#1Film, TV & Stage
Laurence Olivier
1907–1989English actor and director (1907–1989)
94 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Dorking, Surrey
Of the 47 famous people born in Dorking, an unusual share are soldiers and sailors
Most widely known is Laurence Olivier, the English actor and director, with articles in 94 languages. Behind the leader come Jamie Mackie and Thomas McMahon. 21 of them were born in the 20th century, more than in any other period. Jamie Mackie, born in 1985, is the youngest, and William Mullins, born in 1572, the first on record.
Born here
47
notable people
Best known
Laurence Olivier
in 94 Wikipedia languages
First
1572
William Mullins
Youngest
1985
Jamie Mackie
Most common field
Sports
14 people
What stands out about Dorking’s famous people
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Dorking
Laurence Olivier leads with articles in 94 languages, ahead of Jamie Mackie (21) and Thomas McMahon (12).
#1
#2
#3Known for
What Dorking is known for
Compared with the usual town, soldiers and sailors are the most over-represented field, 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 Dorking’s famous people were born
Births peak in the 1900s, with 6 people born in that decade.
SportsWriting & ArtsScience & MedicineFilm, TV & StageMilitaryNotableMusicPolitics & LawFaithBusiness
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Dorking
A further 44 follow, born between 1572 and 1983.
Helen Hanson
1874–1926English physician, missionary and feminist (1874-1926)
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Jonathan Spencer
born 1954British social anthropologist and academic (born 1954)
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Albert Richard Davis
1924–1983Born:1924|died:1983|; Davis, A. R. (1924-); Davis, A.R.; Davis, A. R. (Albert Richard), 1924-; Davis, Albert Richard; Davis, A. R. (Albert Richard), 1924-1983
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Thomas Rusden
1817–1880Squatter and politician from New South Wales, Australia (1817–1882)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Of the towns nearby, Reigate lists the most people: 48.
Reigate · 6 miMargot Fonteyn & 47 moreEGLeatherhead · 5 miEric Green & 23 more
Ashtead · 6 miA. P. Herbert & 6 more
Great Bookham and Fetcham · 4 miRoger Waters & 4 moreDOWest Horsley · 6 miDavid Ogilvy & 2 more
Westcott · 2 miThomas Robert Malthus & 1 more
Brockham · 2 miThomas BurberryJBGomshall · 5 miJanet Bewley-Cathie-Wardell-YerburghQuestions about famous people from Dorking
Who is the most famous person from Dorking?
Laurence Olivier (English actor and director (1907–1989)) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 94 languages. Next come Jamie Mackie and Thomas McMahon.
How many famous people were born in Dorking?
47 people born in Dorking have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 56 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Dorking known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 14 of the 47. That is 30% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Dorking?
William Mullins, born in 1572. The youngest on the list was born in 1985.
Who counts as from Dorking?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Dorking’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 (16)
- Laurence Olivier: Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jamie Mackie: james cumberpatch, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas McMahon: Fr James Bradley from Southampton, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Laila Morse: Garry Knight, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Priscilla Alden: John Rogers, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Susy Kane: Hallowell3, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Arthur Sanders Way: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Cameron Shute: Ambrose McEvoy, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ernie Dilley: Thebees1889, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Valentine Strudwick: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Cécile Dolmetsch: unknown - no named photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Margot Fonteyn: Hurok Concerts (U.S.), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- A. P. Herbert: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Roger Waters: digboston, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Robert Malthus: John Linnell, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Burberry: 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.