This is a list of Welsh people; an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales.
Historian John Davies argues that the origin of the Welsh nation can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic or other Celtic languages seem to have been spoken in Wales since much earlier.
This list is for people of Welsh heritage and descent, and for those otherwise perceived as Welsh; through either birth or adoption. Only those meeting notability criteria are included. A few people appear in more than one section of the list.
Actors
Keith Allen (born 1953) Bennett Arron (born 1973), also comedian and writer Stanley Baker (1927–1976) Aneurin Barnard (born 1987) Hywel Bennett (1944–2017) David Bower (born 1969) Rob Brydon (born 1965) Richard Burton (1925–1984) Boyd Clack (born 1951), also writer and musician Morfydd Clark (born 1989) Richard Ian Cox (born 1973), also comedian and radio host Gabrielle Creevy (born 1996) Timothy Dalton (born 1946) Charles Danby (1858–1906) Hannah Daniel (born 1986) Josie d'Arby (born 1973), also presenter Gareth David-Lloyd (born 1981) Garnon Davies (born 1982) Geraint Wyn Davies (born 1957) Phoebe Davies (1864–1912) Richard Davies (1926–2015) Ryan Davies (1937–1977) Windsor Davies (1930–2019) Lauren Drew (born 1993) Robert East (born 1943) Aimee-Ffion Edwards (born 1987) Maudie Edwards (1906–1991) Taron Egerton (born 1989) Tom Ellis (born 1978) Peg Entwistle (1908–1932) Clifford Evans (1912–1985) Luke Evans (born 1979) Pam Ferris (born 1948) Huw Garmon (born 1966) Colin George (1929–2016) Sian Gibson Matthew Gravelle (born 1976) Danny Grehan (born 1965) Hugh Griffith (1912–1980) Kenneth Griffith (1921–2006) Ioan Gruffudd (born 1973) Edmund Gwenn (1875–1958) Mike Gwilym (born 1949) Robert Gwilym (born 1956) Lyn Harding (1867–1952) Doris Hare (1905–2000) Mali Harries (born 1976) Richard Harrington (born 1975) Georgia Henshaw (born 1993) Anthony Hopkins (born 1937) Callum Scott Howells (born 1999) Donald Houston (1923–1991) Glyn Houston (1926–2019) Aneirin Hughes (born 1958) Gareth Hughes (1894–1965) Nerys Hughes (born 1941) Rhys Ifans (born 1968) Emrys James (1928–1989) Hywel John (born c.1970), more notable as a playwright Margaret John (1926–2011) Glynis Johns (1923–2024) Mervyn Johns (1899–1992) Gary Jones (born 1958) Mark Lewis Jones (born 1964) Ruth Jones (born 1967) Terry Jones (1942–2020) Eddie Ladd, also contemporary dancer Kate Lamb (born 1988) Helen Lederer (born 1954) Gwilym Lee (born 1983) Raymond Llewellyn (born 1928) Desmond Llewelyn (1914–1999) Bernard Lloyd (1934–2018) Philip Madoc (1934–2012) Ruth Madoc (1943–2022) Steven Meo (born 1977) Ray Milland (1907–1986) Elizabeth Morgan (born 1930) Eve Myles (born 1978) Kimberley Nixon (born 1985) Jonny Owen (born 1971) Kai Owen (born 1975) John Owen-Jones (born 1971) Joanna Page (born 1978) Siân Phillips (born 1934) Tom Price (born 1980) Jonathan Pryce (born 1947) Ian Puleston-Davies (born 1959) Angharad Rees (1949–2012) Roger Rees (1944–2015) Iwan Rheon (born 1985) Steffan Rhodri (born 1967) Ieuan Rhys (born 1961) Matthew Rhys (born 1974) Paul Rhys (born 1963) John Rhys-Davies (born 1944) Ieuan Rhys Williams (1909–1973) Rachel Roberts (1927–1980) Matt Ryan (born 1981) Michael Sheen (born 1969) Sarah Siddons (1755–1831) William Simons (1940–2019) Steve Speirs (born 1965) Victor Spinetti (1933–2012) Gareth Thomas (1945–2016) Talfryn Thomas (1922–1982) William Thomas Tim Vincent (born 1972), also presenter Melanie Walters (born 1962) Naunton Wayne (1901–1970) Laurie Webb (1924–2026) Andy Whitfield (1972–2011) Ian Whyte (born 1971) Robert Wilfort (born 1977) Emlyn Williams (1905–1987), also dramatist Peter Wingfield (born 1962) Owain Yeoman (born 1978) Catherine Zeta-Jones (born 1969) Alexander Vlahos (born 1988) Gerran Howell (born 1991)
Architects
Jonathan Adams (born 1961) William Edwards (1719–1789) Alwyn Sheppard Fidler (1909–1990) John St. Bodfan Gruffydd (1910–2004) Inigo Jones (1573–1652), born in London to Welsh parents John Jones (1810–1869) Owen Jones (1809–1874), born in London of Welsh descent Ernest Morgan (1881–1954) John Nash (1753–1835), born in London to Welsh parents Malcolm Parry (born c.1938), architect, academic and TV presenter John Prichard (1817–1886) Gwynne Pugh (currently active) David Wyn Roberts (1911–1982) Percy Thomas (1883–1969) Revd. Thomas Thomas (1817–1888) E. M. Bruce Vaughan (1856–1919) Clough Williams-Ellis (1883–1978)
Artists
Iwan Bala (born 1956), painter and mixed media artist Roger Cecil (1942–2015), painter and mixed media artist Glenys Cour (born 1924), painter Ivor Davies (born 1935), painter, mixed media, installation and mosaic artist Thomas Nathaniel Davies (1922–1996), painter and sculptor Edith Downing (1857–1931), sculptor Ken Elias (born 1944), painter Nick Evans (1907–2004), painter Barry Flanagan (1941–2009), sculptor Laura Ford (born 1961), sculptor David Garner (born 1958), installation artist John Gibson (1790–1866), sculptor Tony Goble (1943–2007), painter Dan Llywelyn Hall (born 1980), painter Nina Hamnett (1890–1956), painter Clive Hicks-Jenkins (born 1951), painter Robert Alwyn Hughes (1935–2020), painter Alfred Janes (1911–1999), painter Augustus John (1878–1961), painter Goscombe John (1860–1952), sculptor Gwen John (1876–1939), painter David Jones (1895–1974), artist and poet Martyn Jones (born 1955), painter Thomas Jones (1742–1803), painter Heinz Koppel (1919–1980), painter, moved to Wales as a young man Mervyn Levy (1915–1996), painter, art dealer, writer and critic Osi Rhys Osmond (1942–2015), painter and television presenter Geoffrey Olsen (1943–2007), painter Michael Gustavius Payne (born 1969), painter Shani Rhys James (born 1953), painter, moved to Wales after graduation Ceri Richards (1903–1971), painter Will Roberts (1907–2000), painter John Uzzell Edwards (1937–2014), painter Andrew Vicari (1938–2016), painter Bedwyr Williams (born 1974), installation and performance artist Kyffin Williams (1918–2006), painter Richard Wilson (1714–1782), painter Nathan Wyburn (born 1989), food artist Ernest Zobole (1927–1999), painter
Designers
Laura Ashley (1925–1985) Jeff Banks (born 1943) David Emanuel (born 1952) Timothy Everest (born 1961) Ross Lovegrove (born 1958) Julien Macdonald (born 1971) Tommy Nutter (1943–1992) Jayne Pierson (born 1969/1970) Mary Quant (1934–2023)
Entrepreneurs
Richard ap Meryk (or ap Meurig), Anglicised to Richard Amerike (or Ameryk) (c. 1445–1503), after whom America is reputed to be named Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley (1883–1968), newspaper publisher William Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose (1879–1954), newspaper publisher Joe Blackman (born c. 1984), events and entertainment industry entrepreneur David Davies Llandinam (1818–1890), industrialist Griffith J. Griffith (1850–1919), mining millionaire John Josiah Guest (1785–1852), ironmaster John Hughes (1814–1889), businessman and founder of the city of Donetsk, Ukraine Sir William Thomas Lewis (1837–1914), coalowner Terry Matthews (born 1943), telecommunications billionaire, owner of Celtic Manor Resort Michael Moritz (born 1962), investor Charles Stewart Rolls (1877–1910), motor car manufacturer and aviator Howard Stringer (born 1942), businessman David Sullivan (born 1949), publisher David Alfred Thomas (1856–1918), industrialist
Explorers Perce Blackborow (1896–1949) John Evans (1770–1799) George Everest (1790–1866) Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904)
Film directors
Kevin Allen (born 1962) Gareth Evans (born 1980) John Evans (born 1980) Marc Evans (born 1963) Peter Greenaway (born 1942) Terry Jones (1942–2020) Justin Kerrigan (born 1974) Richard Marquand (1938–1987) Julian Richards (born 1968) Sara Sugarman (born 1962)
Humourists
Bennett Arron (born 1973), comedian, writer, actor, and television presenter Max Boyce (born 1945), entertainer Connor Colquhoun (born 1996), voice actor, YouTube content creator, and co-host of Trash Taste. Tommy Cooper (1922–1984), comedian and magician Lee Dainton (born 1973), Dirty Sanchez television series Greg Davies (born 1968), comedian and host of Taskmaster (TV series) Ryan Davies (1937–1977), comedian and singer Rhod Gilbert (born 1968), comedian and BBC Radio Wales personality Elis James (born 1980), comedian, actor, and capable broadcaster Terry Jones (1942–2020), comedian (Monty Python series), author, and film director Gladys Morgan (1898–1983), comedian Tessie O'Shea (1913–1997), stand-up comedian Mathew Pritchard, Dirty Sanchez television series Griff Rhys Jones (born 1953), comic writer, actor, and presenter Harry Secombe (1921–2001), comedian, actor, singer, and television presenter Paul Whitehouse (born 1958), writer and actor Ronnie Williams (1939–1997), actor and comedian
Inventors
William Davies Evans (1790–1872) William Frost (1848–1935), amateur aviator William Robert Grove (1811–1896) John Jones (1645–1709) Adam Powell (born 1976), creator of Neopets William Henry Preece (1834–1913) Richard Roberts (1789–1864), mechanical engineer Edwin Stevens (1905–1995), designed the world's first wearable electronic hearing aid Thomas Williams of Llanidan (1737–1802) Walter Clopton Wingfield (1833–1912), inventor of lawn tennis
Journalists and broadcasters
Rachel Barrett (1874–1953), newspaper editor and suffragette Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley (1883–1968), newspaper publisher William Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose (1879–1954), newspaper publisher Jeremy Bowen (born 1960), journalist and broadcaster Derek Brockway (born 1967), chief meteorologist for BBC Wales Today Toby Charles, soccer commentator for hit PBS television show Soccer Made in Germany, 1976–1983 Grace Coddington (born 1941), fashion journalist and stylist from Anglesey Hugh Cudlipp (1913–1998), editorial director of Mirror Group Josie d'Arby (born 1972), radio broadcaster and television presenter Huw Llywelyn Davies (born 1945), presenter and rugby union commentator Russell Davies (born 1946), radio presenter Huw Edwards (born 1961), journalist and co-anchor of BBC News at Ten Sara Edwards (born 1961), broadcast journalist and television presenter Dewi Griffiths (born 1931), former presenter of BBC Radio Wales' A String of Pearls Arfon Haines Davies (born 1948), television presenter and continuity announcer Guto Harri (born 1966), BBC political correspondent John Humphrys (born 1943), journalist and broadcaster Ciaran Jenkins (born 1984), journalist and broadcaster from Merthyr Tydfil Gareth Jones (1905–1935), first to publicise the existence of the Holodomor in the Western world Gareth Jones a.k.a. Gaz Top (born 1961), presenter and broadcaster Gethin Jones (born 1978), presenter Karl Jones (born 1988), BBC journalist Steve Jones (born 1977), presenter Martyn Lewis (born 1945), presenter Siân Lloyd (born 1958), meteorologist, former ITV weather presenter Sian Lloyd, broadcast journalist and BBC television news presenter Angus McDermid (1920–1988), BBC journalist and broadcaster Johnny Morris (1919–1999), television presenter of BBC's Animal Magic Mavis Nicholson (1930–2022), writer and TV broadcaster Jamie Owen (born 1967), broadcast journalist and co-anchor for BBC Wales Today Allison Pearson (born 1960), journalist and author Keidrych Rhys (1915–22 May 1987), journalist and editor of the periodical Wales Paul Starling (born 1951), journalist and broadcaster who worked at HTV Wales and BBC Wales before becoming political editor of the Welsh Daily Mirror Wynford Vaughan-Thomas (1908–1987), BBC World War II reporter and journalist Huw Wheldon (1916–1986), journalist and broadcaster Iolo Williams (born 1962), wildlife expert and presenter Siân Williams (born 1964), BBC news and current affairs presenter Lucy Owen (born 1970) television presenter and radio presenter
Military personnel
Morys Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare, served in World War II, later active politician and Privy Councillor