Zealand engineer)
1832 - 1901
Alexander Young (bishop)
Died 1684
James Westland
1916 - 1972
Richard Yule
Born 1950
James Kessack
1879 - 1916
W. Ironside Bruce
1876 - 1921
Vic Milne
1897 - 1971
Alan C. McLaughlin
-
George Beattie (footballer)
1925 - 2012
Eloho
Born 1973
Hughie Hay
1930 - 2012
Gordon Cramond
1949 - 1989
William Jackson Elmslie
1832 - 1872
Steve Smith (Scottish footballer)
-
Peter Milne (missionary)
1834 - 1924
Willie Miller (urbanist)
Born 1950
Roy Hendry Thomson
1932 - 2009
Ronnie Lowrie
Born 1955
Jimmy Milne (trade unionist)
1921 - 1986
Harry Low
Born 1882
Eddie Legge
1902 - 1947
Robert Gardiner (politician)
1879 - 1945
William Dawson (New Zealand politician)
1852 - 1923
Andy Reid (Scottish footballer)
-
John Hendry Anderson
1854 - 1913
William Farquharson Burnett
1837 - 1863
John Smith Walker
1826 - 1893
Archibald Gordon (missionary)
1882 - 1967
Alexander Shepherd (public servant)
1797 - 1859
Alf Burnett
1922 - 1977
Jack Lornie
1939 - 2014
Jamie Bain (darts player)
Born 1989
Graham Clark (footballer)
Born 1961
Robert Duffus
1891 - 1949
John Murdoch (athlete)
1885 - 1939
Doris Trueman
Born 1953
Neill Ogilvie-Forbes
1900 - 1990
James Harper (priest)
1859 - 1938
Douglas Westland
1909 - 1998
Ian Strachan (Newfoundland and Labrador politician)
Born 1940
Ruth Ewan
Born 1980
Grissel Jaffray
1600 - 1669
Bill Smith (footballer, born 1938)
Born 1938
John Duffus
1901 - 1975
Willie Ritchie (golfer)
1884 - 1966
Dickie Ewen
1939 - 2001
William Bruce Wood
1848 - 1928
James Edward Crombie
1862 - 1932
Doug Smith (rugby union)
1924 - 1998
Syd Gerrie
1927 - 2005
Arthur Murray (footballer)
1880 - 1930
Isabella Skea
1845 - 1914
James Aiken
1888 - 1974
Ron Still
Born 1943
A. Graeme Auld
Born 1941
William Jaffray (footballer)
1885 - 1968
Jane Alexander (author)
-
Kay Duncan
-
Jo McCafferty
-
Ranald Roderick Macdonald
1945 - 2007
John Marnoch
1867 - 1936
George S. Morris (musician)
1876 - 1958
Dyce Davidson
1835 - 1886
Alfred William Gibb
1864 - 1937
Robert Dyce
1798 - 1869
William James Lovie
1868 - 1938
James Gray Kyd
1882 - 1968
Joseph Petrie
1848 - 1908
John Barron (footballer)
1879 - 1908
William Beattie (photographer)
1864 - 1931
Stanley McKessock
1924 - 2012
Alexander Birnie
1763 - 1835
Joan Brown (potter)
1926 - 2016
William Davidson (British Columbia politician)
Born 1867
Alexander Duff Connon
1891 - 1975
John Dodds (engineer)
1905 - 1983
John Salmon (politician)
1808 - 1873
Jim Warrender
-
William Pithie
Born 1859
George Duthie
1865 - 1921
Nathan Kinch
Born 1982
George Adam Reay
1901 - 1971
Peter Laird McKinlay
1901 - 1972
Maxwell Tyler
Born 1991
William Chalmers (footballer, born 1901)
1901 - 1997
Mike Carroll (footballer)
Born 1952
Robert Gray (footballer, born 1951)
Born 1951
John Wilson (trade unionist)
1920 - 1996
Alexander Morison McAldowie
1852 - 1926
John Watson (Queensland politician)
1833 - 1912
Alexander Robertson (veterinarian)
1908 - 1990
James Sherriffs
1752 - 1830
Frederick Malloch Bruce
1912 - 1997
Roy Brown Strathdee
1897 - 1976
Dick Grieve
1924 - 1997
George Sangster (politician)
1845 - 1915
James Duncan Matthews
1850 - 1890
William Turner (bishop of Galloway)
1844 - 1914
Walter Grant (Scottish footballer)
-
George Skene (physician)
1741 - 1803
James Greig Smith
1854 - 1897
Bill Menzies
1901 - 1970