#1Famous people · St Helens, Merseyside
Athletes stand out among the 224 famous people born in St Helens
The best known is the English filmmaker David Yates, with articles in 48 languages. 117 of them were born in the 20th century, more than in any other period. Only 2 towns in Merseyside list more. The list is still growing: 78 were born since 1970.
Born here
224
notable people
Best known
David Yates
in 48 Wikipedia languages
First
1801
John Rylands
Youngest
2000
Sam Royle
Most common field
Sports
185 people
What stands out about St Helens’ famous people
Still making namesBirths since 1950 number 120, the most recent in 2000.Known worldwideRead in 48 languages, David Yates is known far beyond the town.A town of athletes185 of the 224 people born here are athletes, 1.7× the usual share.224 notable peopleMore than most towns: 224 notable people were born in St Helens.
★ What stands out · Through the years
When St Helens’s famous people were born
Births peak in the 1980s, with 33 people born in that decade.
SportsFilm, TV & StageScience & MedicinePolitics & LawWriting & ArtsMusicBusinessMilitary
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
The best known
Born in St Helens
Languages with an article: 48 for David Yates, 43 for Thomas Beecham, 38 for Conor Coady.
#1
#2Music
Thomas Beecham
1879–1961British conductor and impresario (1879–1961)
43 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Known for
What St Helens is known for
St Helens has 1.7× the usual share of athletes.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Everyone
Everyone else born in St Helens
221 more; the 197 best known are listed here.
Richard Seddon
1845–1906New Zealand politician and Prime Minister (1845–1906)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Richard Pilkington
1908–1976British Conservative Party politician and soldier (1908-1976)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Robert Dorning
1913–1989English stage, film and television actor (1913-1989)
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Alex Murphy
born 1939English rugby union footballer, and rugby league footballer and coach
SportsWikipedia ↗
Andy Northey
born 1972English rugby league footballer, and rugby union footballer and coach
SportsWikipedia ↗
David Chisnall
1948–2013Great Britain and England international rugby league footballer
SportsWikipedia ↗
Eddie Dootson
born 1961English darts player who currently competes in Professional Darts Corporation events
SportsWikipedia ↗
Jeanne MacKenzie
1922–1986Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Judith Kilpatrick
1952–2002Kilpatrick (née Foxley), Dame Judith Ann Gladys (1952–2002), headmistress
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
8 towns around it have someone on record.
Widnes · 5 miCharles Glover Barkla & 79 more
Huyton with Roby · 5 miRex Harrison & 44 more
Prescot · 3 miSteven Gerrard & 39 more
Newton-le-Willows · 4 miRick Astley & 24 more
Billinge · 3 miKen Owen & 17 moreJCAshton-in-Makerfield · 5 miJune Croft & 13 more
Haydock · 3 miEdmund Arrowsmith & 11 more
Knowsley · 4 miChristopher Wood & 9 moreQuestions about famous people from St Helens
Who is the most famous person from St Helens?
David Yates (English filmmaker (born 1963)) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 48 languages. Next come Thomas Beecham and Conor Coady.
How many famous people were born in St Helens?
224 people born in St Helens have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 244 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is St Helens known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 185 of the 224. That is 83% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from St Helens?
John Rylands, born in 1801. The youngest on the list was born in 2000.
Who counts as from St Helens?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside St Helens’ 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 (68)
- David Yates: Joella Marano, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Beecham: "Photograph by the Dover Street Studios" (active circa 1906 - c. 1912), individual photographer unknown, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Conor Coady: Catherine Kõrtsmik, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John William Draper: Edward Bierstadt, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bill Foulkes: North American Soccer League, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Connelly: Hesekiel, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Seddon: Taken by Herman John Schmidt circa 24 December 1905., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Emma Rigby: Emma Rigby, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Geoff Duke: Harry Pot for Anefo ]], CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, Wikimedia Commons
- Lily Parr: AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Michael Smith: Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Johnny Vegas: Own work, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Louise Glover: Toglenn, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dave Chisnall: Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chris Foy: Wonker, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Herbert Mundin: Fox Film Corporation Studio, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jacqui Abbott: jonie148, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ross Moriarty: Clément Bucco-Lechat, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hubert Redwood: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jonathan McEvoy: Jérémy-Günther-Heinz Jähnick, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- David Watts: ©House of Lords / photography by Roger Harris, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Harry Woods: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jason Gilchrist: DSimmonite, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Luke Coulson: Jon Candy from Cardiff, Wales, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Pilkington: Bassano Ltd (Original photographer of work is unknown due to company closing in the 1960's. NPG would have added photograper's name if known), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Gary Wheeler: Fleets, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lee Briers: Mortonstalker, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Liz Twist: Chris McAndrew, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Paul Wellens: Gerard Barrau, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tom Armstrong: Gerard Barrau, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tommy Horton: Bill the Brit, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Una McCormack: Umm10, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dan Highcock: LauraHale, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- David Bernstein: jon smith from Stamford, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jamie Foster: Gerard Barrau, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Molyneux: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Keiron Cunningham: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Paul Clough: elyob, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Scott Moore: Photo by: Ben Sutherland from Forest Hill, London, European Union derivative work: Lando09, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Steve Ganson: paddynapper, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Steve Prescott: Mortonstalker, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Adam Swift: http://picasaweb.google.com/barrau.gerard, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Colin Hardman: Harvey Milligan, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Danny Langtree: The original uploader was Caramboo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jamie Ellis: Fleets, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Rylands: Unknown photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kevin Brown: Fleets, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lee Gaskell: http://picasaweb.google.com/barrau.gerard, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lizzy Ashcroft: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Matty Smith: Gerard Barrau, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mick Burke: Mlburke7, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Paddy Flynn: Fleets, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Pilkington: Arthur Stockdale Cope, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Andy Yates: Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Carl Forber: Jacknew198, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Danny Craven: http://picasaweb.google.com/barrau.gerard, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dave Hewitt: Fleets, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Declan Hulme: Fleets, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Eric Frodsham: Andrew James West, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Gareth Haggerty: Mortonstalker, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jeanne MacKenzie: ClareWynne, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Glover Barkla: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Rex Harrison: Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Steven Gerrard: Эдгар Брещанов, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rick Astley: Wjack12, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ken Owen: Shadowgate, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Edmund Arrowsmith: Arrowsmith, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Christopher Wood: Christopher Wood, 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.