#1Of the 63 famous people born in Eccles, an unusual share are performers
At the top of the list is the British actor Benedict Wong, covered in 43 languages. Danny Simpson is second and Sydney Chapman third. 29 of them were born in the 20th century, more than in any other period. The first birth on record is William Booth’s, in 1388, and the last Maiya Quansah-Breed’s, in 1997.
What stands out about Eccles’ famous people
What Eccles is known for
Set against the usual town, performers come out 2.6 times as common.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Born in Eccles
Ranked by languages covered: Benedict Wong with 43, then Danny Simpson with 35 and Sydney Chapman with 29.
#1
#2Danny Simpson
born 1987English association football player (born 1987)
#3Sydney Chapman
1888–1970British mathematician and geophysicist (1888–1970)
When Eccles’s famous people were born
Count by decade and the 1880s come out on top, with 9 births.
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone else born in Eccles
Another 60, the earliest born in 1388.





Andrew Bennett
1939–2024British politician, former Member of Parliament (1939-2024)





Cecil William Buckley
1828–1872English Royal Navy captain and recipient of the Victoria Cross


Elsie Eleanor Verity
1894–1971Known as 'The First Lady of the motor trade', proprietor & motor engineer of Verity’s Garage, Manchester

Marguerite de Beaumont
1899–1989Author of one of the best known biographies of Lord Baden-Powell,

W.A.B. Goodall
1880–1941No one matches both filters.
Famous people from the towns next door
Around it, Salford has the most people on record, 307 of them.
Salford · 3 miJames Prescott Joule & 306 moreICStretford · 3 miIan Curtis & 35 more
Swinton · 2 miFiona Hall & 18 more
Walkden · 3 miDavid Bamber & 13 more
Little Hulton · 4 miShaun Ryder & 12 more
Urmston · 2 miPeter Noone & 11 moreLAClifton · 3 miLilias Armstrong & 11 more
Worsley · 3 miErnest Tyldesley & 9 moreQuestions about famous people from Eccles
Who is the most famous person from Eccles?
Benedict Wong (British actor) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 43 languages. Next come Danny Simpson and Sydney Chapman.
How many famous people were born in Eccles?
63 people born in Eccles have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 71 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Eccles known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 25 of the 63. That is 40% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Eccles?
William Booth, born in 1388. The youngest on the list was born in 1997.
Who counts as from Eccles?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Eccles’ 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 (23)
- Benedict Wong: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Danny Simpson: CrackersTeam, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sydney Chapman: NOAA, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kathleen Shaw: Skating magazine, December 1927, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Claire Fox: ©House of Lords / photography by Roger Harris, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Samia Longchambon: Racklever, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Joseph Wolstenholme: No coneguts, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Moores: Unknown photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kieron Richardson: Ian Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- George Waring: Geoffrey waring, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Joseph Malone: Author unknown. As photo taken 165 years ago, can assume died 70̹̟plus years ago, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Leal Douglas: "Adamecy Studios", Berners Street, London (no photographer named), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Cecil William Buckley: unknown. from the collection of Hastings, George Fowler, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Maiya Quansah-Breed: Otto Colwill, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dave Morton: Lawson Speedway, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- G.A.M. Isherwood: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Tony Lancaster: Tom Lancaster, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- James Prescott Joule: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Fiona Hall: Keith Edkins, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- David Bamber: Adam Wimpenny, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Shaun Ryder: Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Peter Noone: Cindy Funk, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ernest Tyldesley: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
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