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Famous people · Avranches, Manche

Avranches counts 37 famous people, first among them Jean-Luc Ponty

Articles in 23 languages make the French jazz violinist and composer Jean-Luc Ponty the best known. Between the Revolution and the Second Empire, 10 were born, the most of any period. For every 10,000 residents there are 36.5 on the list, well above the typical Manche town’s 5.9. The list is still growing: 7 were born since 1970.

#1 best knownJean-Luc PontyMusic · born 1942
+33more
Born here
37
confirmed by Wikipedia
Best known
Jean-Luc Ponty
23 Wikipedia and sister-site articles
First
1645
Jacques Parrain Des Coutures
Youngest
2006
Axel Bouquet
Most common field
Politics & Law
12 people
The best known

Born in Avranches

First, Jean-Luc Ponty (23 languages), then Samuel Le Bihan (22) and Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour (11).

Jean-Luc Ponty#1
Music

Jean-Luc Ponty

born 1942

French jazz violinist and composer

23 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
Samuel Le Bihan#2
Film, TV & Stage

Samuel Le Bihan

born 1965

French actor

22 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour#3
Politics & Law

Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour

1827–1896

French statesman (1827-1896)

11 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
Through the years

When Avranches’ famous people were born

The 1960s alone account for 3 of the births charted here.

Ancien RégimeRevolution to EmpireBelle ÉpoqueThe 20th centuryToday16501700175018001850190019502000Noé LebretonPaul-Armand Challemel-LacourSamuel Le Bihan
Politics & LawWriting & ArtsSportsMilitaryNotableMusicFilm, TV & StageFaithScience & Medicine

Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.

Known for

What Avranches is known for

The field furthest above the usual share is leaders, at 1.4 times.

The usual town: the share across everyone listed in French towns. Tap a field to see its people.

Everyone

Everyone else born in Avranches

Another 34, the earliest born in 1645.

Jean-Marie Valhubert

Jean-Marie Valhubert

1764–1805

French commander (1764-1805)

NL

Noé Lebreton

born 2004

French footballer (born 1999)

Jacques Alingue

Jacques Alingue

born 1988

French basketball player

ML

Marie Lucas-Robiquet

1858–1959

French painter (1858-1959)

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
GB

Ghislaine Baron

1966–2019

French association football player (1966-2019)

CH

Céline Herbin

born 1982

French professional golfer

FM

François-Anne-René-Marie Le Maignen

1752–1836

French politician (1752-1836)

JT

Jean Victor Tesnière-Bresménil

1763–1811

French politician (1763-1811)

Next door

Famous people from the towns next door

The neighbour with the most names is Saint-James, at 4.

Questions about famous people from Avranches

Who is the most famous person from Avranches?

Jean-Luc Ponty (French jazz violinist and composer) is the best known by our measure: 23 Wikipedia and sister-site articles in different languages. Next come Samuel Le Bihan and Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour.

How many famous people were born in Avranches?

37 people born in Avranches have a French Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace (and an English one that agrees, when there is one). Wikidata places 64 people here; the rest aren’t listed because an article names somewhere else or no town, or a check couldn’t be completed.

What is Avranches known for?

Among its famous people, leaders: 12 of the 37. That is 32% of the town’s list, against 24% across French towns.

Who is the earliest-born famous person from Avranches?

Jacques Parrain Des Coutures, born in 1645. The youngest on the list was born in 2006.

Who counts as from Avranches?

People whose Wikidata birthplace is Avranches itself, matched by its INSEE code (a commune merged into it counts when the dates allow), whose French Wikipedia article agrees, and their English article too when they have one. A hospital or neighbourhood recorded without its commune isn’t matched. People who only lived here, adult performers and people known mainly for crimes aren’t listed.

Why is someone missing?

Their Wikidata birthplace may be a hospital, a neighbourhood or a wider area, another commune, or missing, or their articles may not name a birthplace. We only list people the sources agree on; editing Wikidata or Wikipedia changes this page at the next refresh.

From Wikidata (CC0: birthplaces, descriptions, years, occupations, how many Wikipedia and sister-site articles cover each person) and French and English Wikipedia (each person’s articles confirm the birthplace; linked, not quoted). Birthplaces are matched to the commune by INSEE code and its history of mergers (INSEE COG 2026). Ranked by the number of articles. Fields are read from Wikidata’s description and occupations. “The usual town”: everyone listed across French towns. Portraits: each person’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the license below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (12)

Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.