# List of people from Coventry

This is a list of people from Coventry, a city in the West Midlands region of England. The list is arranged alphabetically by surname.

## A

* Jassa Ahluwalia (born 1990), actor, TV and radio presenter
* Bob Ainsworth (born 1952), former Labour Party politician, Member of Parliament for Coventry North East and Secretary of State for Defence
* Alice Arnold (1881–1955), politician, trade unionist and first female mayor of Coventry
* John Ash (1723–1798), English physician and founder of Birmingham General Hospital
* Martin Atkins (born 1959) drummer in post-punk and industrial groups Public Image Ltd, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, and Killing Joke

## B

* Neil Back (born 1969), rugby union player who played 66 times for England
* Angela Bailey (1962–2021), Canadian track and field athlete and Olympic medallist
* Gillian Barber (born 1958), actress
* Jessica Barry (born 1994), super featherweight boxer
* Ian Bell (born 1982), Warwickshire and England cricketer
* John Blakemore (born 1936), photographer
* Sara Blizzard (born 1970), weather presenter
* Jordan Bolger (born 1994), actor
* John Bradbury (1953 –2015), drummer of the 2-tone band the Specials
* Charles Bray (1811–1884), ribbon manufacturer, social reformer and phrenologist
* Albert Brown (1858–1930), Coventry's first England international footballer
* Olivia Broadfield (born 1981), singer-songwriter for TV and film
* Sydney John Bunney (1877–1928), impressionist artist
* Jocelyn Burgener (born 1949), businesswoman and Canadian politician
* Joseph Butterworth (1770–1826), law bookseller, philanthropist, politician and Member of Parliament for Coventry from 1812 to 1818

## C

* Sheila Carey (born 1946), middle-distance runner and Olympian
* Samuel Carter (1805–1878), solicitor and Member of Parliament for Coventry
* Tom Cartwright (1935–2007), Warwickshire and England cricketer
* Cathy Cassidy (born 1962), children's writer
* William Chattaway (1927–2019), sculptor and draughtsman
* Lee Child (born 1954), novelist best known for his Jack Reacher series
* David Clements (born 1994), ice hockey player for Coventry Blaze and the British men's national team
* Rowena Cole (born 1992), middle distance runner
* Anketil de Coleshull (active in 1295), first known Member of Parliament for Coventry
* Ray Colledge (1922–2014), mountaineer
* Cyril Connolly (1903–1974), literary critic and writer
* William of Coventry (active c.1340–1360), Carmelite friar and historian
* Mary Creagh (born 1967), Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament for Coventry East
* Cyrus Christie (born 1992), footballer
* Cal Crutchlow (born 1985), MotoGP motorcycle racer

## D

* Dominic Dale (born 1971), professional snooker player and commentator for the BBC and Eurosport
* Christopher Davenport (1598–1680), Catholic theologian, religious controversialist, and royal chaplain
* Dame Laura Davies (born 1963), professional golfer
* Neol Davies (born 1952), guitarist of 2 tone band the Selecter
* Peter Ho Davies (born 1966), writer
* Delia Derbyshire (1937–2001), composer of electronic music and creator of the theme music to the BBC TV series Doctor Who
* Marlon Devonish (born 1976), sprinter and Olympic gold medallist
* Lisa Dillon (born 1979), actress
* Reg Dixon (1915–1984), comedian
* Yvonne Dolphin-Cooper (born 1956), cricket umpire and member of the first-all female umpiring duo in ECB Premier League history
* Lee Dorrian (born 1968), heavy metal musician of bands Napalm Death, Cathedral, Septic Tank and With the Dead
* Thomas Edward Dunville (1867–1924) music hall comedian

## E

* Mary Eaves (c. 1805/6–1875), midwife
* Thomas Edwards (1729–1785), Anglican clergyman, divine and writer
* George Eld (1791–1862), antiquary and editor of the Coventry Standard
* Evelyn Evans (1910–2005), British librarian who founded libraries in Ghana
* John Eyre (born 1771), painter and engraver, transported to New South Wales as a convict

## F

* Nan Fairbrother (1913–1971), writer and environmentalist
* Tom Farndon (1910–1935), speedway rider
* Jade Faulkner (born 1993), gymnast and Olympian
* Colleen Fletcher (born 1954), former Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament for Coventry North East
* Richard Forster (c.1546–1616), physician and astrologer
* Danusia Francis (born 1994), gymnast and Olympian
* Mary Franklin (1800–1867), schoolmistress
* Connie Frazer (1925–2002), poet and writer
* Emma Fryer (born 1980), comedian and actress

## G

* Cathy Galvin (born 1959), poet and journalist
* Frederick Gibberd (1908–1984), English architect, town planner and landscape designer
* Chelsie Giles (born 1997), judoka and Olympic medallist
* Neelam Gill (born 1995), international fashion model
* Lady Godiva (died between 1066 and 1086), Anglo-Saxon noblewoman and figure of legend
* Andy Goode (born 1980), former England international rugby union fly-half
* Bobby Gould (born 1946), former footballer and manager
* Melissa Graham (born 1975), singer-songwriter in band Solid HarmoniE
* Danny Grewcock (born 1972), rugby union lock who played for England
* Theresa Griffin (born 1962), Labour Party politician and former Member of the European Parliament for the North West England constituency
* Alfred Robert Grindlay (1876–1965), inventor, industrialist and politician
* Joseph Gutteridge (1816–1899), silk weaver, microscopist and naturalist

## H

* Terry Hall (1959–2022), lead singer of the 2-tone band the Specials
* Mary Dormer Harris (1867–1936), local historian, translator, writer and suffragist
* Nigel Hawthorne (1929–2001), actor
* Vince Hill (1934-2023), traditional pop music singer and songwriter
* Edward Hopkins (c. 1675 – 1736), Whig Member of Parliament for Coventry
* Amy Hurlston (1865–1949), journalist, editor, social campaigner, suffragist and trade unionist

## I

* Frank Ifield (1937-2024), English-Australian country music singer, yodeller and guitarist
* Harold Innocent (1933–1993), actor

## J

* Margot James (born 1957), Conservative Party politician, former Member of Parliament for Stourbridge and Minister of State for Digital and Creative Industries
* William Jesson (1580–1651), dyer, politician and former Member of Parliament for Coventry in the Short Parliament
* Yasmin Javadian (born 2000), judoka and Commonwealth Games medallist
* JAY1 (born 1998), rapper and songwriter
* Dominic Jephcott (born 1957), actor
* Sally Jones, tennis player, writer and TV presenter
* Gillian Joseph (born 1969), newscaster and weekend anchor of Sky News at Ten
* Graham Joyce (1954–2014), fantasy and speculative fiction writer

## K

* Jackie Kabler (born 1966), TV presenter and writer
* Tamla Kari (born 1988), actress
* Charlotte Kelly (born 1977), singer and member of R&B group Soul II Soul
* Richard Keys (born 1957), sports TV presenter
* Guz Khan (born 1986), comedian and actor
* Sarah Jane Kirk (1829–1916), New Zealand temperance leader, suffragist and human rights activist
* Thomas Kirk (1828–1898), New Zealand botanist, teacher, public servant, writer and churchman
* Aimee Knight (born 1997), former Green Party and Liberal Democrats politician and transgender activist
* Neil Kulkarni (1972–2024), music critic and writer

## L

* Billy Lane (1922–1980), angler and author
* Philip Larkin (1922–1985), poet, novelist, and librarian
* Lisa Lashes (born 1971), music producer and electronic dance music DJ
* John David Lawson (1923–2008), engineer and physicist
* Jen Ledger (born 1989), drummer and co-vocalist of the Christian rock band Skillet
* Yasmin Liverpool (born 1999), 200m and 400m sprinter
* Alice Lowe (born 1977), actress, screenwriter and film director

## M

* Sharon Maguire (born 1960), film director best known for directing Bridget Jones's Diary
* Margery Manners (1926–1997), music hall performer and TV actress
* Clint Mansell (born 1963), lead singer of rock band Pop Will Eat Itself and film music composer
* Tom Mann (1856–1941), trade unionist and activist
* John Marquez (born 1970), actor
* Ian Marter (1944–1986), actor
* Beverley Martyn (born 1947), folk rock singer, songwriter and guitarist
* Dame Clare Marx (1954–2022), surgeon and former president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
* Sian Massey-Ellis (born 1985), football referee in English Premier and Football Leagues
* Brian Matthew (1928–2017), BBC Radio 2 broadcaster
* Reg Matthews (1933–2001), England football goalkeeper
* Sinead Matthews (born 1980), actress
* Panjabi MC (born 1970), recording artist, rapper, record producer and DJ
* Dave McCalla (born 1973), GB 4-man Bobsleigh Athlete, Olympian. Competed at 2002 Winter Olympic Games, Salt Lake City Utah
* Millie McKenzie (born 2000), professional wrestler and longest reigning CPW Women’s Champion
* Carla Mendonça (born 1961), actress
* Clara Milburn (1883–1961), diarist and housewife whose writing gives an insight into domestic life during the Second World War
* Brian Mitchell (born 1967), Australian Labor Party politician
* David Moorcroft (born 1953), athlete, Olympian and former world record holder for the men's 5,000 metres
* Billie Myers (born 1971), pop singer best known for her hit song Kiss the Rain

## N

* Dave Nellist (born 1952), Militant tendency politician in the Labour Party, former Member of Parliament and current National Chair of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC)
* Rhoda Holmes Nicholls (1854–1930), watercolour and oil painter
* Simon Norton (1578–1641), dyer, politician and former Member of Parliament

## O

* Hazel O'Connor (born 1954), singer-songwriter and actress
* Patricia O'Connor (born 1941), soccer player and captain of the first Australia women's national soccer team
* Christine Oddy (1955–2014), Labour Party politician and former Member of the European Parliament for the Midlands Central constituency
* Clive Owen (born 1964), actor

## P

* Julins Palmer (d. 1556), English Protestant martyr
* Henry Parkes (1815–1896), statesman and founder of modern Australia
* Robin Parkinson (1929–2022), actor
* Bharti Patel, actress
* Elizabeth Percival (1906–1997), research chemist
* April Phillips (born 1965), screenwriter, director and producer of film and theatre
* Jill Phipps (1964–1995), animal rights activist
* Pamela Vandyke Price (1923–2014), wine expert and writer

## R

* Roddy Radiation (born 1955), lead guitarist of the 2-tone band the Specials
* Julianne Regan (born 1962), lead singer and songwriter of the rock band All About Eve
* Ann Rollason (1760s–1846), printer and bookseller who published the Coventry Mercury newspaper from 1813 to 1846
* Alison Rose (born 1961), former diplomat and British ambassador to Belgium
* Roy Rutherford (born 1973), boxer who held the British featherweight title in 2003 and the English super featherweight title from 2004 to 2005

## S

* Selaine Saxby (born 1970), Conservative Party politician and former Member of Parliament for North Devon
* Doc Scott (born 1971), drum and bass DJ and producer, also known as Nasty Habits
* Henry Sewall (1544–1628), draper, politician and former Member of Parliament
* Ciara Sexton (born 1988), Irish dancer and choreographer
* Thomas Sharp (1770– 1841), antiquary
* Eileen Sheridan (1923–2023), road record-breaking cyclist
* Tarsame "Taz" Singh Saini (1967–2022), lead singer of the band Stereo Nation
* Rachel Smith (born 1993), rhythmic gymnast and Olympian
* Thomas Stevens (1828–1888), weaver and inventor of Stevengraph woven silk pictures
* Graham Stevenson (1950–2020), trade union leader and former National Secretary for the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU)
* Graham Sykes (1937–2008), competitive swimmer and Olympian
* Graham Symonds (1937–2006), competitive swimmer and Olympian

## T

* Les Tarrant (1903–1979), bantamweight boxer and Olympian
* Dick Taylor (born 1945), long distance runner and Olympian
* Dame Ellen Terry (1847–1928), leading English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
* Freya Thomas (born 2001), footballer
* Peter Thomas (1944–2023), footballer who made two international appearances for the Republic of Ireland
* Donald Trelford (1937–2023), editor of The Observer newspaper from 1975 to 1993

## V

* Joseph Vernon (1738–1782), boy soprano and actor
* Manjinder Virk (born 1975), actress, director and writer

## W

* George Wagstaffe (born 1930), sculptor
* Rowena Wallace (born 1947), actress
* Melissa Walton (born 1990), actress
* Kevin Warwick (born 1954), cybernetics scientist
* Pete Waterman (born 1947), record producer, songwriter, radio and club DJ and television presenter
* John Watts (1818–1887), educational and social reformer
* Billie Whitelaw (1932–2014), actress
* Tony Whittaker (1932–2016), solicitor and politician, co-founder and first leader of PEOPLE, forerunner of the Ecology Party and Green Party UK
* Sir Frank Whittle (1907–1996), inventor of the jet engine
* Daphne Wilkinson (born 1932), freestyle swimmer and Olympian
* Arthur Wills (1926–2020), composer, organist and Director of Music at Ely Cathedral (1958–1990)
* Callum Wilson (born 1992), footballer
* River Wilson-Bent (born 1994), middleweight boxer
* Mark Wood (born 1966), explorer
* Tom Wood (born 1986), rugby union flanker
* Hilda Woodward (1913–1999), pianist for the band Lieutenant Pigeon

## Z

* Salma Zahid (born 1970), Liberal Party of Canada politician