JT#1
Politics & Law
Justin Trudeau
born 197123rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025
141 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
Famous people · Ottawa
Justin Trudeau leads the 1,194 famous people born in Ottawa
Articles about Justin Trudeau exist in 141 languages. Margaret Atwood is second and Alanis Morissette third. Since 1970, 383 were born, the most of any period. From Eric McArthur to Naël Kane, the births on the list run from 1824 to 2006.
Born here
1,194
confirmed by Wikipedia
Best known
Justin Trudeau
141 Wikipedia and sister-site articles
First
1824
Eric McArthur
Youngest
2006
Naël Kane
Most common field
Sports
513 people
What stands out about Ottawa’s famous people
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Ottawa
#2Writing & Arts
Margaret Atwood
born 1939Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, pépiniériste and inventor
110 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
#3Music
Alanis Morissette
born 1974Canadian-American singer
82 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
Through the years
When Ottawa’s famous people were born
The 1970s alone account for 140 of the births charted here.
SportsPolitics & LawWriting & ArtsFilm, TV & StageMusicScience & MedicineNotableMilitaryBusinessFaith
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born. The 400 best known are plotted.
Known for
What Ottawa is known for
Compared with the usual town, musicians are the most over-represented field, at 1.3 times.
For comparison, the usual town: how the people listed across Canadian towns split by field. Tap a field to list its people.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Ottawa
1,191 more; the 197 best known are listed here.
Shulamith Firestone
1945–2012Canadian born US feminist scholar, activist and writer
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
born 1943Dutch princess; third daughter of Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Lorne Greene
1915–1987Canadian actor, musician, singer, and radio personality
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
John T. Dunlap
born 1957Canadian lawyer and a official of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
John R. Saul
born 1947Canadian writer, International PEN president and public intellectual
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Tommy Gorman
1886–1961Canadian professional ice hockey executive, sports entrepreneur, sports writer and athlete
SportsWikipedia ↗
Michael David O'Brien
born 1948Canadian Christian writer, artist and essayist
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Questions about famous people from Ottawa
Who is the most famous person from Ottawa?
The top name is Justin Trudeau (23rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025), going by Wikipedia coverage. Next come Margaret Atwood and Alanis Morissette.
How many famous people were born in Ottawa?
Wikidata places 1,691 here in all; the others lack an article that agrees.
What is Ottawa known for?
They make up 43% here, compared with 38% across Canadian towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Ottawa?
The earliest is Eric McArthur, born in 1824, and the latest birth listed is 2006.
Who counts as from Ottawa?
Wikidata has to place the birth inside Ottawa’s city limits (the city’s 2021 census subdivision), counting its hospitals and districts, and an English or French Wikipedia article has to say the same. Adult performers, people known mostly for crimes and anyone who only lived here stay off the list. In a city split into neighbourhoods (Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa and the others), someone recorded as born only “in the city” stays on the city’s own page; a neighbourhood lists only births recorded in it.
Why is someone missing?
The likeliest reasons: a birthplace recorded only as a province or as Canada, a hamlet or rural area with no page of its own, or an article that gives another place or none. Fixing Wikidata or Wikipedia brings them onto the list at the next refresh, as long as the two then agree.
Birthplaces, descriptions, years, occupations and the count of Wikipedia and sister-site articles come from Wikidata (CC0). Each birthplace is checked against the person’s English Wikipedia article, or the French one where English says nothing or has no article; the articles are linked, never quoted. Wikidata’s Statistics Canada code, the place’s name or its point inside the 2021 census outline puts a birth in a town, and a birth given only as a split city stays on that city’s page. Fields are read from the description and occupations, and the list runs by number of articles. “The usual town” is everyone listed across Canadian towns. Portraits: each person’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (136)
- Margaret Atwood: Collision Conf, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alanis Morissette: Justin Higuchi from Los Angeles, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Paul Anka: Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dan Aykroyd: Rnunezart, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jay Baruchel: Scott Saldukas, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Vanessa Morgan: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Patrick Chan: David W. Carmichael, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Donal Logue: Dominick D, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Princess Margriet of the Netherlands: Defensie, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Tuzo Wilson: Stephen Morris, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nancy Greene: Duffys at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Gabriela Dabrowski: Hameltion, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Robert J. Sawyer: The original uploader was Drakkenfyre at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Tom Cavanagh: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lorne Greene: Ronny Jaques / National Film Board of Canada / Library and Archives Canada / PA-116178, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Steve MacLean: NASA/JSC, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kelly Rowan: Canadian Film Centre, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chris Bumstead: Gymshark, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Isabelle Weidemann: Bjarteh, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nicole Oliver: Super Festivals from Ft. Lauderdale, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Glen Drover: Weegeeweeg, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Angela Hewitt: Original: Mykola Swarnyk Derivative work: Danyele, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Anne Heggtveit: E. Ferrat, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Annie Murphy: Canadian Film Centre, Sam Santos / George Pimentel, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jesse Levine: Robbie Mendelson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rod Brind'Amour: Jamie Kellner, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Vik Sahay: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dan Boyle: Ivan Makarov, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ivanie Blondin: Sasha Krotov, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kristina Groves: McSmit, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bob Rae: Mykola Swarnyk, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gordon Thomson: ABC Television, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John R. Saul: Tavis from Canada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Anthony Lemke: zuko1312, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Brian Walton: The original uploader was Velogordo at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Bruce Cockburn: ataelw, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mike Gartner: Washington Capitals / NHL, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Paul Dolan: Longbomb / Wilson Wong, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Derek Gee: Nicola, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Christian Potenza: Sergei S. Scurfield, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dai Vernon: a photographer from the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Dawn McEwen: Allthegoldmedals, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Eric O'Dell: Voltmetro, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jean-Gabriel Pageau: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- MacKenzie Weegar: Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nobu McCarthy: unknown (TV Time), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Suzanne Cloutier: Unknown (Mondadori Publishers), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Tommy Gorman: Pittaway Studio, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Adrian Aucoin: Sidmeister78, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Frank Boucher: S. J. Jarvis Photo (Ottawa, ON), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Marc Savard: Dan4th Nicholas from Cambridge, MA, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Marial Shayok: Sakhalinio, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rachel Wilson: Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Aurèle Joliat: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Calvin de Haan: Canada Hky, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cory Murphy: Resolute, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Doug Wilson: National Hockey League / Chicago Blackhawks, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Emma Rabbe: Radio Rochela, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hod Stuart: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Melinda Shankar: Canadian Film Centre, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Randy Robitaille: Андрей Чудаев, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rich Little: Screen Gems, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sue Foley: Danny Clinch Photographer, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ben Eager: Resolute, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bruce Cassidy: Sarah Connors, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Clint Benedict: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Dashan: Arthur Jau, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gordon Fraser: Formerly JF Presently S-Team from Toronto, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jack Darragh: The original uploader was Jambornik at Slovenian Wikipedia ., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jen Kish: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- King Clancy: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Paul Whelan: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ryan Spooner: Sarah Connors, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stephen Lewis: AIDS-Free World, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ted Hibberd: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Alexander Cataford: Connor Mah, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- David Charbonneau: The Spitzer Space Telescope, NASA, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Eddie Gerard: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Fred Brathwaite: Don Bigileone, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Michael Miller: Briancontractor, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mark McKinney: the1secondfilm.com at https://www.flickr.com/photos/the1secondfilm/, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Punch Broadbent: Pittaway Studio, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Syd Howe: DigitalImageServices.com (restoration), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Todd White: FrenchKheldar from Atlanta, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alec Connell: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Alexa McDonough: Windjade at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Don Johnston: Mhuntley HB, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ebbie Goodfellow: Alaney2k, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Emma Miskew: Words in the Wind, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Frank McGee: Canadian Army, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Georges Boucher: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Gérald Tremblay: Rosana Prada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jamar Dixon: IA, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Manley: the International Monetary Fund, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Luke Richardson: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mark Fraser: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Matteo Dal-Cin: Connor Mah, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nam Nguyen: David W. Carmichael, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Night Lovell: Wojciech Pędzich, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Oderus Urungus: Seidenstud, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Paul Byron: Resolute, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rick Vaive: Chicago Blackhawks / NHL, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Rockliffe Fellowes: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sean O'Donnell: Mykal Burns at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mykalburns/, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Virginie Silla: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Adam Simac: Piotr Drabik, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Brendan Bell: Simon Bohnenblust, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bruce Kidd: US Embassy Canada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cody Sorensen: JorgMueller, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- David McGuinty: SECWAR, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Dominic LeBlanc: Justin Trudeau – Prime Minister of Canada, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jacqueline Samuda: Jeff Hitchcock from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jessica Holmes: The original uploader was Dl2000 at English Wikipedia ., CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leilani Farha: ONU Brasil, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lise Meloche: xczonetv, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Marc Methot: Fanny Schertzer, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mark Borowiecki: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Melville Rogers: Skating magazine, February 1924, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sandra Keith: Njaelkies lea (Lars Falkdalen Lindahl), CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tracy Dawson: Drew Scott, joint owner and founder of www.producersball.com, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Trevor Smith: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Victor Bartley: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Amanda Lang: AnonymousUser776, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Axelle Lemaire: Photo Claude TRUONG-NGOC, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bob Chiarelli: Sandra Pupatello from Canada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Brendan O'Brien: Vladhed ( Uploads ), CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bruce Stuart: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Clarissa Larisey: Houston Dash, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- François Dompierre: Guerinf, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Frank Patrick: Stuart Thomson, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Gabriel Bitar: Robin Glover, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gary Smith: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jamie Lee Rattray: John Mac, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jean Potvin: New York Islanders, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- K. C. Martel: NBC Television Network ., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Mark Sutcliffe: Adrian Jean, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).