#1Science & Medicine
Mary Anning
1799–1847British fossil collector and palaeontologist (1799–1847)
62 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Lyme Regis, Dorset
Mary Anning tops a list of 9 famous people born in Lyme Regis
Articles in 62 languages make the British fossil collector and palaeontologist Mary Anning the best known. The list reaches back to George Somers, born in 1554, one of 3 born before the Georgians. Half or more of the towns in Dorset have no one on record, but this one has 24.1 for every 10,000 residents. Bournemouth’s 205 names make the longest list in Dorset.
Born here
9
notable people
Best known
Mary Anning
in 62 Wikipedia languages
First
1554
George Somers
Youngest
1889
Bessie Bangay
Most common field
Science & Medicine
3 people
What stands out about Lyme Regis’ famous people
★ What stands out · Through the years
When Lyme Regis’s famous people were born
The busiest decade was the 1790s, with 1 births.
Science & MedicinePolitics & LawMilitarySportsFaith
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
The best known
Born in Lyme Regis
First, Mary Anning (62 languages), then John Gould (40) and Thomas Coram (10).
#1
#2Science & Medicine
John Gould
1804–1881English ornithologist (1804–1881)
40 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Politics & Law
Thomas Coram
1668–1751English sea captain and philanthropist
10 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Known for
What Lyme Regis is known for
Scientists and doctors stand out most, at 4.5 times the usual share.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Lyme Regis
The other 6 span the years 1554 to 1889.
Eliza Grey
1823–1898British botanical collector and wife of a colonial politician (1822-1898)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Nearby, Bridport has the most on record, with 21.
Bridport · 8 miFrederick Weld & 20 more
Chard · 10 miMargaret Bondfield & 6 moreJDSeaton · 6 miJohn Denham & 5 moreJABeaminster · 10 miJonah Ayunga & 5 more
Colyton · 6 miSir George Yonge, 5th Baronet & 4 more
Axminster · 5 miWilliam Buckland & 1 moreATUplyme · 1 miAlfred TemplemanWWBeer · 7 miWilliam Henry WoodgateQuestions about famous people from Lyme Regis
Who is the most famous person from Lyme Regis?
Mary Anning (British fossil collector and palaeontologist (1799–1847)) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 62 languages. Next come John Gould and Thomas Coram.
How many famous people were born in Lyme Regis?
9 people born in Lyme Regis have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 12 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Lyme Regis known for?
Among its famous people, scientists and doctors: 3 of the 9. That is 33% of the town’s list, against 7% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Lyme Regis?
George Somers, born in 1554. The youngest on the list was born in 1889.
Who counts as from Lyme Regis?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Lyme Regis’ 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 (10)
- Mary Anning: Credited to 'Mr. Grey' in Crispin Tickell's book 'Mary Anning of Lyme Regis' (1996), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Gould: T.H. Maguire (1821–1895), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Coram: William Hogarth, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- George Somers: Charles Xavier Harris, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Eliza Grey: William Gush (1813 - 1888), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Larkham: Charles Knowles Bolton, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Frederick Weld: Herman John Schmidt, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Margaret Bondfield: Harris & Ewing, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sir George Yonge, 5th Baronet: Edmund Scott, published by Samuel William Fores, after Mather Brown, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Buckland: Public domain, 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.