List of people from Cheltenham

Arts

• Jake Chapman, artist famous for his work with his brother Dinos Chapman, was born in Cheltenham.
• Frances Emilia Crofton, artist, lived in Cheltenham.
• P. J. Crook, artist, was born and lives in Cheltenham.
• Clarence Dobell, artist and illustrator, born in Cheltenham.
• Clive Piercy, graphic designer and author, was born in Cheltenham.
• Meredithe Stuart-Smith, designer, lives in Cheltenham.

Literature

• Sarah Burney, novelist, retired to Cheltenham in 1841 and died there.
• Claude Reignier Conder, co-authored the work Survey of Western Palestine, on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund
• Geoff Dyer, novelist, author and journalist, was born and raised in Cheltenham.
• James Elroy Flecker, poet and playwright, was educated at Dean Close School.
• Winifred Foley, chronicler of the Forest of Dean, retired to Cheltenham in 1998 and died there.
• Stephen Graham journalist, travel writer and author lived in Cheltenham until the age of 14.
• James Payn, novelist and journal editor, was born in Cheltenham.
• John Simpson, lexicographer, was born in Cheltenham and attended Dean Close School.
• Kate Thornton, journalist and television presenter, was born in Cheltenham.

Military service

• Duncan Gordon Boyes, awarded the Victoria Cross, was born in Cheltenham and educated at Cheltenham College.
• Sidney Osborne Bufton, Royal Air Force officer, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, founded the Pathfinder project was educated at Dean Close School.
• John Rouse Merriott Chard, British Army officer, awarded t1he Victoria Cross for actions at Rorke's Drift, was educated at Cheltenham Grammar School.
• Henry George Crowe, Royal Air Force officer, flying ace awarded the Military Cross, was educated at Dean Close School.
• William Alfred Dimoline, British Army general, awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross was educated at Dean Close School.
• Henry Hadley, often deemed "the first British casualty of the First World War", was born in Cheltenham and educated at Cheltenham College.
• Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris, 1st Baronet, Marshall of the Royal Air Force, commander of Bomber Command in the Second World War, was born in Cheltenham.
• Craig Harrison, British Army soldier, held the record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in combat, was born in Cheltenham
• Sir Capel Lofft Holden, British Army general, engineer and designer of Brooklands motor racing circuit, was born in Cheltenham
• Alan Geoffrey Page, Royal Air Force officer, WW2 flying ace and founding member of the Guinea Pig Club was educated at Dean Close School.
• Frank William Ramsay, British Army general, awarded the Distinguished Service Order was educated at Dean Close School.
• Wilfrid St Clair Tisdall, British Army officer, awarded the Military Cross was educated at Dean Close School.

Music

• Michael "Würzel" Burston, guitarist for the heavy metal band Motörhead, was born in Cheltenham.
• Jaz Coleman, lead singer of Killing Joke, was born and raised in Cheltenham.
• FKA Twigs, singer-songwriter and dancer, was born in Cheltenham.
• 4ft Fingers, a punk rock band, was formed in Cheltenham in 1996.
• Christopher Gunning, composer, was born in Cheltenham.
• Gustav Holst, composer, was born in Cheltenham and attended Cheltenham Grammar School.
• Brian Jones, founder of the Rolling Stones, was born in Cheltenham.
• Dame Felicity Lott, opera and concert soprano, was born in Cheltenham.
• Andrew McCrorie-Shand, composer, was born in Cheltenham.
• Richard O'Brien, creator of the Rocky Horror Show, was born in Cheltenham.
• Pigbag, post-punk band formed in Cheltenham.
• Kitty Brucknell, singer, was born in Cheltenham.
• Screaming Dead, the band often claimed as the founders of horror punk, was formed in Cheltenham.
• Inkubus Sukkubus, Gothic and Pagan band, was formed in Cheltenham.
• Solemn Sun, punk band formed in Cheltenham.

Politics and public service

• Sir James Tynte Agg-Gardner, brewery owner, Lord of Cheltenham Manor and its Conservative Member of Parliament in 1874–1880, 1885–1895, 1900–1906 and 1911–1928
• Henry Bellingham, Baron Bellingham of Congham Conservative Member of Parliament, was born in Cheltenham.
• Dorothea Beale, headmistress of Cheltenham Ladies' College
• Sir Douglas Dodds-Parker, Conservative MP for Cheltenham in 1964–1974 and World War II member of the Special Operations Executive
• Charles Hodson, Baron Hodson of Rotherfield Greys, Military Cross recipient and British judge, was born in Cheltenham and educated at Cheltenham College.
• Fred G. Hughes, five-times member of Arizona Territorial Legislature, was born in Cheltenham.
• Charles Irving, Conservative MP for Cheltenham, 1974–1992
• Nigel Jones, Baron Jones of Cheltenham, Liberal Democrat MP for Cheltenham
• Robin Janvrin, Baron Janvrin of Chalford Hill naval officer, diplomat and private secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, was born in Cheltenham.
• Elizabeth Neesom – prominent English Radical and Chartist born in Cheltenham
• Richard Pate or Pates, founder of Pate's Grammar School, was born in Cheltenham.
• John Tolkien English Roman Catholic priest and eldest son of J.R.R. Tolkien, was born in Cheltenham
• Sir John Wood of the Indian Civil Service was born in Cheltenham.
• Sir Ian Yeaman soliciter and president of the Law Society, was educated at Dean Close School.

Sciences and humanities

• Jabez Allies, folklorist and antiquarian, retired and died in Cheltenham.
• Piers Coleman, physicist, was raised in Cheltenham.
• Dr Henry Anstey Cookson, pathologist, lived in Cheltenham.
• Napoleon Cordy, Mayanist scholar, was born in Cheltenham.
• Robert Etheridge, Anglo-Australian palaeontologist and curator of the Australian Museum from 1895, was born in Cheltenham.
• Dr Leopold George Hill, physician and medical missionary, was born and raised in Cheltenham.
• John H. Mercer, glaciologist and geographer, was born and raised in Cheltenham.

Sports

• Alex Gregory, Olympic gold medallist in rowing, was born in Cheltenham
• Michael Bailey, first-class cricketer, was born in Cheltenham.
• Paul Casey, professional golfer, was born in Cheltenham.
• Sean Conway, endurance swimmer, lives in Cheltenham.
• Steve Cotterill, footballer and football manager, played for Cheltenham Town F.C. and other League teams.
• Martin Devaney, footballer with Cheltenham Town F.C. and other professional teams.
• Eric Dier, footballer with Tottenham Hotspur, was born in Cheltenham.
• Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, Olympic ski-jumper, was born in Cheltenham.
• Bob Foster, professional motorcycle racer known as the Cheltenham Flyer, won the 1950 350cc world championship.
• Matt Gotrel, rower, gold medallist in men's eight rowing at the Summer Olympics 2016, was born and lives in Cheltenham.
• Sir Geoff Hurst, international footballer, in 1966 he was the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final, lives in Cheltenham.
• Gilbert Jessop, among the fastest-scoring test cricketers, was born in Cheltenham.
• Jack Lisowski, professional snooker player.
• Claude Myburgh, cricketer and soldier, was born in Cheltenham.
• William Pollock, chess player, was born in Cheltenham.
• Zac Purchase, Olympic gold-medal rower, was born in Cheltenham.
• Mike Summerbee, Swindon Town, Manchester City and England footballer, was raised in Cheltenham.
• Leon Taylor, Olympic silver-medallist diver, was born and educated in Cheltenham.
• Edward Adrian Wilson, explorer who joined Scott on his ill-fated Antarctic Expedition, was born in Cheltenham and attended Cheltenham College.
• Sir John Wood, first-class cricketer, was born in Cheltenham.

Stage

• Samuel Blenkin, actor, was born in Cheltenham
• Ernest Cossart, actor, was born in Cheltenham and attended Cheltenham Grammar School.
• Mike Grady, character actor, was born in Cheltenham.
• Robert Hardy, actor, was born and raised in Cheltenham.
• Damaris Hayman, character actress, was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College.
• Martin Jarvis, actor, was born in Cheltenham.
• Mark Lester, who played Oliver Twist in the 1968 film Oliver!, lives in Cheltenham.
• Richard Loncraine, film and television director, was born in Cheltenham.
• Arthur Negus,, broadcaster and antiques expert, lived and died in Cheltenham.
• Josh O'Connor,, who played Prince Charles in The Crown, was born in Cheltenham and attended St Edward's School.
• Ralph Richardson, actor, was born in Cheltenham.
• Corrinne Wicks, actress, was born and raised in Cheltenham.

Trade

• Sir George Dowty, inventor and businessman, set up Dowty Aviation in Cheltenham.
• Jullian Marc Dunkerton businessman and co-founder of Superdry, headquartered in Cheltenham. He also lives in Cheltenham.
• John Nevil Maskelyne, magician and pay-toilet inventor, was born in Cheltenham.
• Sir Frederick Handley Page, founder of the aircraft maker Handley Page, was born in Cheltenham and attended Cheltenham Grammar School.