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 Arts Debbie Arnold (1955–), actor Griselda Allan (1905–1987), artist Audrey Amiss (1933–2013), artist Marion Angus (1865–1946), Scottish poet writing in Scots, born in Sunderland James Baxter, actor Ernie Lotinga (actor) James Bolam (1935–), actor Alan Browning actor, born Alan Brown Bernard Comrie (1947–), linguist Ida Cook (1904–1986), Righteous among the Nations; as Mary Burchell, romance novelist Terry Deary (1946–), author Mike Elliott, comedian, actor and radio presenter Edward Gregson, composer James Herriot (pen name of James Alfred Wight) (1916–1995), veterinary surgeon and author Melanie Hill (1962–), actress Nat Jackley, comedian Jools Jameson (1968–), game developer Bobby Knoxall, comedian Gina McKee (1964–), actress Gibb McLaughlin (1884–1960), actor, born George Gibb McLaughlin Christine Norden (1924–1988), actress, born Mary Lydia Thornton David Parfitt, an Oscar-winning film producer Sheila Quigley, novelist Rob Rackstraw (1965-), voice actor Ronald Radd (1929–1976), actor Callum Keith Rennie (1960–), film and television actor Richard Riddell (2000-), film and television actor Maurice Roëves (1937–2020), actor William Russell actor and the first actor of three actors to appear as Doctor Who Companion Clarkson Stanfield, painter Mary Stewart, novelist Tom 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 Travers Linden Travers, actor Graham Wallas, author and academic Alison Wright (1976–), actress Michael Young (1966–), industrial designer

Industry Sir Robert Appleby Bartram (1835–1925), shipbuilder William Reid Clanny (1770–1850), inventor and physician John Cryan (born 1960), banker Sir Tom Cowie, entrepreneur and philanthropist George Daniels, horologist and inventor of the co-axial escapement Sir Edward Temperley Gourley, coalfitter, shipowner and politician Sir William Halcrow, civil engineer Thomas Elliott Harrison, railway engineer George Burton Hunter, shipbuilder and innovator Patrick Meik and Charles Meik, civil engineering brothers Sir William Mills, inventor of the Mills Bomb (hand grenade) William Pile, shipbuilder Sir Joseph Swan, inventor of the electric light bulb Harry Watts, shipyard worker and multiple life-saver

Military and services Robert Appleby Bartram (1894–1981), colonel and shipbuilder Gertrude Bell (1868–1926), colonial administrator PC Keith Blakelock (1945–1985), police officer Sir Lawrence Andrew Common (1889–1953), Army officer and shipping director Jack Crawford (1775–1831), sailor Sir Henry Havelock (1795–1857), Major-General Captain Richard Avery Hornsby, navy captain Joseph Robert Kayll (1914–2000), WW2 RAF flying Ace John Lilburne 'Free-born John', civil war figure Alan Parnaby (1916–1974), cricketer and British Army officer Ernest Vaux (1865–1925), Army Officer and Brewer Robert Nairac (1948–1977), Army Officer

Music Don Airey, musician, keyboardist with Deep Purple Sir Thomas Allen, baritone Eric 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, contralto Frankie Stubbs, Singer, Guitar player, Leatherface, punk rock band Frankie & The Heartstrings, indie rock band The Futureheads, indie rock band Eve Gallagher, singer Kenickie, 1990s pop band Lauren Laverne, ex-lead singer of Kenickie, later radio and TV presenter Jez Lowe, folk singer, songwriter and broadcaster Bob and Alf Pearson, singers, pianist (Bob) and variety performers Alan Price, singer, musician, and songwriter. Keyboard player with The Animals Emeli Sandé, musician David A. Stewart (1952–), musician and songwriter, most notably as one half of the band Eurythmics The Toy Dolls, punk rock band Baz Warne, guitarist with The Stranglers Faye Fantarrow (2002-2023), singer, songwriter

Politics Hilary Armstrong, Member of Parliament, Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion Minister, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 2006–07 Sir Theodore Doxford, shipbuilder and politician George Hudson, Member of Parliament and railway financier Sir Edward Temperley Gourley, coalfitter, shipowner and politician John Stapylton grey Pemberton (1860–1940), MP and Vice-Chancellor of Durham University Bridget Phillipson, Labour Party MP Jonathan Reynolds, Labour Party MP Sir Luke Thompson, coal merchant and politician Joseph Havelock Wilson, Trade union leader, Liberal Party politician, and campaigner for the rights of merchant seamen.

Sport 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 Raich Carter (1914–1994), footballer and manager Nigel Clough (born 1966), former football player and manager Ralph Coates (1946–2010), former football player Kevin Dillon (English footballer) (born 1959), former football player and manager Randolph Galloway (1896–1964), former football player and manager of clubs like Valencia and Sporting Lisbon Michael Gray (born 1974), (footballer) Billy Hardy (born 1964), boxer who became Commonwealth featherweight champion Mick Harford (born 1959), former football player and manager Micky Hazard (born 1960), former football player Jordan 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), footballer Tony Jeffries (born 1985), boxer, Olympic Bronze medalist Ernie Johnson (born 1948), jockey who won the 1969 Epsom Derby Alan Kennedy: Footballer, Liverpool F.C. Paul Kitson, ex-professional footballer Billy Marsden (born 1901), football player for England national football team Clive Mendonca, ex-professional footballer Jimmy Montgomery (born 1943), former football player (goalkeeper) and 1973 FA Cup winner Bob 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 officer Ross Pearson (born 1984), mixed martial artist in UFC Harry Potts (1920–1996), former football player and manager Harold Reay (1896-1959), footballer Giovanni Reyna (born 2002), footballer For BVB and USA National Team Lee Rushworth (born 1982), cricketer Jill Scott (born 1987), football player for England women's national football team and Manchester City L.F.C. Bob Willis (1949–2019), cricketer Stephanie Houghton (born 1988), football player for England women's national football team and Manchester City L.F.C.

Other Kate Adie, former BBC Chief News Reporter Jessica Andrews, novelist St Bede, monk George Binns, New Zealand chartist leader and poet St Benedict Biscop (628?–690) Abel Chapman (1851–1929), hunter and naturalist George Clarke, architect, television presenter James Watson Corder (1868–1953), historian of local family history Charlotte Crosby, television personality John Cryan, physicist and bank manager Peter Gibbs, weather forecaster Jane Grigson, cookery writer Andreas Høivold, professional poker player Gareth Pugh (born 1981), fashion designer Denise Robertson, novelist and TV agony aunt Gordon Scurfield, biologist and author, active in Australia, with expertise in botany and ecology William Shanks, amateur mathematician, worked out the value of Pi to 707 decimals John Sowerby, botanist, writer and early member of the Alpine Club Chris Steele, TV doctor Ernest George Frederick Vogtherr (1898–1973), a New Zealand bacon curer, businessman and art collector

Notable residents Charlie Buchan, footballer Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland Frank Caws, architect Brian Clough, footballer, manager and European Cup winner Steve Cram, Olympic Athlete and TV presenter Bernard Gilpin, Apostle of the North, Rector of Houghton-le-Spring, Archdeacon of Durham Sir William Herschel, composer and astronomer, discoverer of Uranus William Reid Clanny, Irish physicist Thomas Essomba, boxer Charlie Hurley, footballer Alex Kapranos, musician/singer Roy Kent, footballer Si King, television presenter, best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers Lola Montez, adventuress Chris Mullin, civil liberties campaigner and Labour MP Jimmy Nail, actor/singer Robert Nairac (1948–1977), Army Officer William Paley, rector of Bishopwearmouth, wrote on intelligent design as opposed to evolution Frank Pick, industrial designer Niall Quinn, footballer Don Revie, footballer and England manager George Reynolds, businessman and former chairman of Darlington FC William Sancroft, later Archbishop of Canterbury, was briefly Rector of Houghton-le-Spring Len Shackleton, footballer Michael Short, engineer and Professor Peter Smith (1956-2025), computer scientist Vivian 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 academic Shammai Zahn, rabbi of Sunderland and head of Sunderland Yeshiva Gareth Pugh, British fashion designer

References