JL#1
Science & Medicine
Joseph Lister
1827–1912British surgeon and antiseptic pioneer (1827–1912)
79 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Newham, London
Most of the 434 famous people born in Newham came into the world in the 20th century
Most widely known is Joseph Lister, the British surgeon and antiseptic pioneer, with articles in 79 languages. From George Edwards to Favour Fawunmi, the births on the list run from 1693 to 2006. Per 10,000 residents, the town has 12.4, close to the 12.9 of the typical London town. 273 of them are athletes, more than in any other field.
Born here
434
notable people
Best known
Joseph Lister
in 79 Wikipedia languages
First
1693
George Edwards
Youngest
2006
Favour Fawunmi
Most common field
Sports
273 people
What stands out about Newham’s famous people
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Newham
Counted by languages, Joseph Lister is ahead of Chiwetel Ejiofor and Jermain Defoe: 79, 63 and 58.
#2
#3Sports
Jermain Defoe
born 1982English association football player (born 1982)
58 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Through the years
When Newham’s famous people were born
No decade has more births than the 1960s, at 49.
SportsFilm, TV & StageMusicWriting & ArtsScience & MedicinePolitics & LawMilitaryNotableBusinessFaith
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born. The 400 best known are plotted.
Known for
What Newham is known for
Musicians stand out most, at 1.3 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 Newham
431 more; the 197 best known are listed here.
Michael Nyman
born 1944English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist
MusicWikipedia ↗
Anna Kingsford
1846–1888English physician and social reformer (1846–1888)
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Jimmy Bullard
born 1978English television presenter and former football player
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Bryan Forbes
1926–2013English film director, screenwriter and actor (1926–2013)
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Anna Neagle
1904–1986English stage and film actress and singer (1904–1986)
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
George Edwards
1693–1773English naturalist and ornithologist (1694 – 1773)
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Desmond FitzGerald
1888–1947Irish revolutionary, poet, publicist and politician (1888-1947)
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Henry Bond
born 1966English writer, photographer and visual artist (born 1966)
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Terence Dudley
1919–1988Television director, television producer, writer (1919–1988)
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Southwark has the longest list next door: 638.
Southwark · 6 miMichael Faraday & 637 more
Hackney · 5 miEdmond Halley & 576 more
Tower Hamlets · 3 miMary Wollstonecraft & 511 more
Islington · 6 miJohn Stuart Mill & 482 more
Lewisham · 6 miJude Law & 448 more
Waltham Forest · 4 miAlfred Hitchcock & 276 more
Redbridge · 4 miMaggie Smith & 261 more
Greenwich · 4 miCharles George Gordon & 207 moreQuestions about famous people from Newham
Who is the most famous person from Newham?
Joseph Lister (British surgeon and antiseptic pioneer (1827–1912)) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 79 languages. Next come Chiwetel Ejiofor and Jermain Defoe.
How many famous people were born in Newham?
434 people born in Newham have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 478 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Newham known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 273 of the 434. That is 63% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Newham?
George Edwards, born in 1693. The youngest on the list was born in 2006.
Who counts as from Newham?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Newham’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 (112)
- Chiwetel Ejiofor: Kevin Payravi, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jermain Defoe: Paulblank, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Vera Lynn: Eric Koch for Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, Wikimedia Commons
- Sol Campbell: Stefan Schäfer, Lich, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jimmy Greaves: Jack de Nijs for Anefo / Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, Wikimedia Commons
- Lennox Lewis: -nikkon-, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ezri Konsa: Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gerard Manley Hopkins: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- 21 Savage: Ralph Arvesen from Round Mountain, Texas, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mark Noble: joshjdss, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- David Amess: Richard Townshend, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Michael Nyman: Josep Renalias, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chuba Akpom: Carlo Bruil Fotografie, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chris Hughton: James Boyes from UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Anna Kingsford: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Lee Bowyer: Ronnie Macdonald, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sam Brown: Threefoursixninefour at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Frank Lampard: Egghead06, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jimmy Bullard: Jon Candy from Cardiff, Wales, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Danny Malcom Dyer: Hilton Teper, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rob Lee: knokka from alnwick, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alan Curbishley: User:Egghead06, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Anna Neagle: unknown (RKO Pictures), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- George Edwards: Engraving by John Miller after a portrait painted in 1754 by Bartholomew Dandridge. This engraving was published at the front of the first volume of: Edwards, George (1758–1764). Gleanings of Natural…, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Aaron Tshibola: Fédération Guinéenne Football, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Michael Hector: dom fellowes from UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ronnie Lane: Rik Walton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Reece Burke: Egghead06, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Geraldine Beamish: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kedar Williams-Stirling: MTV International on YouTube, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Windsor Davies: Jack1956, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chuks Aneke: Timmy96, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Herbert Roper Barrett: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Tony Cottee: East Ham Bull, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kano: https://www.flickr.com/people/29868214@N05/, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kathleen Byron: Trailer screenshot Licencing information : https://web.archive.org/web/20080321033709/http://www.sabucat.com/?pg=copyright and http://www.creativeclearance.com/guidelines.html#D2, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- David Essex: Margaret Morley, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Divin Mubama: Egghead06, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Margaret Tyzack: Stanley Kubrick, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Miles Addison: Jon Candy from Cardiff, Wales, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Charlie Colkett: @cfcunofficial (Chelsea Debs) London, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Doris Woods: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Linda Lewis: murasakiryu, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dawn Butler: Chris McAndrew, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Desmond FitzGerald: Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Reg Varney: Hans Peters for Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ronnie Boyce: Hilt0nT, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- David Davies: Chris McAndrew, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- David Farrar: Trailer screenshot Licencing information : https://web.archive.org/web/20080321033709/http://www.sabucat.com/?pg=copyright and http://www.creativeclearance.com/guidelines.html#D2, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ken Brown: Egghead06, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Morgan Ferrier: Explicit, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Anthony Edgar: Chung H.C., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rakish Bingham: Mattythewhite, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ravi Bopara: Stephen Turner at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Andi Osho: CleftClips from Los Angeles, CA, United States of America, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dominic Poleon: DavisExtra, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gary Lewin: Katie Chan, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Joan Hughes: Daventry B J H (Mr), Royal Air Force official photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jules De Martino: Madchester, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kevin Bond: Dltl2010, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kevin Hitchcock: Egghead06, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Terrence Hardiman: Menage a Moi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tim Nielsen: YellowMonkey/Blnguyen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alex Dyer: Biser Todorov, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alfa Mist: Dirk Neven, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bobby George: User:Mariecarmen1957, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jack Powell: joshjdss, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leo Fortune-West: https://www.flickr.com/photos/symonmreynolds/, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Matt Taylor: ESA/S.Bierwald, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Simon Ford: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Trevor Morgan: Rudra Nayan Das aka. Arsenalkid700 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Troy Archibald-Henville: Mattythewhite, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bertha Lewis: Parkslee Pictures (individual photographer not credited), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bondz N'Gala: Janice Chung, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cheye Alexander: Barnet Football Club, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dani Dyer: JaceMerlyn, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ghetts: Amy Martin Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Henry Bond: The original uploader was Artiquities at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jack Leslie: Mibmit, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Joe Widdowson: Yabush, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Joseph Green: Source states that the photograph is by J. Weston & Sons, Folkestone (in Kent, England, UK), but does not specify the actual photographer's name., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kyle Knoyle: Egghead06, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lancey Foux: Alte Daily, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Perry Fenwick: Ian Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Susan Langley: Robertson94, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alan Birchenall: fuji.tim, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alan Dickens: Terry Gilbert, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alfred Barnes: Elliott & Fry, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Danny Bowes: Klaus Hellmerich, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Edna Child: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Emmanuel Adebowale: James Boyes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fred Connelly: Thebees1889, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fred Corbett: Thebees1889, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jason Lee: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lee Scott: Auti100, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Mark Robson: Timmy96, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Shayden Morris: Timmy96, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Simon Royce: Timmy96, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Toby Ajala: Voltmetro, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tony Harding: Sadtoseeitsmorning, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bertie Denyer: Godfrey Phillips India, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Claude Scudamore Jarvis: Major C. S. Jarvis (Life time: 1953), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Clayton Fortune: Spiderone, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Michael Faraday: Thomas Phillips, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Edmond Halley: Richard Phillips, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Mary Wollstonecraft: John Opie, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Stuart Mill: London Stereoscopic Company, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jude Law: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alfred Hitchcock: Ante Brkan, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Maggie Smith: N/A studio, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles George Gordon: 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.