This is a list of notable people with a strong connection with the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. Normally these will be people who were born in Reading, or who have lived in the town, or who have represented the town in some way, for example by acting as its Member of Parliament. This list does not represent people whose sole connection to the town is to have been born in the Royal Berkshire Hospital. The listing is in alphabetic order of surname.
See also: Academics of the University of Reading and Alumni of the University of Reading.
A
Nelson Abbey (b. 2003, footballer) Henry Addington, Viscount Sidmouth (1757–1844; former Prime Minister; donor of land for Royal Berkshire Hospital) John Alcock (1715–1806; organist and composer) Sir George Alexander (1858–1918; actor and theatre manager) Sir Hugh Percy Allen (1869–1946; university professor and conductor) Ronald Allen (1930–1991; actor) Chloe Alper (b. 1981; musician) John Altman (b. 1952; actor) Len Andrews (1888–1969; footballer) Jamie Ashdown (b. 1980; footballer) Sir Arthur Aston (1590–1649; governor during the Siege of Reading in 1643) Jane Austen (1775–1817; author. Went to school in Reading)
B
Ken Barrington (1930–1981; cricketer) Luke Beaven (b. 1989; cricketer) Eliza Bennett (b. 1992; actress) Jacqueline Bisset (b. 1944; actress) Daniel Blagrave (1603–1668; former Member of Parliament and regicide) John Blagrave (c1561–1611; early mathematician) Michael Bond (1926–2017; author; creator of Paddington Bear) Adam Boulton (b. 1959; political editor) Felix Bowness (1922–2009; jockey in hit BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi!) Thomas Braddock (1556–1607; priest, translator and Headmaster of Reading School) Charlie Brooker (b. 1971; satirist and broadcaster) Angela Browning (b. 1946; politician) Richard Burns (1971–2005; rally driver) Deon Burton (b. 1976; footballer) Christopher Butler (1902–1986; Roman Catholic bishop and theologian) Sir Clifford Charles Butler (1922–1999; physicist, co-discoverer of hyperons and mesons) David Byron (1947–1985; original lead vocalist with rock group Uriah Heep)
C
William Cadogan, Earl Cadogan (1675–1726; commander-in-chief of the British Army) Alfred Cannan (born 1968; Chief Minister of the Isle of Man since 2021) John Cennick (1718–1755; early Methodist and Moravian evangelist and hymnwriter) Percy Chapman (1900–1961; cricketer, captain of the victorious England 1926 Ashes team) William Macbride Childs (1869–1939; historian, instrumental in creation of the University of Reading, first Vice-Chancellor) Alexander Ross Clarke (1828–1914; geodesist; director of the measurement department of the Ordnance Survey) Alan Clayson (b. 1951; musician and author) Alma Cogan (1932–1966; popular singer of the 1950s) Rebecca Cooke (b. 1983), swimmer, gold medallist at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games Phoebe Cusden (1887–1981; socialist, trade unionist, educator, peace campaigner and Mayor of Reading)
D
Lisa Daniely (born Mary Elizabeth Bodington) (1929–2014) actress
Simon Doonan (b. 1952; creative director of Barneys department store in New York City) Natalie Dormer (b. 1982; actress) Evelyn Dunbar (1906–1960; war artist) Tony Durant (b. 1928; former Member of Parliament for Reading)
E
Peter Emery (1926-2004; former Member of Parliament for Reading) Michael East (1978-); 2002 Commonwealth Games 1500m champion Henry of Essex (?–c.1170; royal standard bearer and loser of a trial by combat on De Montfort Island) John Eynon (?–1539; pastor of St Giles' Church, martyred at the dissolution of the monasteries)
F
Hugh Cook Faringdon (?–1539) last Abbot of Reading Abbey. Martyred at the dissolution of the monasteries Lilian Fontaine (née Ruse, formerly de Havilland) (1886–1975) English actress. Mother of actresses Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine Michael Foot (1913–2010) politician Justin Fletcher (b. 1970) Children's TV personality
G
Ricky Gervais (b. 1961; comedian) David Gill (b. 1957; football executive) Jane Griffiths (b. 1954; former Member of Parliament for Reading)
H
Lambert Beverly Halstead (1933–1991; palaeontologist and populariser of science) Neil Halstead (b. 1970; musician, founding member of Slowdive and Mojave 3 Bernard Laurence Hieatt (1909–1930 Motorcycle sidecar champion & world record holder) John Howard Hinton (1791–1873; author and Baptist minister) Ernest Hives (1886–1965; aero-engine designer and industrialist) Richard Howitt (b. 1961– Labour MEP for the East of England was born in Reading) Joseph Huntley (1775–?; innovative biscuit maker; founder of Huntley & Palmers)
