The following is a list of notable

British Somalis Somalis in the United Kingdom include British citizens and residents born in or with ancestors from Somalia. The United Kingdom (UK) is home to the largest Somali community in Europe, with an estimated 108,000 Somali-born immigrants residing i ...

Entertainment

Poly Styrene Marianne Joan Elliott-Said (3 July 1957 – 25 April 2011), known by the stage name Poly Styrene, was an English musician, singer-songwriter, and frontwoman for the punk rock band X-Ray Spex. Early life Poly Styrene was born Marianne Joan Ell ...

, musician (father was Somali) *

Maya Jama Maya Indea Jama (, ; born 14 August 1994) is an English television, radio presenter, and DJ. She co-presented BBC One's '' Peter Crouch: Save Our Summer'' alongside Peter Crouch and Alex Horne and is presenter of the BBC Three competition '' Gl ...

, radio presenter *

Chunkz Amin Mohamed ( ar, امين محمد; born 21 February 1996), better known as Chunkz, is an English YouTuber, YouTube personality, host, entertainer and former musician. , his YouTube channel has over 2 million subscribers and 142 million vid ...

, YouTube personality *

Prince Abdi Prince Abdi (born 21 July 1989) is a British stand-up comedian and actor. Early life Abdi was born in Somalia and immigrated to the United Kingdom with his family in the 1980s at the age of four. He was thereafter brought up in Brixton, Lond ...

, stand-up comedian *

Aar Maanta Hassan-Nour Sayid ( so, Xasan-Nuur Sayid, known by his stage name Aar Maanta) is a Somali people, Somali–British singer-songwriter, actor, composer, instrumentalist and music producer. Personal life Maanta, born Hassan-Nour Sayid in Jigjiga, t ...

, singer-songwriter * Hudeydi, musician

Politics

Abdulrahim Abby Farah Abdulrahim Abby Farah ( so, Cabdiraxiim Caabbi Faarax, ar, عبد الرحيم آبي فرح; October 22, 1919 – May 14, 2018) was a Welsh-born Somali diplomat and politician. He was Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations 1979-1990. He ...

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

born diplomat *

Hibaq Jama Hibaq Jama ( so, Xibaaq Jaamac, ar, هيباق جامع) is a Somali-British politician. She is a Labour Party Ward Councillor representing the Lawrence Hill neighbourhood in Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, ci ...

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

ward councillor for

Lawrence Hill Lawrence Hill (born January 24, 1957) is a Canadian novelist, essayist, and memoirist. He is known for his 2007 novel '' The Book of Negroes,'' inspired by the Black Loyalists given freedom and resettled in Nova Scotia by the British after the A ...

Mohamed Mohamud Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud Ibrahim
, CIA Factbook, August 2011 ( so, Maxamed Maxamuud Ibrahi ...

, Deputy Foreign Minister of Somalia (formerly lived in

Harlesden Harlesden is a district in the London Borough of Brent, North West London. Located north of the Grand Union Canal and Wormwood Scrubs, the Harrow Road flows through the centre of the area which goes eastwards to Central London and west towards ...

) *

Magid Magid Magid Magid (, born 26 June 1989), also known as Magid Mah and Magic Magid, is a Somali-British activist and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of Sheffield from May 2018 to May 2019. His appointment attracted significant media attention, a ...

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...

politician; former

Lord Mayor of Sheffield The Lord Mayor of Sheffield is a ceremonial post held by a member of Sheffield City Council. They are elected annually by the council. The post originated in 1843, with the appointment of William Jeffcock as the first Mayor of Sheffield. Ea ...

(2018-2019) and MEP for

Yorkshire and the Humber Yorkshire and the Humber is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The population in 2011 was 5,284,000 with its largest settlements being Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Hull, and York. It is ...

(2019-2020) * Sir Mark Hendrick, Labour MP for Preston (2000-present)

Business

Abdirashid Duale Abdirashid Duale ( so, Cabdirashiid Siciid Ducale, ar, عبد الرشيد دعاله) is a multi-millionaire Somali entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Dahabshiil, an international funds transfer company. Biography Duale was born in Burao, Soma ...

, CEO of

Dahabshiil Dahabshiil ( so, Dahabshiil, ar, دهب شيل) is an international funds transfer company, and is the largest money-transfer business in Africa. It's headquartered in Burao, Somaliland. Formed in the early 1970s, the firm operates from over 24 ...

Fashion

Samira Hashi Samira Hashi is a Somali-British model, social activist and community worker based in London. Career, activism and other ventures Samira Hashi moved to Britain at the age of 3 with her mother Lul Musse and grandmother Faduma when the Somali civi ...

, model and activist

Media

Mohamoud Sheikh Dalmar Sheikh Mohamoud Sheikh Dalmar ( so, Maxamuud Sheekh Dalmar, ar, محمود الشيخ ضالمار) is a Somali journalist and Islamic scholar. He worked for many years with a variety of Somali media outlets as well as the BBC's Somali service ...

, journalist *

Mo Ali Mo Ali ( so, Maxamed Cali, ar, محمد علي) is a Somali-British film director. Biography Ali was born in Saudi Arabia. He began his movie career in 2010, making his directorial debut in the drama film '' Shank'', set in a futuristic Lon ...

, film director *

Rageh Omaar Rageh Omaar (; so, Raage Oomaar; ar, راجح أومار; born 19 July 1967) is a Somali-born British journalist and writer. He was a BBC world affairs correspondent, where he made his name reporting from Iraq. In September 2006, he moved to ...

, journalist and writer

Activism

* Adam Matan OBE, activist *

Nimco Ali Nimko Ali ( so, Nimco Cali), alternatively spelled Nimco (born ), is a British social activist of Somali heritage. She is the co-founder and CEO of The Five Foundation, a global partnership to end female genital mutilation (FGM). Ali unde ...

, activist *

Hanan Ibrahim Hanan Ibrahim MBE ( so, Xanan Ibraahiim, ar, حنان ابراهيم) is a Somali social activist. She is the Chairperson of the Barnet Muslim Women's Network, among other organizations. Early years Ibrahim grew up in Somalia. She is a mother o ...

, activist *

Leyla Hussein Leyla Hussein ( so, Leyla Xuseen) is a Somali-born British psychotherapist and social activist. She is the founder of Dahlia project,"'FGM is violence, child abuse and sexual assault' – Leyla Hussein",''The London Economic'', 8 September 201 ...

, psychotherapist *

Amal Azzudin Amal Azzudin (born 1990) is a Somali-Scottish campaigner and activist who co-founded the Glasgow Girls, a group of seven young women who campaigned against the harsh treatment of asylum-seekers in response to the detention of one of their friend ...

, activist

Writing

Nadifa Mohamed Nadifa Mohamed ( so, Nadiifa Maxamed, ar, نظيفة محمد) (born 1981) is a Somali-British novelist. She featured on ''Granta'' magazine's list "Best of Young British Novelists" in 2013, and in 2014 on the Africa39 list of writers aged u ...

, novelist *

Hirsi Magan Isse Hirsi Magan Isse ( so, Xirsi Magan Ciise, ar, حرسي مجن عيسى; 1935 — 2008), commonly known as Hirsi Magan, was a scholar and a leading figure of the Somali revolution. Part of Somalia's political elite, he was a leader in the Somali ...

, scholar * Hibo Wardere, author *

Warsan Shire Warsan Shire (born 1 August 1988) is a British writer, poet, editor and teacher, who was born to Somali parents in Kenya. In 2013 she was awarded the inaugural Brunel University African Poetry Prize, chosen from a shortlist of six candidates o ...

, writer and poet *

Diriye Osman Diriye Osman ( so, Diriyeh Cismaan, ar, ديري عثمان) (born in 1983) is a Somali-British short story writer, essayist, critic and visual artist. He is the author of the short story collection ''Fairytales For Lost Children'', which won ...

, writer and artist

Sport

Abdi Jama Abdi Jama (born 1 November 1982) is a Somali British wheelchair basketball player. He was born in Burao, northwestern Somaliland and lives in Liverpool. He was selected to play for Team GB in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. Personal life ...

, baskerballer *

Ramla Ali Ramla Said Ahmed Ali (born 16 September 1989) is a Somali professional boxer and model. She is the first Somali boxer to compete at the Olympic Games. Career Boxing As an amateur, Ali won the 2015 Novice national championships in England, the ...

, boxer * Mukhtar Mohammed, runner *

Jawahir Roble Jawahir Roble (born 1995), also known as Jawahir Jewels or JJ, is a Somalia, Somali-born British football referee. The ''Daily Telegraph'' has called her "the most remarkable referee in England". She herself has said, "Who would ever think a bl ...

, referee * Ibrahim Farah, footballer *

Leon Osman Leon Osman (born 17 May 1981) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent almost all of his career at Everton, making 433 appearances and scoring 57 goals. Earlier in his career he spent time on loan at Fo ...

, footballer, *

Mukhtar Ali Mukhtar Abdullahi Ali ( ar, مختار علي; born 30 October 1997) is a professional footballer, of Somali origin, who plays as a midfielder for Al-Tai on loan from Al-Nassr and the Saudi Arabia national football team. He was born in Jeddah ...

, footballer *

Mo Farah Sir Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah (born Hussein Abdi Kahin; 23 March 1983) is a British long-distance runner. His ten global championship gold medals (four Olympic and six World titles) make him the most successful male track distance runner ever ...

, runner *

Islam Feruz Islam Salieh Feruz (born 10 September 1995) is a Somali-born Scottish former professional footballer who played as a centre forward. Feruz spent most of his youth career with Celtic, before moving to Chelsea in September 2011 after rejecting a ...

, footballer

Other

Ramzi Mohammed Ramzi Mohammed ( ar, رمزي محمد) (born 18 August 1981) is a Somali national convicted of involvement in the attempted London bombing of 21 July 2005. Ramzi is currently serving a minimum of 40 years for conspiracy to murder on the Oval ...

, criminal * Muhaydin Mire, criminal *

Hussain Bisad Hussain Mahamed Ahmed, more commonly known as Hussain Bisad (born 1975) () is one of the tallest people in the world, at . He held the record for the largest hands of anyone alive until Sultan Kosen took the record. His hands are 10.59 inches or 2 ...

, former world's tallest person - current largest hands *

Mahmood Hussein Mattan Mahmood Hussein Mattan (1923 – 3 September 1952) was a British Somali former merchant seaman who was wrongfully convicted of the murder of Lily Volpert on 6 March 1952. The murder took place in the Docklands area of Cardiff, Wales, and Mat ...

, sailor

References

{{Reflist Somalian diaspora in the United Kingdom