:This is a list of the famous and notable people from Preston, Lancashire, England. For other Prestons see Preston.

A

  • Sir Richard Arkwright (1732–1792) — inventor of the water frame which revolutionised the cotton making industry in the late 18th century
  • Fiona Armstrong (born 1956) — journalist, newsreader

B

  • Professor Sir George Grenfell Baines (1908–2003) — architect, pioneer of multi-disciplinary design, and founder of the Building Design Partnership
  • Heather Baron-Gracie (born 1995) — singer, songwriter, and musician in the band Pale Waves
  • Roy Barraclough (1935–2017) — actor from Coronation Street
  • Stephen Barton (born 1982) — composer for film, television, and video games
  • Leo Baxendale (born 1930 in Preston) — cartoonist, ex-PCC and creator of Beano strips Little Plum (1953), Minnie the Minx (1953), The Bash Street Kids
  • Stu Bennett (born 1980) — wrestler also known by his ring name, Wade Barrett
  • Tom Benson — marathon walker who held six world records
  • Ian Bibby - Pro cyclist
  • Holly Bradshaw - Pole vaulter
  • Angela Brazil — writer of schoolgirls' stories
  • Hannah Britland, actress.
  • Jim Burns (born 1936) — poet, writer and magazine editor

C

  • Eddie Calvert (1922–1978) — trumpeter, "The Man With the Golden Horn"
  • Chris Canavan (1929–2013) — television and theatre actor, extra on Coronation Street from 1962 to 2013
  • Clarke Carlisle - Footballer
  • Hugh Carthy (born 1994) - Pro Cyclist
  • Arthur Catterall (1883–1943) — concert violinist and conductor
  • Belle Chrystall (1910–2003) — actress, born in Preston
  • Helen Clitheroe (born 1974) — athlete, 1500m and 3000m steeplechase, went to Broughton High School

D

  • Joseph Delaney (born 1945) — author of science fiction and fantasy books, born in Preston
  • Anthony Devis (1729–1816) Half-brother of the artist Arthur Devis.
  • Arthur Devis (1712–1728) Portrait artist, born and lived in Preston.
  • Gregory Doran (born 1958) — Associate Director, Royal Shakespeare Company
  • Tupele Dorgu (born 1977) — actress, known for role of Kelly Crabtree in Coronation Street
  • Joseph Dunn (1746–1827) — owner of the coal-gas lighting company, the Preston Gaslight Company
  • Anulka Dziubinska (born 1950) — actress and model

E

  • Paul Englishby (born 1970) — film and theatre composer

F

  • Tim Farron (born 1970) — Leader of the Liberal Democrats and MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale
  • Sir Tom Finney (1922–2014) — footballer
  • Scott Fitzgerald - Boxer, commonwealth gold medallist and WBA International super welterweight title holder
  • Andrew Flintoff (born 1977) — cricketer
  • Dick Forshaw - Footballer, won League title with both Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C.
  • Don Foster, Baron Foster of Bath (born 1947) — Liberal Democrat politician

G

  • Zara Glover (born 1982) — international ten-pin bowler

H

  • Susan Hanson (born 1943) —actress, Crossroads
  • A.J. Hartley (born 1964) — novelist
  • George Haydock (1556–1584) — Catholic priest, martyr
  • James Hebblethwaite (1857–1921) — poet
  • Ben Hinchliffe (born 9 October 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL League Two club Stockport County.
  • Mary Ann Hobbs - BBC radio DJ
  • John Horrocks (1768–1804) — Member of Parliament for Preston
  • Henry Hunt (1773–1835) — politician, noted for his campaigns that drastically improved the lives of working-class people

I

  • John Inman (1935–2007) — comedy actor and pantomime artist

J

  • Phil Jones, footballer

K

  • Alan Kelly Jr - former professional footballer and Irish international
  • Kevin Kilbane - professional footballer and Irish international
  • Ian Kirkham — saxophone player, Simply Red

L

  • General Sir Percy Henry Noel Lake — first Chief of the Canadian General Staff, commander of the 7th Indian Division and Chief of the Indian General Staff
  • Mark Lawrenson (born 1957) — footballer turned football pundit
  • Joseph Livesey (1794–1884) — social reformer and pioneer of the temperance movement in the 19th century
  • Sir John Francis Lockwood — Master of Birkbeck College, London, 1951–1965, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of London, 1955-1958
  • Andy Lonergan (born 1983) — footballer at Bolton Wanderers, ex-Preston North End
  • Bhavna Limbachia (born 1984) — English actress famous for playing Alia in Citizen Khan and Rana Habeeb in Coronation Street

M

  • James Mawdsley (1848–1902), English trade unionist
  • Ian McCulloch (born 1971) — snooker player who reached career highest ranking of #16
  • Gordon Milne: Footballer.
  • Nazia Mogra, Children's TV presenter and senior television journalist for BBC Newsround and BBC North West Tonight News on BBC One and BBC Sport.

N

  • Ken Nicol (born 1951) — musician and guitarist in British folk rock band Steeleye Span
  • John Nuttall (born 1967) — British long-distance runner who competed in track and cross country.

P

  • Nick Park (born 1958) — animator famous known for Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run claymation
  • Stuart Pettman (born 1975) — snooker player
  • Peter Purves — Blue Peter presenter

R

  • Malcolm Rae, British senior registered specialist in mental nursing/forensic psychiatry, mental health consultant, nursing educator and civil servant
  • Edith Rigby (1872–1950) — suffragette

S

  • Robert W. Service (1874–1958) —poet, known for his writings about the Yukon and the Klondike
  • Ranvir Singh —BBC news presenter and journalist
  • J. Keighley Snowden (1860–1947), — journalist and novelist
  • Johnny Sullivan (1932–2003) — British boxer and Commonwealth Middleweight Champion
  • Andrew Sznajder (born 1967) —English-born Canadian tennis player

T

  • Jessica Taylor (born 1980) —singer with Liberty X
  • Francis Thompson (1859–1907) — poet
  • John Thomson — actor and comedian

W

  • John Wall (1620–1679) — martyr and saint
  • Dick Wilson (1916–2007) — actor

References