List of personalities of the city of Belfast
The following list contains people who were born in Belfast and those who temporarily lived and worked there, in chronological order according to the year of birth. The list does not claim to be complete.
Belfast-born personalities
Until 1800
- Elizabeth Hamilton (1756–1816), poet, writer and satirist
- Charles Telfair (1777 / 78–1833), Irish-Mauritian physician and botanist
- Henry Pottinger (1789–1856), soldier and colonial administrator
- James Barry (1795-1865), physician
- Alexander McDonnell (1798-1835), chess master
19th century
1801 to 1850
- William MacGuckin de Slane (1801–1878), Irish-French orientalist and translator
- Thomas Andrews (1813–1885), Irish physicist and chemist
- Frederick Seymour (1820–1869), colonial administrator
- James Thomson (1822-1892) Irish engineer, physicist and inventor
- William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin (1824–1907), physicist
- Frederick Dobson Middleton (1825–1898), General
- James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce (1838–1922), lawyer, historian and politician
- Osborne Reynolds (1842-1912), physicist
1851 to 1900
- James Buckle (≈1854–1884), football player
- William Mulholland (1855-1935), hydraulic engineer
- John Lavery (1856–1941), Irish portraitist and landscape painter
- Augustus Edward Dixon (1861-1946) Irish chemist
- James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon (1871-1940), Unionist
- Jack Taggart (1872-1927) Irish football player
- Alfred Robb (1873–1936), English physicist
- Forrest Reid (1875–1947), writer, literary critic and translator
- Henry Dunlop (1876–1931), polar explorer (1895–1986)
- Una O'Connor (1880-1959), Irish actress
- Robert Foster Kennedy (1884–1952), Irish-American neurologist
- Joseph Connolly (1885–1961) Irish politician
- Albert Sharpe (1885-1970), Irish actor
- Benjamin Glazer (1887–1956), screenwriter, producer and director
- Seán MacEntee (1889–1984), Irish politician
- Elisha Scott (1893–1959), soccer goalkeeper and coach
- Brian Desmond Hurst (1895–1986), Irish film director
- CS Lewis (1898–1963), Irish writer and literary scholar
- Eileen Law (1900–1978), Canadian singer and music teacher
20th century
1901 to 1925
- William Christopher Atkinson (1902–1992), historian, Hispanist and Lusitanist
- Hugh Flack (1903–1986), football player
- John Greenlees Semple (1904–1985), mathematician
- Terence Ingold (1905-2010), mycologist
- William MacQuitty (1905-2004), Irish film producer and writer
- James Moody (1907–1995), Irish silent film accompanist and composer
- Louis MacNeice (1907–1963), Northern Irish-British poet and prose writer
- Howard Ferguson (1908-1999), Irish composer
- Walter Rusk (1910–1940), motorcycle racer
- John Boyd (1912-2002), playwright
- Herbert Kirk (1912–2006), politician
- William Conway (1913–1977), Archbishop of Armagh
- Vic Aicken (1914–1972), football player
- Harry McKibbin (1915-2001) Irish rugby union player
- John Herivel (1918–2011), historian and cryptanalyst
- Chaim Herzog (1918–1997), President of Israel
- Joe Cahill (1920–2004), member of the Irish Republican Army
- Elizabeth Shaw (1920–1992), Irish graphic artist and children's author
- Billy McKee (1921–2019), founding member and leader of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
- Brian Moore (1921–1999), Irish-Canadian writer and screenwriter
- Siobhán McKenna (1923–1986), Irish film and stage actress
- Charlie Tully (1924–1971), football player
- Cecil Walker (1924–2007), politician
- David Agnew (1925-1966), football player
- Sammy Smyth (1925-2016), football player
1926 to 1950
- Danny Blanchflower (1926–1993), soccer player, coach and sports journalist
- Jack Kyle (1926-2014), rugby union player and medic
- Alf McMichael (1927-2006), football player and coach
- John Stewart Bell (1928–1990), physicist
- James White (1928-1999), science fiction writer
- Heather Harper (1930-2019), soprano
- Terry Milligan (1930-2008), boxer
- John Morrow (1930-2014), writer
- Billy Bingham (born 1931), football player and coach
- James Greene (* 1931), film and theater actor and radio play speaker
- John Morrow (1931–2009), pastor
- Bob Shaw (1931-1996), writer
- Dick Keith (1933-1967), football player
- Gusty Spence (1933-2011), extremist
- Ronnie Carroll (1934–2015), singer and politician
- Eileen Paisley (* 1931), politician
- Derek Bell (1935–2002), musician
- Ruby Murray (1935-1996), pop singer
- Freddie Gilroy (1936-2016), boxer
- Leonard Steinberg, Baron Steinberg (1936–2009), politician
- May Blood, Baroness Blood (born 1938), politician
- Sammy Chapman (1938-2019), soccer player and coach
- Derek Dougan (1938-2007), football player
- Jackie Flavelle (1938–2017), blues and jazz musician
- Bob Allen (born 1939), football player
- James Galway (born 1939), flautist
- Michael Longley (born 1939), poet
- Paddy McGuigan (1939-2014), folk singer and musician
- George McWhirter (* 1939), Canadian writer, translator and university lecturer
- Billy Reid (1939–1971), Belfast Brigade 3rd Battalion Volunteer
- Anthony J. Farquhar (born 1940), Catholic clergyman, auxiliary bishop in Down and Connor
- Brian Mawhinney (1940-2019), politician
- Derek Mahon (* 1941), poet
- Stewart Parker (1941–1988), poet and playwright
- Martin Waddell (* 1941), writer
- Ralph Bryans (1941-2014), motorcycle racer
- George Henry Cassidy (* 1942), Anglican theologian
- Bernard MacLaverty (born 1942), author
- Terry Neill (* 1942), soccer player and coach
- Tony Banks (1943-2006), politician
- Jocelyn Bell Burnell (* 1943), radio astronomer
- Betty Williams (1943–2020), peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate
- Jim Armstrong (* 1944), rock and blues guitarist
- Mairead Corrigan (* 1944), co-founder of the Community of Peace People
- Patricia Quinn (born 1944), actress and singer
- Shaw Clifton (* 1945), head of the Salvation Army
- Damien Magee (* 1945), racing car driver
- David McWilliams (1945-2002), musician
- Martin Meehan (1945–2007), activist and politician
- Van Morrison (* 1945), musician, singer and composer
- George Best (1946-2005), football player
- Ernie Graham (1946-2001), singer and guitarist
- Stephen Rea (born 1946), Irish actor
- Freddie Scappaticci (* 1946), member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
- John Watson (* 1946), racing car driver
- Wallace Browne, Baron Browne of Belmont (born 1947), politician
- Jack Holland (1947-2004), author and journalist
- Gerry Adams (* 1948), politician
- William M. Anderson (born 1948), film editor
- Ciaran Carson (1948–2019), poet, writer and translator
- Samuel Patterson (* 1948), mathematician
- Peter Robinson (* 1948), politician
- Nuala Ahern (* 1949), politician
- Alex Higgins (1949-2010), snooker player
- Pat Rice (born 1949), soccer player and coach
- Iris Robinson (* 1949), politician
- Paul Bew (* 1950), historian and politician
- Denis Donaldson (1950–2006), member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and Sinn Féin organizations
- Pat Sheehan (* 1958), member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
1951 to 1975
- Bernard Fox (* 1951), member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
- Fred Johnston (born 1951), writer
- Paul McAleenan (* 1951), Roman Catholic clergyman, auxiliary bishop in Westminster
- Mary McAleese (* 1951), journalist and President (Éire, 1997–2011)
- Gerry McAvoy (* 1951), companion of the Irish guitar virtuoso Rory Gallagher
- David McCalden (1951–1990), right-wing extremist politician
- Joe McDonnell (1951–1981), member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
- Wallace Arthur (born 1952), zoologist
- Terry George (* 1952), director and screenwriter
- Alex Maskey (* 1952), politician
- Gary Moore (1952–2011), rock and blues guitarist, composer and singer
- David Ervine (1953-2007), politician
- Ciarán Hinds (born 1953), actor
- Alister McGrath (* 1953), professor of theology
- Danny Morrison (* 1953), journalist and writer
- Philip Russell (* 1953), physicist
- Gerry Conlon (1954-2014), Justice Victim (Guildford Four) and author
- Bobby Sands (1954–1981), member of the IRA
- Brid Brennan (born 1955), Irish-British actress
- Kieran Doherty (1955–1981), member of the IRA
- John Graham (* 1955), Canadian racing car driver
- Jackie McMullan (* 1955), Volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army
- Bill McCabe (* 1956/57), entrepreneur
- Mairéad Farrell (1957–1988), Irish Republican Army activist
- David McCreery (born 1957), soccer player and coach
- Bob Bell (* 1958), engineer and manager
- Dave Finlay (born 1958), wrestler and wrestling trainer
- Hugh Russell (born 1959), boxer
- Kate Thompson (born 1959), writer
- Kenneth Branagh (* 1960), actor and director
- Barry Douglas (* 1960), pianist
- James McCaffrey (born 1960), American actor
- Arlene McCarthy (* 1960), politician
- Jane Harris (born 1961), writer
- Anna Burns (* 1962), writer
- Bap Kennedy (1962–2016), singer, songwriter and guitarist
- Alan McDonald (1963–2012), football player and coach
- Martin Donnelly (* 1964), racing car driver
- Jeremy McWilliams (born 1964), motorcycle racer
- Ian Wilson (born 1964), composer
- Robert McLiam Wilson (born 1964), writer
- Andy Black (born 1965), poker player
- Robert Ehrlich (* 1965), ethnomusicologist and recorder player
- Anthony Kerr (* 1965), jazz vibraphonist and composer
- Michael Moore (* 1965), politician
- Fionnuala Sweeney (* 1965), television presenter and reporter
- Norman Whiteside (born 1965), football player
- Martin Galway (* 1966), composer
- Cathy Kelly (* 1966), writer and UNICEF ambassador
- Brian Kennedy (born 1966), singer and author
- John McCrea (* 1966), comic artist
- Derek Porter (* 1967), rower
- James Brown (The King) (born 1968), British singer
- Adrian McKinty (* 1968), crime writer
- Zara Turner (born 1968), actress
- David Holmes (* 1969), musician and film music composer
- Joe Swail (born 1969), snooker player
- Shane Brolly (born 1970), actor
- Geraldine Hughes (born 1970), actress
- Wayne McCullough (born 1970), boxer
- Steve Morrow (* 1970), soccer player and coach
- Eva-Maria Westbroek (* 1970), Dutch opera singer
- David Humphreys (born 1971), rugby union player
- Eamonn Magee (* 1971), professional boxer
- Geraldine O'Rawe (born 1971), actress
- Peter Stewart (* 1971), archaeologist
- Jon Wright (* 1971), film director and screenwriter
- Conor Burns (* 1972), British politician
- Owen Nolan (born 1972), Canadian ice hockey player
- Michael Hutchinson (* 1973), racing cyclist
- David McCann (* 1973), road cyclist
- Kevin McGarrity (* 1973), racing car driver
- Michael Creagh (* 1973/74), filmmaker
1976 to 2000
- Roy Essandoh (* 1976), football player
- Damian O'Hare (* 1977), film and stage actor
- Michael Duff (* 1978), football player
- Jupiter Ace (* 1980/81), DJ
- George McCartney (born 1981), football player
- Simon Patterson (* 1981), DJ and trance producer
- Graeme Walton (* 1982), British-Irish ice hockey player
- Kiera Chaplin (* 1982), photo model and actress
- Jamie Dornan (* 1982), Irish-British actor, model and musician
- Eamon O'Kane (born 1982), boxer
- Chris Brunt (* 1984), soccer player
- Colin Coates (born 1985), football player
- Jenn Murray (born 1986), actress
- Paddy Barnes (b.1987), boxer
- Gerry Carroll (* 1987), politician
- Tony Kane (born 1987), football player
- Jonny Evans (* 1988), football player
- John Travers (born 1989), actor
- Lyra McKee (1990-2019), journalist
- Robyn Stewart (* 1990), track cyclist
- Liam Boyce (born 1991), football player
Belfast Related Persons
- Joan Lingard (* 1932), Scottish author for children and young people
- Katie Melua (* 1984), singer, lived in Belfast from 1993 to 1997