54.9014° N, 1.3811° W
SUNDERLAND
Most Famous People Born in Sunderland, United Kingdom
- Notable people
- 464
- Peak decade
- 1960s
- Median birth year
- 1937
- Most distinctive
- Cricket 4.9×
One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Sunderland during each.
Notable Births by Decade
Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1960s with 46 notable births.
What Sunderland Is Known For
Click any row to filter the list of people below.
Football is Sunderland's biggest profession — 49% of all notables (226).
Sunderland over-indexes on cricket — 4.9× the global rate.
Sunderland under-produces politician — only 0.3× the global rate.
Profession Mix Over Time
Each band shows a profession family's share of Sunderland's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.
- Sports
- Film & TV
- Writing
- Politics & Law
- Science
- Music
- Other
Emeli Sandé
Born 1987
David A. Stewart
Born 1952
James Herriot
1916 - 1995
Joseph Swan
1828 - 1914
Callum Keith Rennie
Born 1960
Don Airey
Born 1948
Jordan Henderson
Born 1990
Mary Stewart (novelist)
1916 - 2014
Adam Johnson (footballer)
Born 1987
John Lilburne
1614 - 1657
William Russell (actor)
Born 1924
Jill Scott (footballer)
Born 1987
Terry Deary
Born 1946
Graham Wallas
1858 - 1932
Henry Havelock
1795 - 1857
Mary Ann Cotton
1832 - 1873
Alan Kennedy
Born 1954
Hyam Maccoby
1924 - 2004
William Gowland
1842 - 1922
Bernard Comrie
Born 1947
James Bolam
Born 1935
Nigel Clough
Born 1966
Bob Willis
1949 - 2019
Maurice Roëves
1937 - 2020
Clarkson Frederick Stanfield
1793 - 1867
Charlotte Crosby
Born 1990
Raich Carter
1913 - 1994
Melanie Hill
Born 1962
Gareth Pugh
Born 1981
William King (geologist)
1809 - 1886
Edward Gregson
Born 1945
Charles W. Alcock
1842 - 1907
Mary Burchell
1904 - 1986
Michael Gray (footballer)
Born 1974
Nicola Spaldin
Born 1969
Ross Pearson
Born 1984
Lauren Laverne
Born 1978
Paul Turner (bassist)
Born 1968
Hilary Armstrong
Born 1945
David Parfitt
Born 1958
David Daiches
1912 - 2005
Henry Fowler, 1st Viscount Wolverhampton
1830 - 1911
Mick Harford
Born 1959
Shelayna Oskan-Clarke
Born 1990
Steve Howey (footballer)
Born 1971
George Clarke (architect)
Born 1974
Tony Jeffries
Born 1985
Ryan Noble
Born 1991
Alyson Dixon
Born 1978
Marion Angus
1865 - 1946
Alf Common
1880 - 1946
Mark Brydon
Born 1960
Jonathan Wilson (writer)
Born 1976
Denise Robertson
1932 - 2016
Ian Freeman
Born 1970
Baz Warne
Born 1964
David Preece (footballer, born 1976)
Born 1976
George Bellamy (musician)
Born 1941
Jeremiah Evarts
1781 - 1831
Lee Makel
Born 1973
Helen Aitchison
1881 - 1947
Cliff McNish
Born 1962
Ronnie Stephenson
1937 - 2002
Ursula Dronke
1920 - 2012
George Macdonogh
1865 - 1942
Pop Robson
Born 1945
Gibb McLaughlin
1884 - 1960
Jack Crawford (sailor)
1775 - 1831
Adam Smith (footballer, born 1992)
Born 1992
Alan Browning
1926 - 1979
Alison Wright
Born 1976
Stephen Hughes (politician)
Born 1952
Josh Kelly (boxer)
Born 1994
David Anderson (British politician)
Born 1953
John Cryan
Born 1960
Abel Chapman
1851 - 1929
William Hutton (1797–1860)
1797 - 1860
Maurice Casey
1942 - 2014
Jonathan Weaver (ice hockey)
Born 1974
Madeleine Moon
Born 1950
Clive Mendonca
Born 1968
David Holden
1924 - 1977
James Gay-Rees
Born 1967
Arthur Lawson (designer)
1908 - 1970
Renford Bambrough
1926 - 1999
David Macey
1949 - 2011
Rob Rackstraw
Born 1965
Chris Foggin
Born 1985
Andrew White Tuer
1838 - 1900
Liam Agnew
Born 1995
Micky Hazard
Born 1960
Don Nicholl
1925 - 1980
Bobby Gurney
1907 - 1994
Lee Robinson (footballer)
Born 1986
Marjorie Thomas
1923 - 2008
Mark Beck
Born 1994
William Halcrow
1883 - 1958
David Ferguson (footballer, born 1994)
Born 1994
Dorothy Auchterlonie Green
1915 - 1991
Oscar Hold
1918 - 2005
John Morrison (writer)
1904 - 1998
Derek Foster, Baron Foster of Bishop Auckland
1937 - 2019
Christine Norden
1924 - 1988
Mike Thorne
Born 1948
Joseph Gillis
1911 - 1993
Alf Young
1905 - 1977
Pat McCormack (boxer, born 1995)
Born 1995
Martin Smith (footballer, born 1995)
Born 1995
Robert Sherlaw Johnson
1932 - 2000
Ernie Taylor (footballer, born 1925)
1925 - 1985
Ralph Heskett
Born 1953
Gordon Bradley
1933 - 2008
Ruth-Ann Boyle
Born 1970
Stephen Liddle
-
Tommy Cummings
1928 - 2009
Jimmy Montgomery
Born 1943
Phil Mustard
Born 1982
Mick Jones (footballer, born 1947)
Born 1947
Thomas Robson (footballer, born 1995)
Born 1995
Jack Mew
1889 - 1963
Ben Forster (actor)
Born 1981
Carl Jones (footballer)
Born 1986
Julie Elliott
Born 1963
Steven Grieveson
Born 1970
Grant Brown
Born 1969
Mike Elliott (comedian)
1946 - 2014
Alexis Petridis
Born 1971
Chris Rushworth
Born 1986
Tony Philliskirk
Born 1965
Richard Jack
1866 - 1952
Jordan Richards (footballer, born 1993)
Born 1993
Myra Curtis
1886 - 1971
Margaret Dryburgh
1890 - 1945
Thomas Thornville Cooper
1839 - 1878
Paul Robinson (footballer, born November 1978)
Born 1978
Josh Gillies
Born 1990
Dan Smith (footballer, born 1986)
Born 1986
Malcolm Terris
1941 - 2020
Michael Young (industrial designer)
Born 1966
Eric Boswell (songwriter)
1921 - 2009
William Kay Blacklock
1872 - 1924
Berwick Kaler
Born 1946
Linda Mason
Born 1946
Henry Binns
1837 - 1899
Phil Donkin
Born 1980
Stephen Train
Born 1962
Anna Turvey
Born 1980
George Elliott (footballer, born 1889)
1889 - 1948
James MacKenzie (rugby union)
1886 - 1963
David Thomson (bishop)
Born 1952
Frank Wilson (politician)
1859 - 1918
John G. Milburn
1851 - 1930
Charles de Lacy
1856 - 1929
Lucy Atkinson
1817 - 1893
Fergus Craig
Born 1980
Charlie Wallace
1885 - 1970
Adam Stafford
Born 1982
Howard Marshall (rugby union)
1870 - 1929
Harry Hepple
Born 1983
Marcus Lipton
1900 - 1978
Lauren Mote
Born 1997
Joseph Foster (genealogist)
1844 - 1905
Billy Hardy
Born 1964
Janet Ryder
Born 1955
Christian Howard (actor)
Born 1984
Michael Proctor
Born 1980
David Corner (footballer)
Born 1966
Mick Grabham
Born 1948
Martin Smith (footballer, born 1974)
Born 1974
Tom Cowie
1922 - 2012
Randolph Galloway
1896 - 1964
Jamie Clarke (footballer, born 1982)
Born 1982
Nat Jackley
1909 - 1988
Havelock Wilson
1859 - 1929
Ned Liddell
1878 - 1969
Norman Dennis
1929 - 2010
David Wheatley (director)
1949 - 2009
David Dolan
Born 1979
James Baxter (actor)
Born 1990
Jonathan Moss (referee)
Born 1970
Chris Porter (footballer, born 1979)
Born 1979
Luke Evans (cricketer)
Born 1987
Chris Bentley (rugby union)
Born 1979
Alan Dick
1930 - 2002
John Armstrong (bishop of Grahamstown)
1813 - 1856
Steve Brodie (footballer)
Born 1973
Anth Smith
Born 1971
Bill Etherington
Born 1941
Harry Watts
1826 - 1913
Nigel Glover
Born 1961
George Alder Blumer
1857 - 1940
Edward Temperley Gourley
1826 - 1902
Paul Coughlin
Born 1992
Corey Barnes
Born 1992
Wendy Ramshaw
1939 - 2018
Debbie Arnold
Born 1955
Adam Applegarth
Born 1962
Carston Catcheside
1899 - 1987
Ian Conn
Born 1962
Theodore Doxford
1841 - 1916
Ben Raine
Born 1991
Ronnie Robinson (footballer)
Born 1966
Ryan Pringle
Born 1992
Muriel Foster
1877 - 1937
David Rush
Born 1971
Rachel Furness
Born 1988
Wes Saunders
Born 1963
Mark Thompson (painter)
1812 - 1875
Luke McCormack (boxer)
Born 1995
William Mills (inventor)
1856 - 1932
George Scott (footballer, born 1885)
1885 - 1916
Lee Howey
Born 1969
Gary Porter (footballer)
Born 1966
Jake Orrell
Born 1997
Dianne Oxberry
1967 - 2019
Frank Goldstone
1870 - 1955
Eta Cohen
1916 - 2012
Thomas Alderson
1903 - 1965
William Delisle Hay
Born 1853
Davis Keillor-Dunn
Born 1997
Gordon Ferry
Born 1943
Bob Jefferson
1882 - 1966
Alan Burridge
Born 1936
Robbie Robinson (footballer)
1879 - 1951
Graeme Bridge
Born 1980
Josh Coughlin
Born 1997
Paul Johnson (footballer, born 1992)
Born 1992
Kevin Young (footballer)
Born 1961
Joseph Kayll
1914 - 2000
Paul Dixon (ice hockey)
Born 1973
Bill Berry (footballer, born 1882)
1884 - 1943
Jackie Foster
1903 - 1936
Adam Maxwell
Born 1976
Norman Bell
Born 1955
Ernie Young (footballer, born 1892)
1892 - 1962
Rodney Eden
1853 - 1940
Edgar Elliot
1878 - 1931
Michael Coghlan
Born 1985
Bernie Fagan
Born 1949
George Henry Swan
1833 - 1913
Kenny Mitchell (footballer)
1957 - 2019
Richard Hodgson
Born 1979
George Burton Hunter
1845 - 1937
Kevin Dillon (English footballer)
Born 1959
Ian Wilson (swimmer)
Born 1970
David Goldman (businessman)
1937 - 1999
Glen Robson
Born 1977
Peter Birtwisle
Born 1946
Anthony Forster (Australian politician)
1813 - 1897
David Whelan (golfer)
Born 1961
John Forster Alcock
1841 - 1910
George Reynolds (business)
Born 1936
John Cocking
Born 1944
Keith Kennedy
Born 1952
Richard Smyth (cricketer, born 1951)
Born 1951
Ernie Lotinga
1876 - 1951
George Smith (footballer, born 1908)
Born 1908
Smart Arridge
1872 - 1947
Stephen Halliday
Born 1976
Alan Parnaby
1916 - 1974
Arthur Andrews (footballer, born 1891)
1891 - 1964
Peter Rowell
Born 1958
Neil Richardson (footballer)
Born 1968
John Glassford (cricketer)
Born 1946
Matthew Potts
Born 1998
Robert Carter (footballer)
1880 - 1928
Mark McLeod (English footballer)
Born 1986
Barry Dunn
Born 1952
Louisa Wilkinson
1889 - 1968
Alan Cowey
1935 - 2012
Alan Harding
Born 1948
Wilf Rostron
Born 1956
Ian Sawyers
-
Andrew Common
1899 - 1953
Paul Christie (cricketer)
Born 1971
Bobby Knoxall
1933 - 2009
Harry Armstrong (footballer)
1885 - 1911
Angus Wright (producer)
1934 - 2012
William Pile (shipbuilder)
1822 - 1873
Anthony Robinson
1700 - 1768
Debbie Kurup
Born 1979
Harry Oliver (footballer)
1921 - 1994
Ken Thompson (footballer, born 1926)
1926 - 2008
Harry Leonard (footballer)
1886 - 1951
Kevin Todd (footballer)
Born 1958
Robert Young (soldier)
1877 - 1953
Bert Wilkinson
1922 - 2011
George H. Bell
1839 - 1917
Monica Rutherford
Born 1944
Catherine Jacob (journalist)
Born 1976
Steve Carter (footballer, born 1972)
Born 1972
Tom Robson (footballer)
1936 - 1981
Ken Ellis (footballer, born 1948)
1948 - 1992
Ernie Forrest
1919 - 1987
David W. Atkinson
Born 1948
Tommy Stewart (footballer)
1881 - 1955
Tony Smith (footballer, born 1957)
Born 1957
Andrew Roseberry
Born 1971
Leslie Scott (footballer)
1895 - 1973
George Gray (footballer, born 1925)
1925 - 1995