HF#1
Famous people · Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey
Scientists and doctors stand out among the 34 famous people born in Staines-upon-Thames
Most widely known is Harry Freeman, the field hockey player, with articles in 16 languages. 14 of them were born in the Victorian era, more than in any other period. The list is still growing: 6 were born since 1970. From Henry Bard, 1st Viscount Bellomont to Sophie and the Giants, the births on the list run from 1616 to 1998.
Born here
34
notable people
Best known
Harry Freeman
in 16 Wikipedia languages
First
1616
Henry Bard, 1st Viscount Bellomont
Youngest
1998
Sophie and the Giants
Most common field
Sports
12 people
What stands out about Staines-upon-Thames’ famous people
★ What stands out · Known for
What Staines-upon-Thames is known for
Staines-upon-Thames has 2× the usual share of scientists and doctors.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
The best known
Born in Staines-upon-Thames
By how many languages cover them, Harry Freeman comes first (16), then Sophie and the Giants (11) and Thomas Ashby (8).
#2
#3Writing & Arts
Thomas Ashby
1874–1931British historian, archaeologist, and former director of the British School at Rome (1874–1931)
8 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Through the years
When Staines-upon-Thames’s famous people were born
The 1940s alone account for 5 of the births charted here.
SportsScience & MedicineWriting & ArtsPolitics & LawFilm, TV & StageMusicMilitaryFaithNotable
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Staines-upon-Thames
Still to come: 31 more, from 1616 to 1985.
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Chertsey has the longest list next door: 83.
Questions about famous people from Staines-upon-Thames
Who is the most famous person from Staines-upon-Thames?
Harry Freeman (field hockey player (1876–1968)) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 16 languages. Next come Sophie and the Giants and Thomas Ashby.
How many famous people were born in Staines-upon-Thames?
34 people born in Staines-upon-Thames have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 35 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Staines-upon-Thames known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 12 of the 34. That is 35% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Staines-upon-Thames?
Henry Bard, 1st Viscount Bellomont, born in 1616. The youngest on the list was born in 1998.
Who counts as from Staines-upon-Thames?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Staines-upon-Thames’ 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 (15)
- Sophie and the Giants: Lanthan2003, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Ashby: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Cecil Harcourt Smith: W.T. Pike (died 1924), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- E. L. Grant Watson: Unidentified photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Geraldine Sherman: Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Archer: Karen, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Furse: Alfred Robert Hayward, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- George Gammon Adams: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Vernon Bogdanor: Kaihsu, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Robin Auld: Catherine Alison Geissler, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Henry Bard, 1st Viscount Bellomont: Saffron Blaze, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Robert Green: Paul Blank, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Ruth Wilson: Mingle MediaTV, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Boorman: Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Matthew Arnold: 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.