51.5071° N, 0.1297° W

LONDON

Most Famous People Born in London, United Kingdom

Notable people
15,663
Peak decade
1960s
Median birth year
1919
Most distinctive
Novelist 2.6×

Nine centuries of the British public eye. London's notables fan out across a longer continuous span than almost any other anglophone city, from medieval peers and antiquarians through Georgian solicitors and impresarios to a postwar wave of actors, footballers, and singers. The court and the stage have always been within walking distance of each other here, and the dataset shows it.

Standouts

What London Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is London's biggest profession — 13% of all notables (2,038).

London over-indexes on novelist 2.6× the global rate.

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

  1. Actor 2,038 2.5×
  2. Politician 1,102 0.6×
  3. Painter 769 1.9×
  4. Writer 646 1.3×
  5. Football 600 0.3×
  6. Singer 424 1.3×
  7. Film 350 1.8×
  8. Music 340 1.5×
  1. Novelist 163 2.6×
  2. Actor 2,038 2.5×
  3. Painter 769 1.9×
  4. Film 350 1.8×
  5. Composer 318 1.5×
  6. Music 340 1.5×
  1. Football 600 0.3×
  2. Politician 1,102 0.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1550 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000
  • Film & TV
  • Writing
  • Art & Design
  • Politics & Law
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Other
All15,663
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Showing 26 of 15,663 notable people

0071 COMPOSER

Henry Purcell

1659 - 1695

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0245 ACTOR

Nell Gwyn

1650 - 1687

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1388 CLERIC

Samuel Parris

1653 - 1720

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1923 POLITICIAN

Charles Davenant

1656 - 1714

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2114 ACTOR

Elizabeth Barry

1658 - 1713

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2517 SON

Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth

1657 - 1680

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3077 WRITER

John Dennis (dramatist)

1658 - 1734

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3932 ECONOMIST

John Bellers

1654 - 1725

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4950 PRIEST

Lancelot Blackburne

1658 - 1743

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5698 WRITER

Simon Tyssot de Patot

1655 - 1738

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5876 HISTORIAN

Joshua Barnes

1654 - 1712

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5952 ENGRAVER

Bernard Lens II

1659 - 1725

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6493 NOBILE

Charlotte FitzRoy, Countess of Yarmouth

1650 - 1684

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7021 ENGRAVER

John Sturt

1658 - 1730

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7055 BIBLIOGRAPHER

John Bagford

1650 - 1716

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8043 PRINTMAKER

William Faithorne the Younger

1656 - 1703

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8113 LAWYER

Christopher Rich (theatre manager)

1657 - 1714

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8989 COMPOSER

Francis Forcer the Elder

1650 - 1705

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9569 MERCHANT

John Nelson (merchant)

1654 - 1734

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9588 WRITER

Robert Nelson (nonjuror)

1656 - 1715

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9813 POLITICIAN

Edmund Dunch (Whig)

1657 - 1719

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10244 PRIEST

Richard Duke

1658 - 1711

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10480 POLITICIAN

Edward Northey (barrister)

1652 - 1723

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12069 POLITICIAN

Henry St John, 1st Viscount St John

1652 - 1742

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12527 CIVIL SERVANT

Sir George Downing, 2nd Baronet

1650 - 1711

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13296 POLITICIAN

Sidney Godolphin (colonel)

1652 - 1732

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