37.8688° N, 79.2205° W

AMHERST

Most Famous People Born in Amherst, United States

Notable people
399
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1882
Most distinctive
Coach 7.2×
Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Amherst during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 29 notable births.

What Amherst Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Amherst's biggest profession — 18% of all notables (70).

Amherst over-indexes on coach — 7.2× the global rate.

Amherst under-produces football — only 0.3× the global rate.

  1. Politician70
  2. Lawyer25
  3. Actor16
  4. Militar15
  5. Football13
  6. Music13
  7. Officer13
  8. Singer11
  1. Coach67.2×
  2. Activist55.8×
  3. Officer134.9×
  4. Lawyer253.6×
  5. Militar153.1×
  6. Music132.3×
  7. Diplomat52.1×
  8. Baseball81.8×
  1. Football130.3×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Amherst's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

16501700175018001850190019502000
  • Politics & Law
  • Sports
  • Military
  • Music
  • Science
  • Writing
  • Other
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Showing 9 of 399 notable people

0017 LAWYER

William Cabell Rives

1793 - 1868

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0036 POLITICIAN

William Becknell

1790 - 1856

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0039 LAWYER

Powhatan Ellis

1790 - 1863

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0122 POLITICIAN

James Hugh Relfe

1791 - 1863

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0157 POLITICIAN

Julius W. Blackwell

Born 1797

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0167 POLITICIAN

John William Smith (politician)

1792 - 1845

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0198 SURVEYOR

Horatio Chriesman

1797 - 1878

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0221 MILITAR

John Garland (general)

1792 - 1861

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0397 MISSING

Joel Monroe

1793 - 1877

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