BB#1
Famous people · Bellingham
Writers and artists stand out among the 53 famous people born in Bellingham
With articles in 36 languages, Billy Burke is the most widely known. More than half were born between 1920 and 1969, 30 in all. For every 10,000 residents the town has 5.7, while at least half the towns in Washington list nobody born there. Among the 205 towns in Washington with famous people on record, the town ranks 2nd.
Born here
53
notable people
Best known
Billy Burke
in 36 Wikipedia languages
First
1892
Charles Austin
Youngest
2003
Michael Owens
Most common field
Sports
21 people
Also called it home
3
notable residents
What stands out about Bellingham’s famous people
Still making names30 were born since 1950, the youngest in 2003.A town of writers and artistsWriters and artists make up 9 of the 53, 1.7 times the usual share.A chosen home3 more notable people chose to live in Bellingham, including George Dyson.53 notable peopleMore than most towns: 53 notable people were born in Bellingham.
★ What stands out · Through the years
When Bellingham’s famous people were born
The 1920s alone account for 9 of the births charted here.
SportsWriting & ArtsFilm, TV & StagePolitics & LawNotableMusicScience & MedicineFaithBusiness
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Known for
What Bellingham is known for
Compared with the usual town, writers and artists are the most over-represented field, at 1.7 times.
The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.
The best known
Born in Bellingham
Languages with an article: 36 for Billy Burke, 19 for Tommy Noonan, 17 for Brett Cooper.
#2Film, TV & Stage
Tommy Noonan
1921–1968American actor, screenwriter and producer
19 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Film, TV & Stage
Brett Cooper
born 2001American political commentator
17 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Everyone
Everyone else born in Bellingham
50 more, 21 of them athletes.
No one matches both filters.
A chosen home
Also called Bellingham home
Born elsewhere, they lived here: 3 in all, led by George Dyson.
The town’s pick
Town Square →Who’s the most famous person from Bellingham?
Pick one and say why. Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Your pick
No picks yet
Be the first to say who Bellingham’s most famous person is.
Or tell us
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Bellingham and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.
Photo credits (6)
- Tommy Noonan: film screenshot (RKO Pictures), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Brett Cooper: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kara Bajema: Asya Gücüm, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Steve Baker: Hans Koberger, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- George Dyson: Cirone-Musi (Festival della Scienza)Colours and editing by the uploader, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sheila Larken: CBS Television, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons