List of people from Croydon

Among those who were born in the London Borough of Croydon, or have dwelt within the borders of the modern borough are (alphabetical order):

Contents 

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

• Neill Alchin Guitarist and VIP Liverpool Football Club member and Actor. Born and raised in Waddon, Croydon in 1974 to 1993. Attended Duppas Hill Primary School and Haling Manor High School.
• Feroz Abbasi, arrested in Afghanistan in 2001 and detained at Guantanamo Bay; lived in Shirley and attended school in Croydon
• Adegbenga Adejumo (1987–), Croydon born dubstep producer known as Benga
• Allan Ahlberg (1938–), children's writer (Penguin)
• Baron Ali (1964–), born and raised in the north of Croydon; multimillionaire media entrepreneur and politician; co-founder of Planet 24 TV production company; MD at Carlton Television; currently chairman of ASOS.com and Chorion Ltd.; a Labour peer; one of very few openly gay Muslim politicians in the world
• Dame Peggy Ashcroft (1907–1991), actress, born in Croydon and lived in George Street as a child; honoured in the naming of the Ashcroft Theatre, part of the Fairfield Halls; was a school friend of architect Jane Drew^[1]

B

• Jeannie Baker (1940–), artist, author, designer and animator
• Cicely Mary Barker (1895–1973), illustrator and artist; created the famous Flower Fairies books; born in Croydon and lived locally; studied at the Croydon School of Art
• Jon Benjamin (1964–), Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews since 2005; born and grew up in Croydon, and educated at Park Hill Primary School and Dulwich College
• Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury (1883–1896); lived at Addington Palace; invented Christmas tradition of Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
• Jeff Beck (1944–), guitarist
• Keith Berry (1973–), musician and composer
• Frederick Betts (1859–1944), donated Betts Park and built large areas in Croydon and Penge
• Emily Blunt (1983–), actress; she and husband John Krasinski own an apartment in East Croydon
• James Booth (1927–2005), actor (Zulu)^[2][3]
• Dane Bowers (1979–), singer, attended Trinity School
• Derren Brown, illusionist; born and brought up in Purley
• James Buckley, actor, best known for playing Jay Cartwright in The Inbetweeners^[4]
• Raymond Burns (1954–), musician, member of punk rock band the Damned; also known by the name Captain Sensible
• Mark Butcher (1972–), Surrey and England cricketer; born in Croydon, attended Trinity School

C

• Alison Carroll, actress
• Raymond Chandler (1888–1959), screenwriter and author
• Anne Clark (poet) (1960-), poet, songwriter and electronic musician
• Klariza Clayton (1989–), actress
• Martin Clunes (1961–), actor, resident
• Carlton Cole, footballer, currently playing for Celtic; born in Croydon
• Ronnie Corbett, comic actor, has lived for many years in Shirley, Croydon
• Frederick George Creed (1871–1957), electrical engineer and inventor of the teleprinter; lived and died at 20 Outram Road, Addiscombe
• Peter Cushing (1913–1994), actor; born in Kenley, lived in Purley

D

The house of Arthur Conan Doyle in South Norwood

• Tasha Danvers-Smith (1977–), champion hurdler
• Bertrand Dawson (1864–1945), physician to the British Royal Family and President of the Royal College of Physicians
• Desmond Dekker (1941–2006), ska musician, lived in Thornton Heath
• R.F. Delderfield (1912-1972), writer and dramatist; lived at 22 Ashburton Avenue, Addiscombe, 1918-1923; his "Avenue" series is based on his life in Addiscombe & Shirley Park; many of his works were adapted for television
• Luol Deng (1985–), basketball player for the Chicago Bulls and Great Britain; raised in South Norwood
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930), author and creator of Sherlock Holmes; lived at 12 Tennison Road, South Norwood 1891–1894
• Jane Drew (1911–1996), architect and town planner; born at 8 Parchmore Road, Thornton Heath; went to Croydon High School and was a school friend of Dame Peggy Ashcroft
• Jacqueline du Pré (1945–1987), British cellist, acknowledged as one of the greatest players of the instrument, but whose career was cut short by multiple sclerosis; lived in Purley and attended Croydon High School
• Steven Dunne (1985–), noted douchebag

E

• Havelock Ellis (1859–1939), Victorian sexologist, born in Croydon
• Tracey Emin (1963–), artist
• Carlos Ezquerra (1947-), comics artist, co-creator of Judge Dredd

F

• Noel Fielding (1973–), comedian, writer, actor, artist, co-creator of The Mighty Boosh
• Matthew Fisher (1946–), musician, Procol Harum, composer of "Whiter Shade of Pale"
• Alexander Francis (1995–), musician, composer
• Vincent Frank (1985–), musician, Frankmusik
• Donna Fraser (1972–), international athlete
• Ian Frazer, poker player
• Neil Fraser (1955–), dub musician/producer (AKA Mad Professor)
• Charles Burgess Fry (1872–1956), polymath – sportsman, politician, teacher, writer, editor, publisher

G

• Paul Garelli (1924–2006), French Assyriologist
• Trevor Goddard (1962–2003), actor^[5]
• Sir Philip Green (1952–), Croydon born billionaire, owner of the Arcadia Group
• Deryck Guyler (1914–1999), actor

H

• Ben Haenow (1985–), winner of the eleventh series of The X Factor
• Will Hay (1888–1949), comic actor; lived at 45 The Chase, Norbury, 1927–1934
• Sir Francis Bond Head (1793–1875), soldier, traveller, author and Lieut. Governor of Upper Canada (1836–1838), had his home at Duppas Hill, Croydon
• Chris Heath 1959, actor, author, comedian
• Roy Hodgson, football manager and former player, born in Croydon
• Joseph Holbrooke (1822–1876), composer of stage, choral, and orchestral music
• Roy Hudd, comedian, born in Croydon in 1936^[6][7]

J

• Leonard F. Jarrett (1921-), former Director of Administration of the World Scout Bureau; former World Organizer of Scoutings's Jamboree-on-the-Air for thirty years; Croydon born
• Finn Jones (1988–), Croydon raised
• Oliver Jones (1986–), Croydon born dubstep producer otherwise known as Skream

K

• Steve Kember (1948–), footballer, born in Croydon
• George Arthur Knowland, recipient of the Victoria Cross during the Second World War
• John Krasinski (1979–), actor, he and wife Emily Blunt own an apartment in East Croydon
• Krept and Konan, UK rap duo, raised in Gipsy Hill, Lambeth and Thornton Heath, Croydon respectively

L

• Andrew Lawrence^[8]
• D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930), author; lived at 12 Colworth Road, Addiscombe, 1908–1912, whilst a teacher at Davidson Road School
• Sir David Lean (1908–1991), film director, born in Croydon^[9][10]
• Iain Lee (1973–), comedian, born in South Croydon
• E G Handel Lucas (1861-1936), artist, lived in Croydon from 1861 to 1909

M

• Kirsty MacColl (1959–2000), singer and songwriter, born and grew up in Croydon
• Miles Malleson (1888–1969), actor and dramatist, born in Croydon^[11][12]
• David McAlmont (1967–), British vocalist and songwriter, born in Croydon
• Duke McKenzie (1963–), world champion boxer
• Ralph McTell (1944–), musician, composer of "Streets of London"
• Katie Melua (1984–), singer, songwriter, musician, went to the Brit School for Performing Arts at Selhurst, Croydon
• Graham Moodie (1981–), Olympic hockey player
• Kate Moss (1974–), model^[13]
• Malcolm Muggeridge (1903–1990), author and media personality; son of H. T. Muggeridge, a prominent Croydon Labour councillor; taught at John Ruskin Central School in the 1920s

N

• Habib Nasib Nader (1979-), actor, writer
• Kate Nash (1987–), singer/songwriter; attended Brit School, Croydon

O

• Lawrence Okoye, athlete, attended Whitgift School
• Tarik O'Regan (1978–), composer, attended Elmhurst and Whitgift Schools, Croydon

P

• Anthony Pears (1983–), Commodities Trader, attended Trinity School
• Sue Perkins (1969–), comedian, writer, performer
• Lucy Porter, comedian, raised in Croydon
• Simon Prebble (1942–), actor, narrator
• Luke Pritchard, lead singer of The Kooks, attended the Brit School, Croydon
• David Prowse, actor, aka Darth Vader in Star Wars; born in Bristol, has lived in Addiscombe, Croydon for over 40 years

R

• Chris Reed (1982–), BBC Radio One dubstep and grime DJ/producer (AKA Plastician)
• Jamie Reid (1947–), situationist, artist, graphic designer
• Robert Reid, Rally driver, lives in a flat in South Croydon
• Susanna Reid (1970– ), BBC television presenter; born in Croydon, attended Croham Hurst School and Croydon High School
• Nigel Reo-Coker, current English midfielder, playing for Bolton Wanderers and formerly of Wimbledon F.C., West Ham United and Aston Villa; born in Thornton Heath
• Phillip Rhys, actor
• Bridget Riley (1931–), painter, one of the foremost proponents of op art; born in Norbury
• Francis Ronalds (1788–1873), inventor, lived in Croydon in the period 1823-33 and manufactured his patented drawing instruments here^[14]
• Martyn Rooney (1987–), international sprinter
• John Ruskin (1819–1900), art critic and social theorist; spent much of childhood in Croydon at his mother's family home and visited often as an adult; his parents are buried in Shirley

S

• Peter Sarstedt (1942–), singer, winner of Ivor Novello Award; resident
• Danny Schwarz, model
• Arjun Seth (1983–), Owner of Protein World heath supplements, attended Trinity School
• Kellie Shirley, EastEnders actress
• Bernard Spear (1919–2003), actor (Yentob)
• Dan Stevens, actor^[15]
• Stormzy, (1993-), UK musician, raised in Thornton Heath

T

• Samuel Coleridge Taylor (1875–1912), composer; noted for his cantatas including the Song of Hiawatha trilogy; lived at 30 Dagnall Park, Selhurst and worked and died in St Leonards Road, Waddon
• Sam Taylor-Johnson (born 1967), artist and filmmaker, born in Croydon

W

• Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913), naturalist; independently proposed a theory of evolution by natural selection and prompted Charles Darwin to reveal his own unpublished theory sooner than he had intended; lived at 44 St Peter's Road, Croydon
• John Whitgift (ca. 1530–1604), Archbishop of Canterbury; buried in the Parish Church of St John the Baptist; several other Archbishops are buried in the Parish Church or St Mary's in Addington
• Rickie Haywood Williams (1982–), TV and radio presenter currently working for MTV and Kiss 100 London
• Amy Winehouse (1983–2011), singer, attended Brit School, Croydon
• Wilfred Wood, served as Bishop of Croydon 1985–2002, the first black Church of England bishop
• Edward Woodward (1930–2009), actor, born in Croydon^[16][17]
• Ian Wright MBE, former Crystal Palace, Arsenal and England football team footballer; lives in Shirley
• Matthew Wright, journalist and television presenter; born and resides in Croydon
• Tom Wright (1957–), architect of Burj Al Arab

In fiction

• Sarah Jane Smith, the popular fictional companion of the Third and Fourth Doctors in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who
• Jeremy "Jez" Osbourne and Mark Corrigan, the fictional protagonists from the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show, live in a flat in West Croydon.
• Captain Kevin Darling from the BBC sitcom Blackadder Goes Forth lived in Croydon with his girlfriend Doris. Darling was also a wicket keeper for the Croydon Gentlemen cricket team.
• Terry and June, the protagonists of the BBC sitcom of the same name, lived in Purley, a suburb of Croydon.

Neill Alchin Croydon 1974 to 1993.

1. "Peggy Ashcroft" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001919/
2. "James Booth" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0095718/
3. "Who's Who in the Cinema", The Movie volume 12 p. 51. Orbis Publishing (1981)
4. "James Buckley" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0118617/
5. "Trevor Goddard" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0323845/
6. GRO: JUN 1936 2a 883 CROYDON – Roy Hudd, mmn = Barham
7. "Roy Hudd" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0399647/
8. Malcolm Hay (24 Nov 2006). "Andrew Lawrence: Interview". Time Out. Retrieved 18 Dec 2011.
9. "Who's Who in the Cinema", The Movie volume 13 p. 259. Orbis Publishing (1981)
10. "David Lean" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000180/
11. "Miles Malleson" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0539942/
12. "Who's Who in the Cinema", The Movie volume 13 p. 286. Orbis Publishing (1981)
13. "Kate Moss" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0609017/
14. Ronalds, B.F. (2016). Sir Francis Ronalds: Father of the Electric Telegraph. London: Imperial College Press. ISBN 978-1-78326-917-4.
15. "Dan Stevens" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1405398/
16. "Edward Woodward" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940919/
17. "Who's Who in the Cinema", The Movie volume 13 p. 473. Orbis Publishing (1981)