#1Famous people · Exeter, Devon
Ministers and preachers stand out among the 303 famous people born in Exeter
The best known is the English singer-songwriter Chris Martin, with articles in 74 languages. William Kingdon Clifford and Matthew Goode follow. 100 of them were born since 1970, more than in any other period. Born in 1125, Baldwin of Forde is the first name on record, and Tyler Dibling, born in 2006, the most recent.
Born here
303
notable people
Best known
Chris Martin
in 74 Wikipedia languages
First
1125
Baldwin of Forde
Youngest
2006
Tyler Dibling
Most common field
Sports
112 people
What stands out about Exeter’s famous people
Known worldwideChris Martin has an article in 74 languages, more than anyone else from here.A town of ministers and preachersAmong the 303 people born here, 14 are ministers and preachers: 2.6 times the usual share.Still making namesThe most recent birth on the list came in 2006, among 125 since 1950.303 notable peopleWith 303 notable people, the list is longer than most towns’.
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Exeter
Chris Martin leads with articles in 74 languages, ahead of William Kingdon Clifford (47) and Matthew Goode (43).
#1
#2Science & Medicine
William Kingdon Clifford
1845–1879English mathematician and philosopher
47 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Known for
What Exeter is known for
Exeter has 2.6× the usual share of ministers and preachers.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Through the years
When Exeter’s famous people were born
The busiest decade was the 1980s, with 31 births.
SportsWriting & ArtsFilm, TV & StagePolitics & LawScience & MedicineMilitaryMusicFaithBusinessNotable
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Exeter
300 more; the 197 best known are listed here.
Henrietta of England
1644–1670English princess, duchesse of Orléans (1644-1670)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
John Bowring
1792–18724th Governor of Hong Kong; hymnwriter; translator (1792-1872)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Sabine Baring-Gould
1834–1924English hagiographer, antiquarian, novelist, eclectic scholar, folk song collector (1834-1924)
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Mary Carpenter
1807–1877English educationist and social reformer (1807–1877)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Liam Tancock
born 1985British swimmer, Olympic athlete, world champion, former world record-holder
SportsWikipedia ↗
Baldwin of Forde
1125–1190Abbot of Forde; Bishop of Worcester; Archbishop of Canterbury
FaithWikipedia ↗
John Tyndall
1934–2005English politician, prominent figure in British nationalism in the second-half of the twentieth century (1934–2005)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
William Francis Ainsworth
1807–1896English surgeon, traveller, geographer and geologist (1807–1896)
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Charles Courtenay, 19th Earl of Devon
born 1975English hereditary peer and barrister (born 1975)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Eleanor Coade
1733–1821British businesswoman known for manufacturing Neoclassical statues, architectural decorations and garden ornaments (1733–1821)
BusinessWikipedia ↗
Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet
1740–1810English merchant banker and art collector (1740-1810)
BusinessWikipedia ↗
Margaret Clifford, Countess of Cumberland
1560–1616British noble (1560-1616)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Thomas Smith
1648–1694Governor of colonial South Carolina from 1693 to 1694, a planter, a merchant and a surgeon
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Gordon Charles Steele
1892–1981English military officer (1891–1981); recipient of the Victoria Cross
MilitaryWikipedia ↗
John Gendall
1790–1865British painter known for his landscapes of Devon (1790-1865)
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Michael Whitehall
born 1940British producer, talent agent, author and television personality
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Tracey Cox
born 1961Non fiction author who specializes in books on dating, sex and relationships
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
William Montagu Manning
1811–1895Politician and judge from New South Wales, Australia (1811-1895)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
The longest list nearby is Topsham’s, with 7.
Questions about famous people from Exeter
Who is the most famous person from Exeter?
Chris Martin (English singer-songwriter (born 1977)) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 74 languages. Next come William Kingdon Clifford and Matthew Goode.
How many famous people were born in Exeter?
303 people born in Exeter have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 355 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Exeter known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 112 of the 303. That is 37% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Exeter?
Baldwin of Forde, born in 1125. The youngest on the list was born in 2006.
Who counts as from Exeter?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Exeter’s built-up area (the ONS 2022 boundary), a hospital or district within it included, whose English Wikipedia article agrees. 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 bigger area (“London”), another town, or missing, or their article may give no birthplace. We only list people both sources agree on; editing Wikidata or Wikipedia changes this page at the next refresh.
From Wikidata (CC0: birthplaces, descriptions, years, occupations) and English Wikipedia (each person’s article confirms the birthplace; linked, not quoted). Birthplaces are placed in the town by the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary (Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0). Ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. Fields are read from Wikidata’s description and occupations. “The usual town”: everyone listed across UK towns. Portraits: each person’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (101)
- Chris Martin: Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- William Kingdon Clifford: not stated, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Matthew Goode: gdcgraphics, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Henrietta of England: Jean Nocret, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ethan Ampadu: Nickb1792, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Bowring: John King (1788-1847), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bradley James: Sue Lukenbaugh from Sacramento, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nicholas Hilliard: Nicholas Hilliard, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Beth Gibbons: Bill Ebbesen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Hooker: Wenceslaus Hollar, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sabine Baring-Gould: Sabine Baring-Gould Photograph by Messrs. Elliott & Fry, Ltd., London., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Harry Treadaway: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Matt Grimes: Jrppezza, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mary Carpenter: From a photograph, by C. Vass Bark, in the possession of Professor J. E. Carpenter, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Luke Treadaway: Looking Glass Films, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Matthew Locke: Unknown artist, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Temple: Thomas Cantrell Dugdale, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Fred Karno: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Daniel Ings: Margaret Gardiner, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lilly Martin Spencer: Lilly Martin Spencer English-born American Painter, 1822-1902, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Benjamin Carpenter: published by Lock & Whitfield, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Baldwin of Forde: Ealdgyth, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bashir Humphreys: Timmy96, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ben Aldridge: 1883 Magazine, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Francis Hayman: Joshua Reynolds, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Luke Newberry: Joanne Chaix, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Irene Vanbrugh: Ernest Walter Histed, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- James Holman: George Chinnery, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Joel Redman: Simon from United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tony Burrows: HaarFager at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alfred Merle Norman: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Henry Chadwick: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ben Lamb: EnmanuelMarqued, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dean Moxey: James Boyes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Harry Tincknell: David Merrett, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Joe Launchbury: Charlie, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Wilkinson: Farissen at en.wikipedia., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Mudge: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Violet Vanbrugh: J. Beagles and Company, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ben Purrington: Chris Page from Rotherham, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Eustace Budgell: John Faber, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Peter King, 1st Baron King: Daniel de Koninck, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Courtenay, 19th Earl of Devon: Roger Harris, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dominic Bess: Ytfc23, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ernest Kennaway: This file comes from the Wellcome Collection, a website operated by Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation based in the United Kingdom. Refer to Wellcome blog post (archive). This tag does no…, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Harry Veitch: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- James Holden: Peter Drier, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lauren Dolan: Løken, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Aaron Jarvis: Drelnr, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Collier Michell: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- George Woodbridge: Green for danger, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Kenrick: Engraver Thomas Goff Lupton, after George Patten, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Robert Gifford, 1st Baron Gifford: Thomas Wright / Abraham Wivell, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sidney Barton: Unknown photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet: Charles Muss, after Sir Thomas Lawrence, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Viva Birkett: ABC Cigarettes, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Chris Welsby: Bene Riobó, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hildebrand Oakes: Henry Raeburn, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Rainolds: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Liam Sercombe: Mattythewhite, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Margaret Clifford, Countess of Cumberland: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Nora Chesson: H. Edmonds Hull, Holland Park Avenue., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Parker: Popular Graphic Arts, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Tamara Taylor: Steve, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Hincks: Harmer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Patch: Thomas Patch (1725-1782), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Abraham Jonas: Masonic Pub. Co., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Adam Dibble: Harrias, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chris Vinnicombe: Billyroberts50, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Colin Cameron: BC NDP History Group, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Crispian Steele-Perkins: Guysp, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dominic Wood: StuartGP, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Elsie Knocker: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Joel Lane: Steve Green, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Matt Hopper: PierreSelim, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ryan Westley: Antoine Lamielle, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Samuel Stennett: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Stuart Hooper: from United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Smith: Elisa.rolle, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Toby Buckland: Flickr user jo-h, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alan Clive Roberts: Kristen Goldy, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ben Way: User:Benpbway, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Christy Pym: CLEMENATOR, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gordon Charles Steele: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Herbert Augustine Carter: English Photographer Fine Art Prints, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Gendall: John Prescott Knight, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Horden: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Maud Branscombe: Allen & Ginter, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Michael Caines: NHS BSW ICB, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Michael Whitehall: Theatre Tickets Direct, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Theodore Hardy: Somerville, Howard, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Dowton: Blood, T., active early 19th cent., printmaker, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Mineard Bennett: William Mineard Bennett, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Montagu Manning: John Watson Gordon, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Peryam: Unknown authorUnknown author., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Albert David: Harold William John Tomlin, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Billy Searle: Stefano Delfrate, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Edward Bowring Stephens: Elliott & Fry, London, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Edward Lake: Engraver Michael Vandergucht, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Dick Pym: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Courtenay: Jonathan Cardy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.