#1Science & Medicine
William Harvey
1578–1657English physician (1578-1657)
93 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Folkestone, Kent
71 famous people were born in Folkestone, more of them business people than in most towns
At the top of the list is the English physician William Harvey, covered in 93 languages. The largest group, 42, was born in the 20th century. For every 10,000 residents there are 13.7 on the list, well above the typical Kent town’s 3.1. The list is still growing: 5 were born since 1970.
Born here
71
notable people
Best known
William Harvey
in 93 Wikipedia languages
First
1578
William Harvey
Youngest
1978
Kevin Meredith
Most common field
Sports
20 people
What stands out about Folkestone’s famous people
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Folkestone
William Harvey, Noel Redding and Jill Ellis are written about in 93, 28 and 20 languages.
#1
#2Music
Noel Redding
1945–2003English rock and roll guitarist (1945–2003)
28 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Known for
What Folkestone is known for
The field furthest above the usual share is business people, at 2.9 times.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Through the years
When Folkestone’s famous people were born
Count by decade and the 1960s come out on top, with 9 births.
SportsFilm, TV & StageWriting & ArtsScience & MedicinePolitics & LawMusicMilitaryBusinessFaithNotable
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Folkestone
68 more, from 1810 to 1978.
Jacqueline de Rojas
born 1962President of techUK and Chair of the Digital Leaders board
BusinessWikipedia ↗
Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd
1913–1996Recipient of the Victoria Cross (1913–1996)
MilitaryWikipedia ↗
Angela Pery
1897–1981Countess of Limerick (1897–1981), leader of the British and International Red Cross movements
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Francis Houssemayne du Boulay
1837–1914Australian scientist, entomologist, natural history artist, and beetle collector (1837-1914)
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
John Grieve
1852–1920Canadian farmer, manufacturer and political figure in Ontario (1852-1920)
BusinessWikipedia ↗
John Sykes
1929–1993English physicist, lexicographer, and crossword solver
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Around it, Dover has the most people on record, 118 of them.
Questions about famous people from Folkestone
Who is the most famous person from Folkestone?
William Harvey (English physician (1578-1657)) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 93 languages. Next come Noel Redding and Jill Ellis.
How many famous people were born in Folkestone?
71 people born in Folkestone have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 86 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Folkestone known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 20 of the 71. That is 28% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Folkestone?
William Harvey, born in 1578. The youngest on the list was born in 1978.
Who counts as from Folkestone?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Folkestone’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 (26)
- William Harvey: After Daniël Mijtens, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Noel Redding: A. Vente, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, Wikimedia Commons
- Jill Ellis: Lorie Shaull, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Ashworth: Leila Paul, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- William Hall-Jones: Herman John Schmidt 1872-1959 [1], Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kitty Gordon: Kromo Gravure Photo Co. out of Detroit, Michigan, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Pete Kircher: Arnold Vente, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Walter Tull: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Albert Thornton: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Mabel Love: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Thornton: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Bousfield Huleatt: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sarah Holland: Susan Anthony Robertson Stephenson, copyright transferred to Sarah Holland, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jacqueline de Rojas: Jacqueline de Rojas, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John-Dylan Haynes: Gregor Fischer/ re:publica, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kevin Meredith: Richard Moross, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William John Greenstreet: Lafayette, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Angela Pery: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Alfred Edwin Jones: EamonX1, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Trevor Banks: Pyeongchang, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Walter Walsh: Photo credited to the Elliott & Fry studio., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Richard Cotter: Unknown photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Joss Stone: Ice Boy Tell, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Robert Holdstock: Philippe Gindre, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stephen Stanley Parker: 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.