#1Famous people · Ware, Hertfordshire
Most of the 22 famous people born in Ware came into the world in the 20th century
Most widely known is Derek Saunders, the English footballer, with articles in 12 languages. Second place goes to the British actress Charlie Brooks, third to Richard Chartres. Births span 1577 to 1981, from William Vallans to Charlie Brooks. Only 13 of the 60 towns in Hertfordshire with anyone on record list more.
Born here
22
notable people
Best known
Derek Saunders
in 12 Wikipedia languages
First
1577
William Vallans
Youngest
1981
Charlie Brooks
Most common field
Sports
8 people
The best known
Born in Ware
Three names lead: Derek Saunders (12 languages), Charlie Brooks (11) and Richard Chartres (11).
#1
#2
#3Through the years
When Ware’s famous people were born
Births peak in the 1940s, with 4 people born in that decade.
SportsWriting & ArtsScience & MedicineFilm, TV & StagePolitics & LawFaithBusinessMilitaryNotable
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Known for
What Ware is known for
Scientists and doctors stand out most, at 1.8 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 Ware
Of the other 19, 7 are athletes.
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Close by, Hertford counts 59 famous people, the most of its neighbours.
Hertford · 2 miCatherine of Lancaster & 58 more
Hoddesdon · 4 miElizabeth Maconchy & 27 more
Hadham Cross · 5 miEdmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond & 4 more
Puckeridge and Standon · 5 miArthur Martin-Leake & 4 moreTBGreat Amwell · 1 miTimothy Bevington & 1 more
Hertford Heath · 2 miNick MallettBBStanstead Abbotts · 2 miBrian Brett
Roydon · 4 miRalph H. FowlerQuestions about famous people from Ware
Who is the most famous person from Ware?
Derek Saunders (English footballer (1928-2018)) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 12 languages. Next come Charlie Brooks and Richard Chartres.
How many famous people were born in Ware?
22 people born in Ware have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 24 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Ware known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 8 of the 22. That is 36% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Ware?
William Vallans, born in 1577. The youngest on the list was born in 1981.
Who counts as from Ware?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Ware’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 (13)
- Derek Saunders: Wim van Rossem for Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, Wikimedia Commons
- Charlie Brooks: Club Soda Guide, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Chartres: Paulobrad, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Minnie Minoprio: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Wilfrid Philip Ward: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ernest Hanbury Hankin: Priya Lall & Co., Agra (studio), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Clibbon: Agence Rol, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Catherine of Lancaster: AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Elizabeth Maconchy: This work created by the United Kingdom Government is in the public domain. This is because it is one of the following: It is a photograph taken prior to 1 June 1957; or It was published prior to 197…, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Arthur Martin-Leake: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Nick Mallett: Massimiliano Calamelli, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ralph H. Fowler: Denizrex1, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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.