#1Bruno Dumont
born 1958French filmmaker (born 1958)
Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most widely known is Bruno Dumont, the French filmmaker, with articles in 26 languages. Second and third on the list are Michel Delebarre and Jean Plichon. Fewer than a quarter of the 279 towns in Nord with famous people list more. As early as 1646, Hendrick Van Blarenberghe was born here, one of 5 born before the Revolution.
No other field is as far above the usual share as leaders, at 2.4 times.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed in French towns. Tap a field to see its people.
The busiest decade was the 1760s, with 3 births.
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Two of the three are leaders.
#1French filmmaker (born 1958)
#2French politician (1946–2022)
#3French politician (1863-1936)
The rest number 11, with 6 leaders among them.


French physicist (1711-1789)


No one matches both filters.
The longest list nearby is Armentières’, with 49.
Estaires · 6 miHenri Delassus & 4 moreODMerville · 7 miOdette Duriez & 4 moreVDLa Gorgue · 7 miVictor Denis & 2 moreJLVieux-Berquin · 5 miJules-Auguste Lemire & 1 moreHLLaventie · 8 miHector Legry & 1 moreLCSailly-sur-la-Lys · 6 miLouis CouhéBruno Dumont (French filmmaker (born 1958)) is the best known by our measure: 26 Wikipedia and sister-site articles in different languages. Next come Michel Delebarre and Jean Plichon.
14 people born in Bailleul have a French Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace (and an English one that agrees, when there is one). Wikidata places 35 people here; the rest aren’t listed because an article names somewhere else or no town, or a check couldn’t be completed.
Among its famous people, leaders: 8 of the 14. That is 57% of the town’s list, against 24% across French towns.
Hendrick Van Blarenberghe, born in 1646. The youngest on the list was born in 1967.
People whose Wikidata birthplace is Bailleul 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.
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).
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.