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List of University of Cambridge people facts for kids

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The University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England

This page lists many famous people who studied or worked at the University of Cambridge in England. These people are called "alumni" (or "alumnae" for women). They are also sometimes called Cantabrigians, which comes from the old Latin name for Cambridge.

This list includes people who studied at Cambridge, even if they didn't finish a degree. It also includes those who worked there as teachers or researchers. We've sorted them into groups based on what they became famous for. Some people might appear in more than one group if they achieved great things in different areas.

Leaders and Royal Families

Kings and Queens

Many members of royal families have studied at Cambridge. Here are some of them:

Princes and Princesses

Cambridge has also been home to many other royal family members:

Important Government Roles

Cambridge alumni have held many top jobs in governments around the world.

Governors and Viceroys

These individuals represented their home countries in other lands:

Ambassadors

These people represented their countries in other nations:

  • Leigh Turner (Downing), UK Ambassador to Austria (2016-)
  • Janet Douglas (St Catherine's), UK High Commissioner to Barbados (2017-)
  • Caroline Wilson (Downing), UK Ambassador to China (2020-)
  • Antony Stokes (Queens'), UK Ambassador to Cuba (2016-)
  • Paul Madden (Caius), UK Ambassador to Japan (2017-)
  • Nicholas Hopton (Magdalene), UK Ambassador to Libya (2019-)
  • Laura Clarke, UK High Commissioner to New Zealand (2018-)
  • Colin Crooks (Fitzwilliam), UK Ambassador to North Korea (2018-)
  • Sir Laurie Bristow (Trinity), UK Ambassador to Russia (2016-2020)
  • Nigel Baker (Caius), UK Ambassador to Slovakia (2020-)
  • Jane Owen (Trinity), UK Ambassador to Switzerland (2018-)
  • Brian Davidson (Trinity), UK Ambassador to Thailand (2016-)
  • Karen Pierce (Girton), UK Ambassador to the United States (2020-)
  • Hugh Elliott (Trinity), UK Ambassador to Spain (2019-)
  • Jacqueline Perkins, UK Ambassador to Belarus (2019-)

Heads of State and Government

These alumni became the top leaders of their countries:

British Prime Ministers

Many British Prime Ministers studied at Cambridge:

Other Political Figures

Many other important politicians and public servants attended Cambridge:

  • Diane Abbott (Newnham), British shadow cabinet member
  • Steve Barclay (Peterhouse), British MP and Secretary of State
  • Hans Blix (Trinity Hall), UN weapons inspector
  • Richard Blumenthal (Trinity), US Senator
  • Subhas Chandra Bose (Fitzwilliam), Indian independence leader
  • Leon Brittan (Trinity), British Home Secretary
  • Andy Burnham (Fitzwilliam), British Health Secretary
  • Rab Butler (Pembroke), British Deputy Prime Minister
  • Vince Cable (Fitzwilliam), British Business Secretary
  • Alastair Campbell (Caius), Press Secretary for Tony Blair
  • William Cecil (St John's), Chief adviser to Queen Elizabeth I
  • Austen Chamberlain (Trinity), British Chancellor of the Exchequer and Nobel Peace Prize winner
  • Nick Clegg (Robinson), British Deputy Prime Minister
  • Jo Cox (Pembroke), British Member of Parliament
  • Hugh Dalton (King's), British Chancellor of the Exchequer
  • Abba Eban (Queens'/Pembroke), Israeli Deputy Prime Minister
  • Kate Forbes (Selwyn), Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Finance
  • Rahul Gandhi (Trinity), General Secretary of the Indian National Congress
  • Chris Grayling (Sidney Sussex), British Lord Chancellor
  • Matt Hancock (Christ's), British Health Secretary
  • Michael Howard (Peterhouse), Leader of the Conservative Party
  • Douglas Hurd (Trinity), British Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary
  • Michael Ignatieff (King's), Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
  • Norman Lamont (Fitzwilliam), British Chancellor of the Exchequer
  • C. S. Lewis (Magdalene), British writer and academic
  • Peter Lilley (Clare), British Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
  • Selwyn Lloyd (Magdalene), British Foreign Secretary
  • Iain Macleod (Caius), British Chancellor of the Exchequer
  • Lord Mark Malloch Brown (Magdalene), UN Deputy Secretary-General
  • Reginald McKenna (Trinity Hall), British Home Secretary
  • Andrew Mitchell (Jesus), British Secretary of State for International Development
  • Marty Natalegawa (Corpus Christi), Foreign Minister of Indonesia
  • Philip Noel-Baker (King's), British Commonwealth Secretary and Nobel Peace Prize winner
  • David Owen (Sidney Sussex), British Foreign Secretary
  • Michael Portillo (Peterhouse), British Defence Secretary
  • Enoch Powell (Trinity), British Minister of Health
  • Dominic Raab (Jesus), British Foreign Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister
  • Tharman Shanmugaratnam (Wolfson), Singapore's Education and Finance Minister
  • Kamalesh Sharma (King's), Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations
  • Chris Smith (Pembroke), British Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
  • William Wilberforce (St John's), a leader in the movement to end slavery
  • Roger Williams (Pembroke), founder of Rhode Island

Religious and Spiritual Leaders

Many people who became important religious figures or spiritual leaders studied at Cambridge.

  • Sri Aurobindo (King's), spiritual leader
  • William Brewster (Peterhouse), a leader of the Pilgrims
  • Thomas Cranmer (Jesus), Archbishop of Canterbury
  • Saint John Fisher (Michaelhouse), a Catholic saint
  • Nicky Gumbel (Trinity), founder of the Alpha Course
  • C. S. Lewis (Magdalene), Christian writer and scholar
  • Michael Nazir-Ali (Ridley Hall/Fitzwilliam), Bishop of Rochester
  • Sogyal Rinpoche (Trinity), Tibetan Buddhist teacher
  • Jonathan Sacks (Caius), Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth
  • John Sentamu (Selwyn/Ridley Hall), Archbishop of York
  • John Stott (Trinity/Ridley Hall), influential Christian leader
  • Eckhart Tolle (Caius), spiritual teacher
  • William Tyndale (unknown), translated the Bible into English
  • Terry Waite (Trinity Hall), humanitarian and hostage negotiator

Archbishops of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the leader of the Church of England. Many of them studied at Cambridge:

Writers and Artists

Fiction Writers

Cambridge has produced many famous authors:

Poets

Many famous poets have walked the halls of Cambridge:

Actors, Directors, and Screenwriters

Cambridge has a strong tradition in the performing arts:

Musicians

Cambridge has been a training ground for many talented musicians:

Music Groups

Some well-known music groups formed or had members who studied at Cambridge:

  • Clean Bandit (Jesus), Grammy Award winners
  • The King's Singers (King's), Grammy Award winners
  • Hot Chip (Sidney Sussex/Jesus)
  • Katrina and the Waves (Jesus), Eurovision Song Contest winners
  • Monteverdi Choir (King's)
  • Stile Antico (Trinity), Grammy Award winners

Scientists and Thinkers

Scientists, Engineers, and Mathematicians

Cambridge is famous for its contributions to science and math:

Astronauts

Some Cambridge alumni have even traveled to space:

Philosophers

Cambridge has been a hub for deep thinkers:

Economists

Many Cambridge alumni have shaped our understanding of money and markets:

Historians

Cambridge has educated many who study the past:

  • David Abulafia (King's), historian
  • Lord Acton (Trinity), historian
  • Liaquat Ahamed (Trinity), Pulitzer Prize winner, historian
  • Mary Beard (Newnham), classicist and historian

A* Asa Briggs (Sidney Sussex), historian

Sports Stars

Olympians

Cambridge alumni have excelled at the Olympic Games:

  • Harold Abrahams (Caius), Olympic gold medallist (sprinter)
  • David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter (Magdalene), Olympic gold Medallist (hurdler)
  • Stephanie Cook (Peterhouse), Olympic pentathlon gold medalist
  • James Cracknell (Peterhouse), double Olympic gold medallist (rowing)
  • Tom James (Trinity Hall), two-time Olympic gold medallist (rowing)
  • George Nash (St Catherine's), Olympic bronze medallist (rowing)
  • Philip Noel-Baker, Baron Noel-Baker (King's), Nobel Prize winner and Olympic runner
  • Emma Pooley (Trinity Hall), Olympic silver medallist (cycling)
  • Tom Ransley (Hughes Hall), Olympic bronze medallist (rowing)
  • Anna Watkins (Newnham), Olympic gold medallist (rowing)
  • Josh West (Caius), Olympic silver medallist (rowing)
  • Kieran West (Christ's/Pembroke), Olympic gold medallist (rowing)
  • Sarah Winckless (Fitzwilliam), Olympic bronze medallist (rowing)
  • Deng Yaping (Jesus), Olympic gold medalist (table tennis)

Cricketers

Many Cambridge students have played cricket for England:

  • Sir George "Gubby" Allen (Trinity), England captain
  • Mike Atherton (Downing), England captain
  • Mike Brearley (St John's), England captain
  • John Crawley (Trinity), England international
  • Ted Dexter (Jesus), England captain
  • Phil Edmonds (Fitzwilliam), England international
  • Tony Lewis (Christ's), England and Glamorgan cricket captain
  • Alfred Lyttelton (Trinity), first man to play both cricket and football for England
  • Peter May (Pembroke), England international
  • Derek Pringle (Fitzwilliam), England international
  • Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II (Trinity), first Indian player for England

Footballers

Some Cambridge alumni have played professional football:

  • Alfred Lyttelton (Trinity), first man to play both cricket and football for England
  • Steve Palmer (Christ's), English Premier League footballer
  • William Leslie Poole (Cavendish), known as the "Father of Uruguayan Football"

Rugby Players

Cambridge has also produced many rugby stars:

  • Rob Andrew (St John's), England international
  • Eddie Butler (Fitzwilliam), Wales international
  • Mike Gibson (Queens'), Ireland international
  • Gavin Hastings (Magdalene), Scotland international
  • Andy Ripley (Hughes Hall), England international
  • Ken Scotland (Trinity), Scotland international
  • Tony Underwood (St Edmund's), England international
  • Dan Vickerman (Hughes Hall), Australia international
  • Wavell Wakefield (Pembroke), England international

Explorers

Cambridge alumni have explored the world:

  • William John Bankes (Trinity), collected Egyptian artifacts
  • Johann Ludwig Burckhardt (unknown), rediscovered the ancient city of Petra
  • Sir Thomas Cavendish (Corpus Christi), first man to intentionally sail around the world
  • Sir Vivian Fuchs (St John's), led the first overland crossing of Antarctica
  • George Mallory (Magdalene), possibly the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest
  • John Mason (Peterhouse), drew the first English map of Newfoundland
  • St. John Philby (Trinity), explorer of the Middle East
  • Edward Adrian Wilson (Gonville and Caius), died on an expedition to the South Pole with Robert Falcon Scott
  • John Winthrop (Trinity), founder of Massachusetts

See also

  • List of chancellors of the University of Cambridge
  • List of vice-chancellors of the University of Cambridge
  • List of current heads of University of Cambridge colleges
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