This is a list of famous or notable people born in, or associated with, Sunderland or the wider City of Sunderland in North East England .
Notable people from Sunderland [ edit ] Debbie Arnold (1955–), actorGriselda Allan (1905–1987), artistAudrey Amiss (1933–2013), artistMarion Angus (1865–1946), Scottish poet writing in Scots, born in SunderlandJames Baxter , actorEmeli Sandé (singer)Ernie Lotinga (actor)James Bolam (1935–), actorAlan Browning actor, born Alan BrownBernard Comrie (1947–), linguistIda Cook (1904–1986), Righteous among the Nations; as Mary Burchell, romance novelistTerry Deary (1946–), authorMike Elliott , comedian, actor and radio presenterEdward Gregson , composerJames Herriot (pen name of James Alfred Wight) (1916–1995), veterinary surgeon and authorMelanie Hill (1962–), actressNat Jackley , comedianJools Jameson (1968–), game developerBobby Knoxall , comedianGina McKee (1964–), actressGibb McLaughlin (1884–1960), actor, born George Gibb McLaughlinChristine Norden (1924–1988), actress, born Mary Lydia ThorntonDavid Parfitt , an Oscar -winning film producerSheila Quigley , novelistRob Rackstraw (1965-), voice actorRonald Radd (1929–1976), actorCallum Keith Rennie (1960–), film and television actorRichard Riddell (2000-), film and television actorMaurice Roëves (1937–2020), actorWilliam Russell actor and the first actor of three actors to appear as Doctor Who CompanionClarkson Stanfield , painterMary Stewart , novelistTom Taylor , playwright and editor of Punch Alan Temperley born 1936, children's and young adults author, works include Harry and the Wrinkles, The Deck Boy, Scar Hill. Bobby Thompson , comedian, the 'Little Waster'William Lindon-Travers , actor, screenwriter, director and animal rights activist, known professionally as Bill TraversLinden Travers , actorGraham Wallas , author and academicAlison Wright (1976–), actressMichael Young (1966–), industrial designerSir Robert Appleby Bartram (1835–1925), shipbuilderWilliam Reid Clanny (1770–1850), inventor and physicianJohn Cryan (born 1960), bankerSir Tom Cowie , entrepreneur and philanthropistGeorge Daniels , world-famous horologist and inventor of the co-axial escapementSir Edward Temperley Gourley , coalfitter, shipowner and politicianSir William Halcrow , civil engineerThomas Elliott Harrison , railway engineerGeorge Burton Hunter , shipbuilder and innovatorPatrick Meik and Charles Meik , civil engineering brothersSir William Mills , inventor of the Mills Bomb (hand grenade)William Pile , shipbuilderSir Joseph Swan , inventor of the electric light bulbHarry Watts , shipyard worker and multiple life-saverMilitary and services [ edit ] Robert Appleby Bartram (1894–1981), colonel and shipbuilderGertrude Bell (1868–1926), colonial administratorPC Keith Blakelock (1945–1985), police officerSir Lawrence Andrew Common (1889–1953), Army officer and shipping directorJack Crawford (1775–1831), sailorSir Henry Havelock (1795–1857), Major-GeneralCaptain Richard Avery Hornsby , navy captainJoseph Robert Kayll (1914–2000), WW2 RAF flying AceJohn Lilburne 'Free-born John', civil war figureAlan Parnaby (1916–1974), cricketer and British Army officerErnest Vaux (1865–1925), Army Officer and BrewerRobert Nairac (1948–1977), Army OfficerDon Airey , musician, keyboardist with Deep Purple Sir Thomas Allen , baritoneEric Boswell , songwriter (Little Donkey Mark Brydon , one half of electro outfit Moloko Bryan Ferry , singer, musician, and songwriter. Lead singer with Roxy Music Muriel Foster , contraltoFrankie Stubbs , Singer, Guitar player, Leatherface, punk rock bandFrankie & The Heartstrings , indie rock bandThe Futureheads , indie rock bandEve Gallagher , singerKenickie , 1990s pop bandLauren Laverne , ex-lead singer of Kenickie , later radio and TV presenter[ 1] Jez Lowe , folk singer, songwriter and broadcasterBob and Alf Pearson , singers, pianist (Bob) and variety performers[ 2] Alan Price , singer, musician, and songwriter. Keyboard player with The Animals Emeli Sandé , musicianDavid A. Stewart (1952–), musician and songwriter, most notably as one half of the band Eurythmics The Toy Dolls , punk rock bandBaz Warne , guitarist with The Stranglers Faye Fantarrow (2002-2023), singer, songwriter[ 3] Hilary Armstrong , Member of Parliament, Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion Minister, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 2006–07Sir Theodore Doxford , shipbuilder and politicianGeorge Hudson , Member of Parliament and railway financierSir Edward Temperley Gourley , coalfitter, shipowner and politicianJohn Stapylton grey Pemberton (1860–1940), MP and Vice-Chancellor of Durham UniversityBridget Phillipson , Labour Party MPJonathan Reynolds , Labour Party MPSir Luke Thompson , coal merchant and politicianJoseph Havelock Wilson , Trade union leader, Liberal Party politician, and campaigner for the rights of merchant seamen.Charles W. Alcock : Cricketer and Football administrator.Allan Ball (born 1943), ex-professional footballer and now Honorary Director of Queen of the South F.C.Gordon Bradley (1933–2008), footballer and manager[ 4] Raich Carter (1914–1994), footballer and managerNigel Clough (born 1966), former football player and managerRalph Coates (1946–2010), former football playerKevin Dillon (English footballer) (born 1959), former football player and managerRandolph Galloway (1896–1964), former football player and manager of clubs like Valencia and Sporting LisbonMichael Gray (born 1974), (footballer)Billy Hardy (born 1964), boxer who became Commonwealth featherweight championMick Harford (born 1959), former football player and managerMicky Hazard (born 1960), former football playerJordan Henderson (born 1990), footballer Sunderland A.F.C , Liverpool F.C -Current and England national football team Lee Howey (born 1969), footballer Sunderland A.F.C Steve Howey (born 1971), footballer Newcastle United Jordan Pickford (born 1994), footballer Sunderland A.F.C , Everton F.C -Current and England national football team Robert William "Bob" Jefferson (born 1882), footballerTony Jeffries (born 1985), boxer, Olympic Bronze medalistErnie Johnson (born 1948), jockey who won the 1969 Epsom Derby Alan Kennedy : Footballer, Liverpool F.C. Paul Kitson , ex-professional footballerBilly Marsden (born 1901), football player for England national football team Clive Mendonca , ex-professional footballerJimmy Montgomery (born 1943), former football player (goalkeeper) and 1973 FA Cup winnerBob Paisley (1919-1996) Footballer, Three times European Cup winning manager.Mick Parkin (born 1995), mixed martial artist in UFC Alan Parnaby (1916–1974), cricketer and British Army officerRoss Pearson (born 1984), mixed martial artist in UFC Harry Potts (1920–1996), former football player and managerHarold Reay (1896-1959), footballerGiovanni Reyna (born 2002), footballer For BVB and USA National TeamLee Rushworth (born 1982), cricketerJill Scott (born 1987), football player for England women's national football team and Manchester City L.F.C. Bob Willis (1949–2019), cricketerStephanie Houghton (born 1988), football player for England women's national football team and Manchester City L.F.C. Kate Adie , former BBC Chief News ReporterJessica Andrews , novelistSt Bede , monkSir Joseph Swan , inventor of the incandescent light bulb
George Binns , New Zealand chartist leader and poetSt Benedict Biscop (628?–690)Abel Chapman (1851–1929), hunter and naturalistGeorge Clarke , architect, television presenterJames Watson Corder (1868–1953), historian of local family historyCharlotte Crosby , television personalityJohn Cryan , physicist and bank manager [ 5] Peter Gibbs , weather forecasterJane Grigson , cookery writerAndreas Høivold , professional poker playerGareth Pugh (born 1981), fashion designerDenise Robertson , novelist and TV agony aunt Gordon Scurfield , biologist and author, active in Australia, with expertise in botany and ecologyWilliam Shanks , amateur mathematician, worked out the value of Pi to 707 decimalsJohn Sowerby , botanist, writer and early member of the Alpine ClubChris Steele , TV doctorErnest George Frederick Vogtherr (1898–1973), a New Zealand bacon curer, businessman and art collector[ 6] Charlie Buchan , footballerLewis Carroll , author of Alice in Wonderland Frank Caws , architectBrian Clough , footballer, manager and European Cup winnerSteve Cram , Olympic Athlete and TV presenterBernard Gilpin , Apostle of the North, Rector of Houghton-le-Spring, Archdeacon of DurhamSir William Herschel , composer and astronomer, discoverer of Uranus William Reid Clanny , Irish physicistThomas Essomba , boxerCharlie Hurley , footballerAlex Kapranos , musician/singerRoy Kent , footballerSi King , television presenter, best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers Lola Montez , adventuressChris Mullin , civil liberties campaigner and Labour MP Jimmy Nail , actor/singerRobert Nairac (1948–1977), Army OfficerWilliam Paley , rector of Bishopwearmouth, wrote on intelligent design as opposed to evolutionFrank Pick , industrial designerNiall Quinn , footballerDon Revie , footballer and England managerGeorge Reynolds , businessman and former chairman of Darlington FC William Sancroft , later Archbishop of Canterbury, was briefly Rector of Houghton-le-SpringLen Shackleton , footballerMichael Short , engineer and ProfessorPeter Smith (1956-2025), computer scientistVivian Stanshall and his wife Ki Longfellow , found the Baltic Trader "Thekla" and sailed her to Bristol where she became the Old Profanity Showboat Hope Winch (1894-1944), pharmacist and academicShammai Zahn , rabbi of Sunderland and head of Sunderland Yeshiva 
