Edinburgh has produced a number of well-known actors, political leaders, electronics entrepreneurs, poets, philosophers and several other personalities from other spheres. Our list of famous people from Edinburgh includes Sean Connery, Tony Blair, Alexander Graham Bell, Robert Louis Stevenson, David Hume, and many others.

Famous People Born In Edinburgh

Sean ConnerySean Connery
25 August 1930, British, Scottish
Actor
Tony BlairTony Blair
06 May 1953, British
Prime Minister of Britain

Iain GlenIain Glen
24 June 1961, British
Actor

Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham Bell
03 March 1847, Canadian, Scottish
Inventor of Telephone

David HumeDavid Hume
26 April 1711, Scottish
Philosopher & Historian

Robert Louis StevensonRobert Louis Stevenson
13 November 1850, Scottish
Novelist, Poet
Walter ScottWalter Scott
15 August 1771, Scottish
Novelist

Lindsay DuncanLindsay Duncan
07 November 1950, Scottish
Actress

Douglas Haig, 1st Earl HaigDouglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig
19 June 1861, British
Military Leader

Neil ConneryNeil Connery
01 January 1938, Scottish
Actor
Ken StottKen Stott
19 October 1954, British, Scottish
Actor

Gordon StrachanGordon Strachan
09 February 1957, Scottish
Scottish football manager
Georgia KingGeorgia King
18 November 1986, Scottish
Actress

Marie StopesMarie Stopes
15 October 1880, British
Paleobotanist & Women’s Rights Activists

Allan WellsAllan Wells
03 May 1952, British
Sprinter
Ethan HamiltonEthan Hamilton
18 October 1998, Scottish
Footballer

Laurel CoppockLaurel Coppock
22 August 1970, American
Actress
James MaxwellJames Maxwell
13 June 1831, Scottish
Mathematician & Physicist

Sara MacDonaldSara MacDonald
22 October 1971, Scottish
Publicist, wife of Noel Gallagher

Arthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan Doyle
22 May 1859, British
Physician, Writer, Poet, Cricketer, Novelist,
Michael GoveMichael Gove
26 August 1967, British
Journalist, Politician, Judge

Iain Duncan SmithIain Duncan Smith
09 April 1954, British
Politician
Graeme SounessGraeme Souness
06 May 1953, British
Association football player, Association football

KT TunstallKT Tunstall
23 June 1975, British
Singer-songwriter, Composer, Singer, Pianist

James Clerk MaxwellJames Clerk Maxwell
13 June 1831, British, Scottish
Scientist

Ronnie CorbettRonnie Corbett
04 December 1930, British
Comedian, Author, Writer, Film actor, Stage actor,
Shirley MansonShirley Manson
26 August 1966, British, American
Actor, Singer, Guitarist, Musician, Model,
Stuart SutcliffeStuart Sutcliffe
23 June 1940, British
Painter, musician

Mark BonnarMark Bonnar
19 November 1968, British
Actor

Ewen BremnerEwen Bremner
23 January 1972, British, Scottish
Actor

Nina NesbittNina Nesbitt
11 July 1994, British
Musician, Singer, Songwriter
Gail PorterGail Porter
23 March 1971, British
Television presenter

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Irvine WelshIrvine Welsh
27 September 1958, British
Writer, Screenwriter, Novelist, Playwright,

A. A. GillA. A. Gill
28 June 1954, British
Journalist

Edwyn CollinsEdwyn Collins
23 August 1959, Scottish
musician, guitarist, songwriter

James VI and IJames VI and I
19 June 1566, Scottish
King of Scotland
Ken StottKen Stott
30 November 1954, British, Scottish
Actor

Ian RichardsonIan Richardson
07 April 1934, British
Stage actor, Film actor
Kirsty GallacherKirsty Gallacher
20 January 1976, British
Presenter, Journalist

Davey JohnstoneDavey Johnstone
06 May 1951, British
Singer, Banjoist, Mandolinist, Guitarist,

Emun ElliottEmun Elliott
29 November 1983, Scottish
actor, film actor
Philip KerrPhilip Kerr
22 February 1956, Scottish
Writer, Poet lawyer, Science fiction writer,

Ian CharlesonIan Charleson
11 August 1949, Scottish
Scottish actor
Chris HoyChris Hoy
23 March 1976, British
Sport cyclist, Racecar driver

Alastair SimAlastair Sim
09 October 1900, British, Scottish
Actor

Marc McNultyMarc McNulty
14 September 1992, British
Association football player

Craig GordonCraig Gordon
31 December 1982, British
Footballer

James HuttonJames Hutton
03 June 1726, British, Scottish
Geologist
Muriel SparkMuriel Spark
01 February 1918, Scottish
Novelist

Kenneth GrahameKenneth Grahame
08 March 1859, British
Writer, Novelist, Children's writer

Hannah GordonHannah Gordon
09 April 1941, British
Actor

Angus DeatonAngus Deaton
19 October 1945, British, American
Economist, Professor
Grant KirkhopeGrant Kirkhope
10 July 1962, Scottish
Composer

Robert KnoxRobert Knox
04 September 1791, British
Military physician
Rory BremnerRory Bremner
06 April 1961, Scottish
Impressionist

George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of AberdeenGeorge Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen
28 January 1784, British
Former British Prime Minister

James LindJames Lind
04 October 1716, Scottish
Doctor
Derek LongmuirDerek Longmuir
19 March 1951, British
Nurse

Jane Percy, Duchess of NorthumberlandJane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland
11 May 1958, British
Horticulturist
Jackie KayJackie Kay
09 November 1961, British
Writer, Novelist

Dave MackayDave Mackay
14 November 1934, British
Association football player, Association football

Wattie BuchanWattie Buchan
24 July 1956, British
Singer
Peter DoigPeter Doig
17 April 1959, British
Painter

Fraser StoddartFraser Stoddart
24 May 1942, British, American
Chemist
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount MelvilleHenry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
28 April 1742, British, Scottish
Advocate

Mike BarsonMike Barson
21 April 1958, British
Musician, Pianist

John Alexander DowieJohn Alexander Dowie
25 May 1847, Scottish
Evangelist

Eric LomaxEric Lomax
30 May 1919, British
Writer, Screenwriter
Derek RiordanDerek Riordan
16 January 1983, British
Association football player
Nigel GresleyNigel Gresley
19 June 1876, British
Engineer

Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron IronsideEdmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside
06 May 1880, British
Politician, Diarist, Writer, Military personnel

William John Macquorn RankineWilliam John Macquorn Rankine
05 July 1820, British, Scottish
Engineer, Physicist, Civil engineer, University

Reginald JohnstonReginald Johnston
21 May 1874, Scottish
Politician, Diplomat, Teacher
Daniel RutherfordDaniel Rutherford
03 November 1749, Scottish
botanist, chemist

Billy LyallBilly Lyall
26 March 1953, British
Singer

Charles BellCharles Bell
12 November 1774, British
Anatomist, Neuroscientist, Surgeon, Writer,

Frankie PoullainFrankie Poullain
15 April 1967, British
Guitarist

John Scott HaldaneJohn Scott Haldane
03 May 1860, British
Inventor, Physiologist
Dugald StewartDugald Stewart
British, Scottish
 

James NasmythJames Nasmyth
19 August 1808, British
Astronomer, Engineer
Dougal HastonDougal Haston
19 April 1940, British
Explorer

Alexander Gordon LaingAlexander Gordon Laing
27 December 1794, British
Explorer

John KeillJohn Keill
01 December 1671, British, Scottish
Mathematician
John LeslieJohn Leslie
22 February 1965, Scottish
presenter

Chris ConnellyChris Connelly
10 November 1964, Scottish
singer
Mark WrightMark Wright
22 April 1979, British
military personnel

John LawJohn Law
21 April 1671, Scottish
economist, banker, statistician

Mike ScottMike Scott
14 December 1958, Scottish
 

William AllanWilliam Allan
1782 AD, Scottish
Painter