Note: This list includes people of Cornish birth, parentage, or longtime residence. A list of people of Cornish ethnicity might be more restrictive.

Historical figures

• King Arthur: many legends associate him with Cornwall, particularly with Tintagel and Camelford
• Tristan
• William Bligh: captain of The Bounty, botanist, governor of New South Wales, admiral of the Royal Navy
• Nicholas Boson : Cornish language antiquary
• John Carter: Self-styled "King of Prussia" & Pirate
• John William Colenso: Bishop of Natal and advocate for the Zulus
• Judith Cook : Journalist and political campaigner
• Selina Cooper: Suffragist, and first woman to represent the Independent Labour Party
• St Corentin : missionary to Brittany
• Corineus: legendary founder of Cornwall in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae
• Mark of Cornwall - Dark Ages Cornish ruler
• John Passmore Edwards : Chartist and philanthropist
• Bob Fitzsimmons: Boxer and first three division world champion ever
• Thomas Flamank: rebel leader of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497
• Gorlois - mythical Duke of Cornwall
• Emily Hobhouse: Welfare campaigner in South Africa
• Robert Jeffery : Celebrity castaway
• Henry Jenner: pioneer of the Cornish language revival
• John of Cornwall (or 'Iohannes Cornubiensis'): 12th-century Catholic scholar
• Michael Joseph (or 'An Gof'): rebel leader of the 1497 Cornish uprising
• Richard Lander: Explorer of Africa
• Cassandra Latham: 'Witch' and eccentric
• William Lovett : Chartist and founder of the National Union Of The Working Classes
• Robert Morton Nance : Cornish language revivalist
• Andrew Pears : 'Pears Soap'
• Dolly Pentreath: one of the last native speakers of Cornish before the 20th-century revival
• St Petroc: the 'alternative' patron sant of Cornwall
• St Piran: patron saint of Cornwall and of tin miners
• Jonathan Trelawny : Anglican bishop and antagonist of James VII
• Samuel Wallis: Explorer of Pacific who inspired Cook

Inventors and scientists

• John Couch Adams: discovered the planet Neptune
• John Arnold: Watchmaker and inventor of Chronometer
• William Bickford : Inventor of safety fuse
• William Cookworthy: Discoverer of china clay in Cornwall
• Jonathan Couch : Scientist
• Humphrey Davy: inventor and scientist
• Sir Goldsworthy Gurney : Inventor of the limelight
• Richard Lower: Invented blood transfusion
• William Murdoch: Inventor (one time resident)
• Richard Pearse : is said by some to have designed, built and flew the world's first airplane before the Wright Brothers at Kittyhawk, of Cornish parentage
• Henry Trengrouse: invented the rocket powered rescue system for ships in distress.
• Richard Trevithick: engineer and inventor

Literary figures

• Maria Branwell : Mother of the Brontë sisters
• John Betjeman: writer and poet laureate
• Charles Causley: Poet
• Daphne Du Maurier: novelist
• Samuel Foote: Dramatist and actor
• Emma Gifford : Wife of Thomas Hardy
• William Golding: novelist
• William Sydney Graham : Poet
• Winston Graham: Creator of Poldark
• John Harris (poet): Poet (not to be confused with John Harris, Shropshire writer.
• Silas Hocking : Author and preacher
• Charles Lee (author) : Novelist
• Rosamunde Pilcher: Romantic novelist
• Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch (or 'Q'): author and literary critic
• A. L. Rowse: historian and Shakespearean scholar
• Tim Saunders : Cornish language poet
• D. M. Thomas : Novelist and poet
• Mary Wesley: Novelist
• Brenda Wootton , bard and singer

Military

• Sir John Arundell : royalist commander
• William Bligh: captain of The Bounty, botanist, governor of New South Wales, admiral of the Royal Navy
• Edward Boscawen: admiral of the Royal Navy
• Major-General Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert : Involved in conquest of Northern India

Musicians, actors and artists

• Aphex Twin: electronic music artist
• Henry Bone : Potter and painter
• Rowena Cade : Built the Minack Theatre
• Samuel Foote: Dramatist and actor
• Stanhope Forbes : 'plein-air' artist
• Richard Jose : Singer
• George Lloyd : Classical composer
• John Nettles: Actor, best known for Bergerac and the Midsomer Murders
• John Opie: Portrait Painter
• Alex Parks: Popstar
• Luke Vibert: electronic music artist