This is a list of notable people who were born in or near, or have been residents of the English city of Sheffield.

Arts and humanities

  • Sidney Oldall Addy, folklorist and historian
  • Charles Herbert Aslin, architect
  • Samuel Bailey, philosopher and author
  • William Sterndale Bennett, composer
  • Ian Black, journalist and author.
  • Clifford Edmund Bosworth, historian
  • Malcolm Bradbury, author
  • Michael Brennan, photographer
  • A. S. Byatt, novelist
  • Edward Carpenter, poet and activist
  • Sir Francis Legatt Chantrey, sculptor
  • Paul Conneally, poet, artist, musician
  • Thomas Creswick, painter
  • Thomas Wingate Todd, anthropologist, orthodontist
  • Paul Bruce Dickinson, lead vocalist for the metal band Iron Maiden
  • Margaret Drabble, novelist
  • Ebenezer Elliott, poet
  • William Empson, literary critic and Professor of English at the University of Sheffield
  • William Flockton, architect
  • Sarah Frankcom, artistic director of the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
  • Alfred Gatty, Church of England priest and author
  • Robert Murray Gilchrist, novelist
  • Dave Godin, writer and journalist, authority on black American soul music
  • Mary Anne Everett Green, historian
  • William John Hale, architect
  • Joanne Harris, author (most famously of Chocolat)
  • Ethel Haythornthwaite, environmental campaigner and pioneer
  • Philip Hensher, author
  • Barry Hines, author
  • Barbara Hofland, children's writer
  • John Holland, poet and journalist
  • Joseph Hunter, antiquarian and historian
  • Mary Hutton, radical labouring-class poet
  • Charles Sargeant Jagger, sculptor
  • David Jennings, composer
  • Alice Kipling, poet
  • Robert Eadon Leader, journalist and historian
  • W. C. Leng, journalist
  • Stephen Mallinder, musician, writer, broadcaster and academic
  • Steve McCaffery, poet
  • James Montgomery, editor and poet
  • Alicia Moore, novelist
  • Charles Mozley, artist
  • Geoff Nicholson, author
  • Bruce Oldfield, fashion designer
  • John C. Parkin, architect
  • Bernard Rands, composer
  • Jack Rosenthal, playwright
  • Stanley Royle, a post-impressionist landscape painter
  • Margaret Ryder, artist
  • Joe Scarborough, artist
  • Si Spencer, TV dramatist and graphic novelist
  • Kenneth Steel, artist
  • Frederick Varley, artist
  • White Watson, geologist, sculptor, stonemason and carver
  • John Dodsley Webster, architect
  • Glenn Gregory, musician, lead vocalist with Heaven 17
  • Joe Elliott, musician, lead vocalist with Def Leppard
  • Rick Savage, musician, bassist with Def Leppard
  • Jarvis Cocker, musician, lead singer with Pulp
  • Phil Oakey, musician, lead singer with The Human League

Business

  • Charles Boot, of Henry Boot & Co., developer of Pinewood Studios
  • Carrie Rose, entrepreneur
  • John Brown, industrialist
  • John George Graves, entrepreneur and philanthropist
  • David James Richards, entrepreneur and multi-millionaire technologist
  • Lee Strafford, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist`
  • Peter Stringfellow, multi-millionaire businessman
  • Joseph William Thornton, confectioner, founder of Thorntons
  • Thomas William Ward, industrialist and shipbreaker
  • Kevin McCabe (businessman), Businessman, property developer and former owner and chairman of Sheffield United F.C.

Entertainment

  • Owen Aaronovitch, actor
  • Ray Ashcroft, actor
  • Derek Bailey, musician, writer
  • Nick Banks, musician, drummer for Pulp
  • Jason Leaver, DJ, artist, broadcaster
  • Matthew Bannister, BBC Radio 5 Live presenter
  • Matthew Barley, cellist
  • Vikram Barn, YouTuber, member and co-founder of the Sidemen
  • Keith Barron, actor
  • Josephine Barstow, opera singer
  • Arthur Baynes, aka Stainless Stephen, music hall comedian
  • Sean Bean, actor
  • Dave Berry, musician
  • J. Stuart Blackton, film producer
  • Gavin Bryars, musician
  • Alastair Burnet, news reader
  • Marti Caine, comedian
  • Tony Capstick, comedian, actor, musician and broadcaster
  • Paul Carrack, musician, singer of Ace, Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics
  • Joanne Catherall, musician, singer in The Human League
  • Steve Clark, musician, late Def Leppard guitarist
  • Jessica-Jane Clement, actor, model
  • Jarvis Cocker, musician, lead singer of Pulp
  • Joe Cocker, singer
  • Maurice Colbourne , actor
  • Christopher Colquhoun, actor
  • Jamie Cook, musician, guitarist for the Arctic Monkeys
  • Henry Coward, choral conductor
  • Richard Coyle, actor and comedian
  • Thomas Craig, actor
  • Stephen Daldry, film director
  • Johnny Danvers, actor and comedian
  • Bruce Dickinson, musician, lead singer of Iron Maiden
  • Reginald Dixon, organist, pianist and radio presenter
  • Candida Doyle, keyboard player with Pulp
  • Steve Edwards, singer
  • Joe Elliott, musician, lead singer of Def Leppard
  • Graham Fellows, comedian, actor, known as "John Shuttleworth"
  • Toby Foster, comedian, works for BBC Radio Sheffield; possibly from Barnsley
  • Martin Fry, musician, lead singer of ABC
  • Margaret Gale, opera singer
  • Mark Gasser, pianist
  • Liam Gerrard, actor
  • Peter Glossop, opera singer
  • Brian Glover, actor and wrestler
  • Michael Grandage, theatre director
  • Christopher Green, writer and performer
  • Richard Hawley, musician, formerly of The Longpigs
  • Paul Heaton, musician, formerly of The Beautiful South
  • Matthew Helders, musician, drummer for the Arctic Monkeys
  • Elizabeth Henstridge, actress
  • Stephanie Hill, classical-crossover vocalist and Miss England 2017/18
  • Emilia Holliday, actress
  • Steven Houghton, actor and singer
  • Charlotte Hudson, television presenter
  • Robert Hudson, actor
  • Jayne Irving, television presenter
  • Stephen Jones, musician and novelist, formerly of Babybird
  • Richard H. Kirk, musician
  • Skelton Knaggs, actor
  • Bobby Knutt, actor and comedian
  • Ann Lee, singer, songwriter, dancer
  • Tim Lever, music producer
  • Susan Littler, actor
  • James Lomas, Olivier Award-winning actor
  • Steve Mackey, bass player with Pulp
  • Emily Maitlis, television presenter
  • Jonny Maudling, composer
  • Patricia Maynard, actor
  • Jon McClure, musician, frontman of Reverend and the Makers
  • James McCourt, television presenter
  • Richard McCourt, television presenter
  • Patrick McGoohan, actor
  • Philip Oakey, musician, lead singer of The Human League
  • Nick O'Malley, musician, bassist in Arctic Monkeys
  • Julian Ovenden, actor and singer
  • Tony Oxley, musician
  • Michael Palin, comedian, actor and travel presenter
  • Judy Parfitt, actor
  • Nick Park, animator and film director
  • Mike Percy, music producer
  • Angela Pleasence, actor
  • Donald Pleasence, actor
  • Martin Powell, former keyboardist of heavy metal band Cradle of Filth
  • John Rawling, sport commentator
  • Ian Reddington, actor
  • Rony Robinson, broadcaster and writer
  • Rick Savage, musician, bassist of Def Leppard
  • Russell Senior, musician, former guitarist for Pulp
  • David Slade, film director
  • Susan Ann Sulley, musician, singer in The Human League
  • Oliver Sykes, musician, lead singer of Bring Me the Horizon
  • Alex Turner, musician, vocalist and songwriter for the Arctic Monkeys
  • Anna Walker, television presenter
  • Dan Walker, television presenter
  • Martyn Ware, musician with Heaven 17
  • Paul Joseph Watson, internet personality, editor of InfoWars
  • Mark Webber, guitarist with Pulp
  • Dominic West, actor
  • Mark White, musician with ABC
  • Willie Williams, set designer and video director
  • Pete Willis, musician, former Def Leppard guitarist
  • Tom Wrigglesworth, comedian
  • Stuart Zender, bassist, songwriter and record producer

Politics

  • Nick Ainger, politician
  • Clive Betts, politician
  • David Blunkett, former Cabinet minister (Education Secretary, Home Secretary, and Work and Pensions Secretary)
  • William Broadhead, early trade unionist
  • Geoffrey Blythe, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry 1503–c1530
  • John Blythe, Bishop of Salisbury 1493–1500
  • William Henry Brookfield, Anglican priest, Inspector of Schools, Chaplain-in-ordinary to Queen Victoria 1809–1874
  • Alexander Kilham, founder of the Methodist New Connexion church
  • James Moorhouse, Bishop of Manchester 1886–1903
  • Thomas Boulsover, inventor of Sheffield Plate
  • Harry Brearley, inventor of stainless steel
  • Leonard Cockayne, botanist
  • John Curr, coal mine and railway engineer
  • Samuel Earnshaw, mathematician known for creating Earnshaw's theorem
  • Charles Harding Firth, historian
  • Mark Firth, steel manufacturer
  • Sir John Fowler, railway engineer and co-designer of the Forth Railway Bridge
  • Robert Hadfield, innovator of steel alloys
  • Professor David Hughes, astronomer
  • Benjamin Huntsman, inventor and steel manufacturer
  • Amy Johnson, pioneering female aviator
  • Pieter Kok, co-developer of quantum interferometric optical lithography
  • Hans Adolf Krebs, biochemist, winner of the 1953 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
  • Sir Harry Kroto, chemist, winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
  • Joseph Locke, railway engineer
  • Peter Maitlis, organometallic chemist
  • David Mellor, cutler
  • Frederick Brian Pickering, metallurgist
  • Juda Hirsch Quastel, biochemist
  • Helen Sharman, astronaut (first Briton in space)
  • Henry Clifton Sorby, microscopist and geologist
  • Richard J. Roberts, biochemist
  • John Roebuck, inventor
  • Grenville Turner, cosmochemist, noble gas geochemist
  • John Paul Wild, astronomer

Sport

  • Micky Adams, footballer
  • John Amaechi, NBA basketball player
  • Gordon Banks, footballer
  • Dominic Barrow, rugby player
  • Dave Bassett, football manager
  • Steven Bellamy, British karate team
  • Danny Bergara, footballer and football manager
  • Adam Blythe, cyclist
  • Kell Brook, professional boxer
  • Jon Brown, marathon runner
  • Lee Chapman, footballer
  • Steve Circuit, former professional footballer
  • Charles Clegg, footballer and Chairman of the Football Association
  • William Clegg, footballer and politician
  • Sebastian Coe, track and field athlete
  • Geoffrey Cornu, cricketer
  • Tommy Crawshaw, footballer for England and Sheffield Wednesday
  • Lucy Creamer, climber
  • Phil Davis, professional footballer
  • Louis Dodds, football player
  • Derek Dooley, footballer
  • Jeff Eckhardt, football player
  • Malcolm Elliott, professional cyclist
  • Jessica Ennis, track and field athlete
  • Catherine Faux, triathlete
  • Hazel Findlay, rock climber
  • Matt Fitzpatrick, golfer
  • David Ford, footballer, scored in 1966 F.A. Cup Final
  • William Foulke, aka "Fatty" Foulks; goalkeeper
  • Trevor Francis, footballer and football manager
  • David Fraser-Darling, cricketer
  • Redfern Froggatt, footballer
  • Paul Goodison, sailor
  • Herol 'Bomber' Graham, boxer
  • Andrew Griffiths, field hockey forward
  • Keith Hackett, football referee
  • Naseem Hamed, boxer
  • Ernest Harper, Olympic athlete
  • Cuth Harrison, racing driver
  • Donna Hartley, Olympic sprinter and Commonwealth gold medalist
  • David Hirst, footballer
  • Emlyn Hughes, footballer and football manager
  • Ritchie Humphreys, footballer, EX PFA Chairman
  • Brendan Ingle, boxing trainer
  • Adam Johnson, cricketer
  • Paul Jones, boxer
  • Nick Matthew, squash player
  • Reg Matthewson, footballer
  • Harry Maguire, footballer
  • Devon Malcolm, cricketer
  • Ray McHale, footballer
  • Don Megson, footballer
  • Gary Megson, footballer and football manager
  • Ben Moon, rock climber
  • Esme Morgan, footballer
  • John Motson, football commentator
  • Kyle Naughton, footballer
  • Johnny Nelson, boxer
  • Jon Newsome, footballer
  • Carlton Palmer, footballer
  • Walt Palmer, footballer
  • Tony Parkes, assistant football manager
  • Steve Peat, professional cyclist; three-time UCI downhill world cup overall series champion
  • Albert Quixall, footballer
  • Jamie Reeves, winner of World's Strongest Man
  • Uriah Rennie, football referee
  • Ellie Roebuck, football goalkeeper
  • Ryan Rhodes, boxer
  • Dave Richards, Chairman of FA Premier League and former chairman of Sheffield Wednesday
  • Mark Roe, professional golfer, coach and commentator
  • Joe Root, England and Yorkshire cricketer
  • Alan Rouse, mountaineer
  • Jackie Sewell, footballer
  • Billy Sharp, footballer
  • Roberta Sheffield, Para-equestrian
  • David Sherwood, tennis player
  • John Sherwood, international 400 metre hurdler
  • Sheila Sherwood, international long jumper 1962–1974
  • Ron Shudra, former NHL player
  • Joe Simpson, mountaineer
  • Jim Smith, footballer and football manager
  • Timothy Smith, cricketer
  • Ron Springett, football goalkeeper
  • Mel Sterland, footballer
  • Roger Taylor, tennis player, Wimbledon semi-finalist 1973
  • Tommy Thorpe, footballer and cricketer
  • Geoff Thompson, chairman of the Football Association
  • Will Thursfield, footballer
  • George Ulyett, test cricketer
  • Jamie Vardy, footballer
  • Michael Vaughan, captain of England cricket team (2003–2008)
  • Chris Waddle, England footballer
  • Edward Wainwright, test cricketer
  • Kyle Walker, footballer, England right-back
  • Neil Warnock, footballer and football manager
  • Nicky Weaver, goalkeeper
  • Chris Wilder, football manager and former player
  • Howard Wilkinson, football manager
  • Danny Willett, professional golfer
  • Justin Wilson, motor-racing driver
  • Stefan Wilson, motor-racing driver
  • Dennis Woodhead, footballer 1947–1959
  • Chris Woods, football goalkeeper
  • Clinton Woods, boxer
  • Nigel Worthington, footballer and football manager
  • Harry Wragg, jockey and trainer
  • Harry Wright, major league baseball player

Others

  • Major William Barnsley Allen recipient of the Victoria Cross during World War I; born in Sheffield
  • Felicia Dorothea Kate Dover, notorious poisoner.
  • Arnold Loosemore, World War I soldier awarded the Victoria Cross
  • Charles Peace, notorious murderer

References