List of Aberdonians

There are many notable Aberdonians from Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire in Scotland. In modern times the British Open winning golfer Paul Lawrie and the musician Annie Lennox are the most famous names. However in the past Aberdeen has produced many important people such as Thomas Blake Glover, the founder of Mitsubishi, and Bertie Charles Forbes who founded the Forbes publishing empire.

Architects and designers

• Bill Gibb (1943-1988), fashion designer
• James Gibbs (1682–1754), architect
• Archibald Simpson (1790–1847), architect (responsible for many Aberdeen buildings)

Artists and sculptors

King Lear and the Fool in the Storm, by artist William Dyce

• Alexander Milne Calder (1846–1923), sculptor
• William Dyce (1806–1864), artist
• George Jamesone (c. 1587–1644), Scotland's first eminent artist
• William Keith (1838–1911), landscape artist
• James McBey (1883-1959), artist
• Alberto Morrocco (1917–1998), artist and teacher

Authors, journalists and writers

• Lord Byron (1788–1824), poet (raised in Aberdeen from ages 2–10)
• Alexander Chalmers (1759–1834), journalist
• Simon Farquhar (born 1972), writer
• B.C. Forbes (1880–1954), journalist and founder of Forbes magazine
• Lewis Grassic Gibbon (1901–1935), author
• Richard Gordon (born 1960), BBC Radio Scotland presenter
• David Masson (1822–1907), author
• Janet Milne Rae (1844–1933), novelist and missionary, born in Willowbank
• Alexander Scott (1920–1989), poet in Braid Scots and English
• Rachel Annand Taylor (1876–1960), poet

Entertainers

• John Henry Anderson (1814–1874), magician
• James Donald (1917-1993), actor
• Rose Leslie, actress
• Scotland the What?, comedy revue act
• Michael Sheard (1938–2005), actor
• Jeff Stewart (born 1955), actor

Musicians

Singer Annie Lennox

• Connor Ball (born 1996), bassist of The Vamps
• Yvie Burnett (born 1963), opera singer, vocal coach and TV personality
• Ronald Center (1913-1973), composer
• Gordon Duthie (born 1987), alternative music artist
• Mary Garden (1874-1967), opera singer
• Evelyn Glennie (born 1965), virtuoso percussionist
• Calvin Goldspink (born 1989), singer and America-based actor
• Annie Lennox (born 1954), singer
• Neil Mackie (born 1946), tenor and professor at Royal College of Music
• Terry McDermott, singer
• John McLeod (born 1934), composer
• Pallas (1980–present), progressive rock band
• Stanley Robertson (1940-2009), ballad singer and storyteller
• Seb Rochford, drummer
• Emeli Sandé (born 1987), singer

Politicians

• Richard Alexander (1934–2008), former MP for Newark
• Sir John Anderson (1858–1915), Governor of Straits Settlements
• Sir John Arbuthnot, 1st Baronet (1912–1992), politician
• Norman Baker, MP for Lewes and former UK Government Minister
• Kirsty Blackman, SNP MP for Aberdeen North (from 2015)
• William Mortimer Clark (1836–1917), Canadian politician
• James Cran, former MP for Beverley, PPS, Maastricht Rebel and Shadow Deputy Leader of the House
• Stuart Donaldson, SNP MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (from 2015)
• James Forrester (1937–2011), U.S. politician
• The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP (born 1967), Government Chief Whip and former Secretary of State for Education
• Rosemary Hall (1925–2011), Scottish Nationalist politician
• Sir William MacGregor (1846–1919), Lieutenant-Governor of British New Guinea, Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador and Governor of Queensland
• Callum McCaig, MP for Aberdeen South (from 2015)
• Alexander Mitchell (1817–1887), U.S. politician
• Sir Richard Shepherd, MP for Aldridge-Brownhills
• Thomas Smith (1745–1809), U.S. politician
• Nicol Stephen, Baron Stephen (born 1960), Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Leader of Scottish Liberal Democrats
• John Stevenson, MP for Carlisle
• John Strachan, U.S. politician
• Eilidh Whiteford, SNP MP for Banff and Buchan (from 2010)

Religion

• Oswald Chambers (1874–1917), seminarian
• Alexander Cruden (1699–1770), theologian
• Alexander Ewing (1814–1873), church leader
• Rev. John Ferguson (1852–1925), Presbyterian minister and Acting Principal of St Andrew's College at University of Sydney
• Rev. Scott Rennie (born 1972), minister and theologian
• John Strachan (1778–1867), first Anglican Bishop of Toronto

Science and medicine

Astronomer James Gregory

• Sir Andrew Clark, 1st Baronet (1826–1893), physician and pathologist
• Sir David Gill (1843–1914), astronomer
• David Gregory (1659–1708), astronomer
• James Gregory (1638–1675), astronomer and mathematician
• Wilson Jameson (1885–1962), physician
• William MacGillivray (1796–1852), naturalist and ornithologist
• Francis Masson (1741–1805), botanist

Sports

• Russell Anderson (born 1978), footballer
• Tim Baillie (born 1979), slalom canoer and 2012 Olympic gold medal-winner
• Martin Buchan (born 1949), footballer
• David Carry (born 1981), swimmer and 2006 Commonwealth gold medal-winner
• Neil Cochran (born 1965), swimmer and 1984 Olympic bronze medal-winner
• Peter Craigmyle (1894–c. 1980), football referee
• Warren Cummings (born 1980), footballer
• Chris Cusiter (born 1982), rugby union footballer
• Paul Dixon (born 1986), footballer
• Neil Fachie (born 1984), athlete and 2012 Paralympic gold medal-winner
• John Hewitt (born 1963), footballer and scorer of winning goal in 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup
• Stuart Holden (born 1985), footballer who plays for USA
• Denis Law (born 1940), footballer
• Paul Lawrie (born 1969), golfer
• Moray Low (born 1984), rugby union player
• Shaun Maloney (born 1983), footballer (raised in Aberdeen)
• Hannah Miley (born 1989), swimmer and 2010 Commonwealth gold medal-winner (raised in Aberdeen)
• Gavin Rae (born 1977), footballer
• Richie Ramsay (born 1983), golfer
• John Rattray (born 1978), skateboarder
• Robbie Renwick (born 1988), swimmer and 2010 Commonwealth gold medal-winner (raised in Aberdeen)
• Barry Robson (born 1978), footballer
• Andrew Shinnie (born 1989), footballer
• Neil Simpson (born 1961), footballer (raised in Aberdeenshire)
• Jason White (born 1978), rugby union player (raised in Aberdeen)

Soldiers

• David Baird (1757–1829), soldier
• James Brooke (1884–1914), recipient of the Victoria Cross
• John Cruickshank (born 1920), recipient of the Victoria Cross

Others

Thomas Blake Glover, founder of Mitsubishi

• William Barclay (1546–1608), jurist
• John Hill Burton (1809–1881), Historiographer Royal
• Thomas Blake Glover (1838–1911), trader in Meiji era Japan
• Stewart Milne (born 1950), businessman and Aberdeen F.C. chairman
• George Croom Robertson (1842–1892), philosopher
• George Smith (1806–1899), financier
• George Washington Wilson (1823–1892), photographer
• Ian Wood, businessman
• Leslie Benzies, video game producer and President of Rockstar North, creators of the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto series.