55.9533° N, 3.1894° W
EDINBURGH
Most Famous People Born in Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Notable people
- 2,337
- Peak decade
- 1980s
- Median birth year
- 1919
- Most distinctive
- Botanist 3.0×
Half university town, half capital. Edinburgh's notables are unusually dense in the 1700s and 1800s — botanists, chemists, physicians, judges, and engineers — a footprint that maps almost perfectly onto the Scottish Enlightenment and the Victorian scientific establishment. The modern half adds cricketers and rugby players (grouped in the data as 'player'), but the city's intellectual tilt is still its defining feature.
One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Edinburgh during each.
Notable Births by Decade
Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1980s with 175 notable births.
What Edinburgh Is Known For
Click any row to filter the list of people below.
Football is Edinburgh's biggest profession — 22% of all notables (509).
Edinburgh over-indexes on botanist — 3.0× the global rate.
Edinburgh under-produces politician — only 0.7× the global rate.
Profession Mix Over Time
Each band shows a profession family's share of Edinburgh's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.
- Sports
- Science
- Politics & Law
- Writing
- Art & Design
- Film & TV
- Other
Chris Small
Born 1973
Norman Davidson (biochemist)
1911 - 1972
Charlie Aitken (footballer, born 1942)
Born 1942
Rose Anderson
Born 1988
Paul Cockshott
Born 1952
Alex Welsh
1929 - 1982
Stef Penney
Born 1969
Ralph Clark
1762 - 1794
James M. Houston
Born 1922
James Ballantine
1806 - 1877
William Aitcheson Haswell
1854 - 1925
Chris Kane (footballer, born 1994)
Born 1994
Alison Elliot
Born 1948
William Hardie
1862 - 1916
Ross Laidlaw
Born 1992
George Hay (bishop)
1729 - 1811
Morag Siller
1969 - 2016
Trevor Martin
1929 - 2017
Patrick Fraser Tytler
1791 - 1849
John Young (actor)
1916 - 1996
Graeme Maxton
Born 1960
Ramsay Traquair
1840 - 1912
Stuart McInally
Born 1990
Andrew Mitchell (diplomat)
1708 - 1771
Chris Douglas
Born 1974
Andrew Nagorski
Born 1947
James Duff Brown
1862 - 1914
Archibald Warden
1869 - 1943
Robert Black (colonial administrator)
1906 - 1999
Allen Thomson
1809 - 1884
Alex Hay
1933 - 2011
Scott Wilson (footballer, born 1977)
Born 1977
Samuel Laing (science writer)
1812 - 1897
Edward Hargitt
1835 - 1895
Roy Henderson (baritone)
1899 - 2000
William Milligan
1821 - 1892
James Stewart (missionary)
1831 - 1905
Claire Goose
Born 1975
Thomas Graham Balfour
1813 - 1891
Charles McLaren, 1st Baron Aberconway
1850 - 1934
Alastair Reid (director)
1939 - 2011
John Bartholomew
1831 - 1893
James Grant Wilson
1832 - 1914
James Grant (author)
1822 - 1887
Arthur Woodburn
1890 - 1978
James, Duke of Rothesay (born 1507)
1507 - 1508
David Berry Hart
1851 - 1920
Willie Bauld
1928 - 1977
James Duff, 5th Earl Fife
1814 - 1879
William Mactavish
1815 - 1870
Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun
Born 1930
Thomas Dobson (printer)
1751 - 1823
Alexander Keith Johnston (1844–1879)
1844 - 1879
Ronald Hingley
1920 - 2010
Liam Craig
Born 1987
Thomas Grainger Stewart
1837 - 1900
Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone
1767 - 1833
Ronnie Browne
Born 1937
Alan Andrew Watson
Born 1938
Freya Ross
Born 1983
Iain Gray
Born 1957
Joseph Hislop
1884 - 1977
Ian Bell (journalist)
1956 - 2015
Robert I. Frost
Born 1960
Ivison Macadam
1894 - 1974
Gareth Sager
Born 1960
Paul Bernard (footballer)
Born 1972
Alexander Broadie
Born 1942
Fred Melville
1882 - 1940
Jean Comaroff
Born 1946
Frederick Gore
1913 - 2009
Willie Young (footballer, born 1951)
Born 1951
Claire Emslie
Born 1994
Andrew McNeil
Born 1987
Edmund Yates
1831 - 1894
Alexander Smith (chemist)
1865 - 1922
Jamie Stone (politician)
Born 1954
William Wilson (artist)
1905 - 1972
Anne Bannerman
1765 - 1829
James Laidlaw Maxwell
1836 - 1921
John Runciman
1744 - 1766
Arthur Landsborough Thomson
1890 - 1977
Guy Warrack
1900 - 1986
Tommy Anderson (ice hockey)
1911 - 1971
George Alexander Drummond
1829 - 1910
Dougie Fife
Born 1990
Gordon Smith (footballer, born 1924)
1924 - 2004
Andrew Elliot
1728 - 1797
Eric Robertson (composer)
Born 1948
Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard
1540 - 1562
Lee Jones (rugby union)
Born 1988
Hugh Kelsey
1926 - 1995
Gregor Robertson (footballer)
Born 1984
Daniel Kinnear Clark
1822 - 1896
Adam Wilson
1814 - 1891
John Erskine (theologian)
1721 - 1803
James Gairdner
1828 - 1912
Andrew Taylor (architect)
1850 - 1937
James Young Simpson (scientist)
1873 - 1934
Thomas Forrest (navigator)
1729 - 1802
Thomas Doherty (actor)
Born 1995
Charles Alexander Stevenson
1855 - 1950
Huw Jones (rugby union)
Born 1993
James McKenzie (boxer)
1903 - 1931
Coll Donaldson
Born 1995
Gordon Marshall (footballer, born 1964)
Born 1964
Robert Dundas of Arniston, the younger
1713 - 1787
Thomas Adams (architect)
1871 - 1940
Richard Demarco
Born 1930
Lesley Beake
Born 1949
William Duthie Morgan
1891 - 1977
Jennifer McIntosh
Born 1991
John Clark (footballer, born 1964)
Born 1964
Sir George Warrender, 7th Baronet
1860 - 1917
Colin Hardie
1906 - 1998
William Jameson (botanist, born 1796)
1796 - 1873
Tim Mitchison
Born 1958
Carol Brown Janeway
1944 - 2015
David I. Masson
1917 - 2007
Archibald Primrose, 1st Earl of Rosebery
1664 - 1723
Thomas Allan
1777 - 1833
Ewan Roberts
1914 - 1983
Arthur Pillans Laurie
1861 - 1949
Alaric Jacob
1909 - 1995
Eliza Wigham
1820 - 1899
Peter Marinello
Born 1950
Keith Murray, Baron Murray of Newhaven
1903 - 1993
Anthony Todd Thomson
1778 - 1849
Robert Young (biblical scholar)
1822 - 1888
Stuart Malcolm
Born 1979
Ethel Walker
1861 - 1951
Isabel Emslie Hutton
1887 - 1960
Shelagh McDonald
Born 1948
Ted Ranken
1875 - 1950
Jim Mellon
Born 1957
Fiona Watt
Born 1956
April McMahon
Born 1964
Allan Jacobsen (rugby union)
Born 1978
Reginald Stewart (conductor)
1900 - 1984
James Ralston Kennedy Paterson
1897 - 1981
Geoff Cross
Born 1982
Malcolm Chisholm
Born 1949
Ian McTaggart-Cowan
1910 - 2010
Robert Murray Keith (the younger)
1730 - 1795
Angus Beith
Born 1996
Henry Littlejohn
1826 - 1914
Ross Rennie
Born 1986
Harry Melville (chemist)
1908 - 2000
Paul Sheerin
Born 1974
Grant Murray
Born 1975
George Farm
1924 - 2004
Ivan Craig
1912 - 1995
Isabella Glyn
1823 - 1889
Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll
Born 1948
Louis Isaac Rabinowitz
1906 - 1984
Richard M. Hogg
1944 - 2007
Kristopher Gilchrist
Born 1983
Henry Keith, Baron Keith of Kinkel
1922 - 2002
Laura Hird
Born 1966
James Campbell Noble
1846 - 1913
Alexander Johnston (artist)
1816 - 1891
William Murray, Marquess of Tullibardine
1689 - 1746
Zoe Beloff
Born 1958
John Campbell (missionary)
1766 - 1840
James Clyde, Baron Clyde
1932 - 2009
David Bedell-Sivright
1880 - 1915
Emily Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne
1819 - 1895
Alan Richardson (composer)
1904 - 1978
Dorothy Johnstone
1892 - 1980
Sara Ishaq
Born 1984
Charles Jauncey, Baron Jauncey of Tullichettle
1925 - 2007
Abram Combe
1775 - 1827
George Thomas Beilby
1850 - 1924
W. F. R. Hardie
1902 - 1990
James Seth
1860 - 1925
Laura Cumming
Born 1961
Paul Masterton
Born 1985
Elizabeth Grant (diarist)
1797 - 1885
Nicol Alexander Dalzell
1817 - 1878
Bill Struth
1875 - 1956
Iain Williamson
Born 1988
Marcus Di Rollo
Born 1978
Colin William MacLeod
1943 - 1981
Hector Laing, Baron Laing of Dunphail
1923 - 2010
Peter Gregson (cellist)
Born 1987
William Edmonstone
1810 - 1888
Graeme Randall
Born 1975
John Thomas Irvine Boswell Syme
1822 - 1888
Ian Hanmore
Born 1945
Charles Lawson (nurseryman)
1795 - 1873
James Drummond (artist)
1816 - 1877
Mary Hogarth
1819 - 1837
Ron Brown (Scottish politician)
1938 - 2007
Liam McArthur
Born 1967
Martin O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of Clackmannan
1945 - 2020
Stephen Simmons (boxer)
Born 1984
Alexander Heron
1884 - 1971
Callum Crane
Born 1996
Don Riddell
Born 1972
Cecil Ramage
1895 - 1988
Paul Kane (footballer)
Born 1965
Ramsay Traquair (architect)
1874 - 1952
Scott Smith (footballer, born 1992)
Born 1992
John Home Robertson
Born 1948
George Richardson (architect)
1737 - 1813
Donald Maitland
1922 - 2010
A. J. Aitken
1921 - 1998
Alison Johnstone
Born 1965
Bruce Hay
1950 - 2007
Kenneth Cameron, Baron Cameron of Lochbroom
Born 1931
Thomas Baldwin Peddie
1808 - 1889
Bruce Mouat
Born 1994
Keith Wright (footballer)
Born 1965
Alexis Jay
Born 1949
Charles Kemball
1923 - 1998
John George Champion
1815 - 1854
Kate Macintosh
Born 1937
John James Cowperthwaite
1915 - 2006
Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn, 11th Earl of Dundee
1902 - 1983
Gordon Ross (rugby union)
Born 1978
Jimmy Ross (footballer, born 1866)
1866 - 1902
William Jeffrey (American soccer)
1892 - 1966
Matthew Knox
Born 1999
Archibald Scott Cleghorn
1835 - 1910
George Don (British Army officer)
1756 - 1832
Brian Ruckley
Born 1966
Scott Marshall (footballer)
Born 1973
Louise Linton
Born 1980
Blair Kinghorn
Born 1997
Kenny Hunter
Born 1962
Alexander Stuart (Australian politician)
1824 - 1886
Liz Smith (politician)
Born 1960
James Younger, 5th Viscount Younger of Leckie
Born 1955
James Orrock
1829 - 1913
Jillie Cooper
Born 1988
Murray Sutherland
Born 1954
Alfred Edward Moffat
1863 - 1950
Gillian Cooke
Born 1982
Marc Anthony (footballer)
Born 1978
Craufurd Tait Ramage
1803 - 1878
Archie Semple
1928 - 1974
James Balfour (engineer)
1831 - 1869
John Cunningham Geikie
1824 - 1906
Bill Maclagan
1858 - 1926
Ian Crawford (footballer)
1934 - 2007
John (Ian) Bartholomew
1890 - 1962
David MacRitchie
1851 - 1925
Kate Green
Born 1960
David J. Asher
Born 1966
Zoe van der Weel
Born 1990
George Cleghorn (Scottish physician)
1716 - 1789
Damien Hoyland
Born 1994
Euan Henderson (footballer)
Born 2000
Drummond Shiels
1881 - 1953
Bruce Douglas (rugby union)
Born 1980
Emily Murray Paterson
1855 - 1934
Graeme Morrice
Born 1959
Wallace Lupino
1898 - 1961
John Brown (artist)
1749 - 1787
Quinn O'Hara
1941 - 2017
James Alan Park
1763 - 1838
Patrick Syme
1774 - 1845
Brian Kellock
Born 1962
Yves Malartic
1910 - 1986
Alick Buchanan-Smith (politician)
1932 - 1991
Norrie McCathie
1961 - 1996
Leigh Kasperek
Born 1992
John Howell (polyartist)
1788 - 1863
Craigie Aitchison (painter)
1926 - 2009
Charles Usher
1865 - 1942
Ash Denham
Born 1974
George McKenzie (boxer)
1901 - 1941
Anne Laird
Born 1970
Big John Duncan
Born 1957
Marc Laird
Born 1986
Gael Turnbull
1928 - 2004
Brian Stewart (diplomat)
1922 - 2015
Learmont Drysdale
1866 - 1909
William Gloag
1865 - 1934
Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl
1814 - 1897
Colin Low, Baron Low of Dalston
Born 1942
Rhys Davies (golfer)
Born 1985
James Thomson (architect)
1852 - 1927
Josh Kerr (athlete)
Born 1997
John the Painter
1752 - 1777
Mary Ann Paton
1802 - 1864
Adam Bruce Thomson
1885 - 1976
Paul Young (actor)
Born 1944
Pat Smythe (pianist)
1923 - 1983
Alexander Stewart, Duke of Rothesay
1430 - 1430
Scott Newlands
Born 1985
William Anderson (cricketer, born 1859)
1859 - 1943
James Law (veterinarian)
1838 - 1921
Phil Godman
Born 1982
David Rennie (footballer)
Born 1964
Sean Murdoch
Born 1986
Dougie McDonald
Born 1965
Andy Irving
Born 2000
Gary Armstrong (rugby)
Born 1966
Hew Locke
Born 1959