#1Famous people · Coventry, West Midlands
Most of the 463 famous people born in Coventry came into the world in the 20th century
Articles in 61 languages make the English actor Clive Owen the best known. Second and third on the list are Philip Larkin and Ellen Terry. 40 of them are musicians, 1.7 times the share across UK towns. Only one town in West Midlands lists more.
Born here
463
notable people
Best known
Clive Owen
in 61 Wikipedia languages
First
1597
John Davenport
Youngest
2009
Jeremy Monga
Most common field
Sports
241 people
What stands out about Coventry’s famous people
Known worldwideRead in 61 languages, Clive Owen is known far beyond the town.Still making names268 were born since 1950, the youngest in 2009.A town of musiciansAmong the 463 people born here, 40 are musicians: 1.7 times the usual share.463 notable peopleCoventry lists 463 notable people, more than most towns.
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Coventry
Clive Owen, Philip Larkin and Ellen Terry are written about in 61, 47 and 43 languages.
#1
#2Writing & Arts
Philip Larkin
1922–1985English writer, jazz critic and librarian (1922-1985)
47 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Through the years
When Coventry’s famous people were born
The busiest decade was the 1960s, with 60 births.
SportsWriting & ArtsFilm, TV & StageMusicScience & MedicinePolitics & LawMilitaryFaithNotableBusiness
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born. The 400 best known are plotted.
Known for
What Coventry is known for
Set against the usual town, musicians come out 1.7 times as common.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Coventry
460 more; the 197 best known are listed here.
Delia Derbyshire
1937–2001English musician and composer of electronic music (1937–2001)
MusicWikipedia ↗
Thomas Kirk
1828–1898New Zealand botanist and botanical collector (1828-1898)
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Peter Berresford Ellis
born 1943English historian, biographer, and novelist (born 1943)
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
John Middleton
1906–1991British racing cyclist who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics
SportsWikipedia ↗
Frank Ifield
1937–2024English-born Australian easy listening and country music singer (1937–2024)
MusicWikipedia ↗
David Moorcroft
born 1953Athlete with world records in middle and long distance running
SportsWikipedia ↗
Frederick Gibberd
1908–1984British architect, town planner and landscape designer (1908-1984)
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Pete Waterman
born 1947English record producer, songwriter, broadcaster, and railway enthusiast
MusicWikipedia ↗
David Parker
1959–2010British swimmer, Olympic athlete, world championships bronze medallist
SportsWikipedia ↗
Harry Borrer Kirk
1859–1948New Zealand biologist, university professor and school inspector (1859-1948)
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Rhoda Carleton Holmes Nicholls
1854–1930English American watercolor and oil painter (1854-1930)
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Tony Dobson
born 1969English footballer/manager and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter (born 1969)
SportsWikipedia ↗
Adam Whitehead
born 1980British swimmer, Olympic athlete, Commonwealth Games gold medallist
SportsWikipedia ↗
Graham Symonds
1937–2006British swimmer, Olympic athlete, Commnwealth Games silver medallist (1937-2006)
SportsWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Kenilworth has the longest list next door: 21.
Questions about famous people from Coventry
Who is the most famous person from Coventry?
Clive Owen (English actor) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 61 languages. Next come Philip Larkin and Ellen Terry.
How many famous people were born in Coventry?
463 people born in Coventry have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 520 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Coventry known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 241 of the 463. That is 52% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Coventry?
John Davenport, born in 1597. The youngest on the list was born in 2009.
Who counts as from Coventry?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Coventry’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 (111)
- Clive Owen: Alfonso_Cuarón_y_Clive_Owen_(Children_of_men).jpg: Mario Antonio Pena Zapatería derivative work: Jan Arkesteijn, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Philip Larkin: Humphrey Ocean, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ellen Terry: Hayman Seleg Mendelssohn, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- James Maddison: KrispyKrumpets, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Frank Whittle: British Government, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Lee Child: Mark Coggins at Flickr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nigel Hawthorne: PBS, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Callum Wilson: TNT Sports, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Clint Mansell: Graham Racher, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Billie Whitelaw: Trailer for "Start the Revolution Without Me" (1970) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7pAZrOKQq4, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Cyrus Christie: Nick from Bristol, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cal Crutchlow: motoracereports, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kevin Warwick: Robert Scoble from Half Moon Bay, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jen Ledger: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dominic Dale: Benutzer:Bill da Flute, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Graham Alexander: Mattythewhite, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chelsie Giles: National Lottery Good Causes, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Iain Pears: SylviaStanley, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ian Bell: The original uploader was Tigerlillythe7th at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jefferson Hall: Raboe001, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gary McSheffrey: Stew jones, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Laura Davies: Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Terry Hall: Paulrclarke, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Daniel Crowley: joshjdss, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Panjabi MC: Loz Pycock, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Kirk: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Hazel O'Connor: Danny Simpson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kelly Massey: Agência Brasil Fotografias, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Peter Berresford Ellis: Maggietolderlund, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alice Lowe: Dublin Film Festival, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jake Stewart: Joost Pauwels, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bob Ainsworth: Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison, U.S. Air Force/Released, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jeremy Monga: Timmy96, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mark Cousins: Jenny Leask, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Amanda Lightfoot: Marcel Laponder, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ian Marter: DrWho at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jamie Paterson: Nottingham Forest F.C., CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Graham Joyce: Liftarn, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jordan Graham: Timmy96, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sian Massey: Jon Candy, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- David Moorcroft: Keith D, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dennis King: Bain Collection, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Joel Fearon: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kieran Conry: Fruppence (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Linda Jackson: Original: Alexander Migl Derivative work: Danyele, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tom Wood: Charlie from UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Conor Thomas: Dominic Nelson, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Heidi Crowter: dontscreenusout, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- James Collins: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jennifer Veal: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Neelam Gill: @rodwey2004 - http://www.rodwey.co.uk/, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Andrew Turner: Editor5807, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Barry John: Debabratakumar5, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bill Parry: Konrad Jacobs, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, Wikimedia Commons
- Frederick Gibberd: Elliott & Fry, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Helen Masters: Conrad Gibbons, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kare Adenegan: Bearas, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Manjinder Virk: Mango Films (Manjinder Virk), CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Margot James: Chris McAndrew, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Martin Jacques: MeJudice, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mary Creagh: ©House of Commons, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Terence Brain: RexGregorian, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Courtney Baker-Richardson: Paul W, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Guz Khan: Loooke, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Iyseden Christie: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Davenport: "Davenport Limner" (unknown), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Marcus Harness: Timmy96, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Pete Waterman: Steve Dunlop, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Terry Angus: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Theresa Griffin: Syremo, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alan Simpson: Unknown (Asahi Shinbun), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Anthony Farrar-Hockley: Open Media Ltd., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Colleen Fletcher: Chris McAndrew, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fontaine Chapman: Nardisoero, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Harry Borrer Kirk: Randolph Hollingsworth, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Josh Dacres-Cogley: Birmingham City F.C., CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Marc Bridge-Wilkinson: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Melissa Walton: Craig Leaper Photography, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nicholas Bullen: Col Walker, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Norman Dewis: Jaguar MENA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rhoda Carleton Holmes Nicholls: Rhoda Holmes NIcholls, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Rikki Bains: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Selaine Saxby: David Woolfall, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Steve Beaton: I Bartels, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas William Kirk: Randolph Hollingsworth, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Vince Hill: Mike Prior, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Aimee Knight: Aimee Challenor, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alfie Bates: Skippo10, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Andy Goode: Brett Lees-Smith from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bernie James: Major Indoor Soccer League, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- David Duckham: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- David Foy: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Denis Matthews: The original uploader was Adx946 at English Wikipedia., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Geoff Thompson: jsawkins, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ian Taylor: UK Parliament, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Bradbury: Paulrclarke, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Josh Gowling: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Martin Atkins: Ryan Van Etten, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Paolo Odogwu: Stefano Delfrate, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rowena Wallace: Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Scott Garner: Mattythewhite, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Shane Geraghty: Pierre-Selim, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Shannon O'Brien: James Boyes from UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alan Rotherham: Francis Marshall (book). Photograph by Hills & Saunders, Oxford, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Bray: By Sara Hennell (1812 to 1889) or Caroline Hennell (Cara Bray) (1814 to 1905), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Connor Taylor: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Ash: Joshua Reynolds, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Tim Flowers: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nick Skelton: Berit from Redhill/Surrey, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Adam Walker: TheRealWilG, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mark Pawsey: Chris McAndrew, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
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