INVENTOR
William Webb Ellis
1806 - 1872
William Webb Ellis
William Webb Ellis (24 November 1806 – 24 February 1872) was an English Anglican clergyman who, by tradition, has been credited as the inventor of rugby football while a pupil at Rugby School. According to legend, Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it during a school football match in 1823, thus creating the "rugby" style of play. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of William Webb Ellis has received more than 733,344 page views. His biography is available in 24 different languages on Wikipedia. William Webb Ellis is the 89th most popular inventor (up from 106th in 2019), the 702nd most popular biography from United Kingdom (up from 838th in 2019) and the 16th most popular British Inventor.
William Webb Ellis is most famous for being the inventor of Rugby.
Memorability Metrics
730k
Page Views (PV)
62.37
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
24
Languages Editions (L)
6.22
Effective Languages (L*)
2.28
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among INVENTORS
Among inventors, William Webb Ellis ranks 89 out of 426. Before him are Henry Bessemer, James Hargreaves, Richard Arkwright, Vladimir K. Zworykin, Alexander Stepanovich Popov, and Mary the Jewess. After him are Wolfgang von Kempelen, Henri Coandă, Étienne-Jules Marey, André-Jacques Garnerin, Daniel Swarovski, and Elisha Otis.
Most Popular Inventors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsHenry Bessemer
1813 - 1898
HPI: 63.04
Rank: 83
James Hargreaves
1720 - 1778
HPI: 63.02
Rank: 84
Richard Arkwright
1732 - 1792
HPI: 62.93
Rank: 85
Vladimir K. Zworykin
1888 - 1982
HPI: 62.90
Rank: 86
Alexander Stepanovich Popov
1859 - 1906
HPI: 62.85
Rank: 87
Mary the Jewess
100 - 100
HPI: 62.45
Rank: 88
William Webb Ellis
1806 - 1872
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 89
Wolfgang von Kempelen
1734 - 1804
HPI: 62.15
Rank: 90
Henri Coandă
1886 - 1972
HPI: 62.12
Rank: 91
Étienne-Jules Marey
1830 - 1904
HPI: 62.09
Rank: 92
André-Jacques Garnerin
1769 - 1823
HPI: 62.07
Rank: 93
Daniel Swarovski
1862 - 1956
HPI: 62.06
Rank: 94
Elisha Otis
1811 - 1861
HPI: 61.86
Rank: 95
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1806, William Webb Ellis ranks 11. Before him are Catherine Labouré, Emilia Plater, Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia, Otto Wilhelm Hermann von Abich, and Omar Pasha. After him are Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller, Charles Gleyre, Alphonse Pyramus de Candolle, and Johan Vilhelm Snellman. Among people deceased in 1872, William Webb Ellis ranks 10. Before him are Princess Sophie of Bavaria, Charles XV of Sweden, Théophile Gautier, Benito Juárez, Franz Grillparzer, and N. F. S. Grundtvig. After him are Stanisław Moniuszko, William John Macquorn Rankine, Ljudevit Gaj, Aleksis Kivi, Immanuel Nobel, and Zeng Guofan.
Others Born in 1806
Go to all RankingsCatherine Labouré
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1806 - 1876
HPI: 65.17
Rank: 5
Emilia Plater
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1806 - 1831
HPI: 64.87
Rank: 6
Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies
COMPANION
1806 - 1878
HPI: 64.33
Rank: 7
Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia
POLITICIAN
1806 - 1885
HPI: 63.57
Rank: 8
Otto Wilhelm Hermann von Abich
BIOLOGIST
1806 - 1886
HPI: 63.56
Rank: 9
Omar Pasha
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1806 - 1871
HPI: 62.86
Rank: 10
William Webb Ellis
INVENTOR
1806 - 1872
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 11
Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov
PAINTER
1806 - 1858
HPI: 61.71
Rank: 12
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
ENGINEER
1806 - 1859
HPI: 59.48
Rank: 13
Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller
MUSICIAN
1806 - 1874
HPI: 59.26
Rank: 14
Charles Gleyre
PAINTER
1806 - 1874
HPI: 59.03
Rank: 15
Alphonse Pyramus de Candolle
BIOLOGIST
1806 - 1893
HPI: 58.85
Rank: 16
Johan Vilhelm Snellman
PHILOSOPHER
1806 - 1881
HPI: 58.09
Rank: 17
Others Deceased in 1872
Go to all RankingsPrincess Sophie of Bavaria
NOBLEMAN
1805 - 1872
HPI: 72.45
Rank: 4
Charles XV of Sweden
POLITICIAN
1826 - 1872
HPI: 70.35
Rank: 5
Théophile Gautier
WRITER
1811 - 1872
HPI: 69.68
Rank: 6
Benito Juárez
POLITICIAN
1806 - 1872
HPI: 66.18
Rank: 7
Franz Grillparzer
WRITER
1791 - 1872
HPI: 63.13
Rank: 8
N. F. S. Grundtvig
WRITER
1783 - 1872
HPI: 62.57
Rank: 9
William Webb Ellis
INVENTOR
1806 - 1872
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 10
Stanisław Moniuszko
COMPOSER
1819 - 1872
HPI: 62.18
Rank: 11
William John Macquorn Rankine
ENGINEER
1820 - 1872
HPI: 62.07
Rank: 12
Ljudevit Gaj
WRITER
1809 - 1872
HPI: 60.67
Rank: 13
Aleksis Kivi
WRITER
1834 - 1872
HPI: 60.62
Rank: 14
Immanuel Nobel
ENGINEER
1801 - 1872
HPI: 60.51
Rank: 15
Zeng Guofan
POLITICIAN
1811 - 1872
HPI: 60.09
Rank: 16
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, William Webb Ellis ranks 702 out of 8,785. Before him are Charles Wheatstone (1802), James May (1963), George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592), Peter Greenaway (1942), Francis Hutcheson (1694), and David Brewster (1781). After him are Julian Huxley (1887), Chris Rea (1951), Ann Radcliffe (1764), John Surtees (1934), Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (1964), and Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford (1550).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsCharles Wheatstone
PHYSICIST
1802 - 1875
HPI: 62.46
Rank: 696
James May
WRITER
1963 - Present
HPI: 62.45
Rank: 697
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
POLITICIAN
1592 - 1628
HPI: 62.44
Rank: 698
Peter Greenaway
FILM DIRECTOR
1942 - Present
HPI: 62.41
Rank: 699
Francis Hutcheson
PHILOSOPHER
1694 - 1746
HPI: 62.41
Rank: 700
David Brewster
PHYSICIST
1781 - 1868
HPI: 62.38
Rank: 701
William Webb Ellis
INVENTOR
1806 - 1872
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 702
Julian Huxley
BIOLOGIST
1887 - 1975
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 703
Chris Rea
SINGER
1951 - Present
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 704
Ann Radcliffe
WRITER
1764 - 1823
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 705
John Surtees
RACING DRIVER
1934 - 2017
HPI: 62.36
Rank: 706
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
NOBLEMAN
1964 - Present
HPI: 62.36
Rank: 707
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
POLITICIAN
1550 - 1604
HPI: 62.36
Rank: 708
Among INVENTORS In United Kingdom
Among inventors born in United Kingdom, William Webb Ellis ranks 16. Before him are John Boyd Dunlop (1840), Henry Fox Talbot (1800), Thomas Savery (1650), Henry Bessemer (1813), James Hargreaves (1720), and Richard Arkwright (1732). After him are John Harrison (1693), Edmund Cartwright (1743), Samuel Crompton (1753), W. O. Bentley (1888), John Kay (1704), and Charles Algernon Parsons (1854).
John Boyd Dunlop
1840 - 1921
HPI: 66.19
Rank: 10
Henry Fox Talbot
1800 - 1877
HPI: 66.10
Rank: 11
Thomas Savery
1650 - 1715
HPI: 63.17
Rank: 12
Henry Bessemer
1813 - 1898
HPI: 63.04
Rank: 13
James Hargreaves
1720 - 1778
HPI: 63.02
Rank: 14
Richard Arkwright
1732 - 1792
HPI: 62.93
Rank: 15
William Webb Ellis
1806 - 1872
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 16
John Harrison
1693 - 1776
HPI: 61.11
Rank: 17
Edmund Cartwright
1743 - 1823
HPI: 61.11
Rank: 18
Samuel Crompton
1753 - 1827
HPI: 59.47
Rank: 19
W. O. Bentley
1888 - 1971
HPI: 59.01
Rank: 20
John Kay
1704 - 1779
HPI: 58.15
Rank: 21
Charles Algernon Parsons
1854 - 1931
HPI: 58.03
Rank: 22