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. Although the story has become firmly entrenched in the sport's folklore, it is not supported by first-hand evidence, and is discounted by most rugby historians as an origin myth. The Webb Ellis Cup is presented to the winners of the Rugby World Cup. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. William Webb Ellis is the 111th most popular inventor (down from 89th in 2019), the 1,047th most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 702nd in 2019) and the 17th most popular British Inventor.
William Webb Ellis is most famous for being the inventor of Rugby.
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Among INVENTORS
Among inventors, William Webb Ellis ranks 111 out of 426. Before him are Henry Bessemer, Étienne-Jules Marey, Orban, Walter Hunt, Abraham-Louis Breguet, and Vladimir K. Zworykin. After him are Johann Philipp Reis, David Bushnell, Josiah Warren, Clément Ader, Jacque Fresco, and Robert Noyce.
Most Popular Inventors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsHenry Bessemer
1813 - 1898
HPI: 67.66
Rank: 105
Étienne-Jules Marey
1830 - 1904
HPI: 67.51
Rank: 106
Orban
1404 - 1453
HPI: 67.46
Rank: 107
Walter Hunt
1796 - 1859
HPI: 67.44
Rank: 108
Abraham-Louis Breguet
1747 - 1823
HPI: 67.40
Rank: 109
Vladimir K. Zworykin
1888 - 1982
HPI: 67.32
Rank: 110
William Webb Ellis
1806 - 1872
HPI: 67.24
Rank: 111
Johann Philipp Reis
1834 - 1874
HPI: 67.07
Rank: 112
David Bushnell
1742 - 1824
HPI: 66.94
Rank: 113
Josiah Warren
1798 - 1874
HPI: 66.85
Rank: 114
Clément Ader
1841 - 1925
HPI: 66.77
Rank: 115
Jacque Fresco
1916 - 2017
HPI: 66.74
Rank: 116
Robert Noyce
1927 - 1990
HPI: 66.64
Rank: 117
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1806, William Webb Ellis ranks 13. Before him are Catherine Labouré, Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Charles Gleyre, and Omar Pasha. After him are Duchenne de Boulogne, Pierre Guillaume Frédéric le Play, Alphonse Pyramus de Candolle, Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov, Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, and Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller. Among people deceased in 1872, William Webb Ellis ranks 14. Before him are Benito Juárez, Stanisław Moniuszko, N. F. S. Grundtvig, Franz Grillparzer, George Robert Gray, and Aleksis Kivi. After him are Ljudevit Gaj, Mary Somerville, Charles-Eugène Delaunay, Mpande kaSenzangakhona, Prince Albert of Prussia, and Vladimir Dal.
Others Born in 1806
Go to all RankingsCatherine Labouré
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1806 - 1876
HPI: 70.80
Rank: 7
Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies
COMPANION
1806 - 1878
HPI: 70.07
Rank: 8
Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia
POLITICIAN
1806 - 1885
HPI: 69.90
Rank: 9
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
ENGINEER
1806 - 1859
HPI: 69.19
Rank: 10
Charles Gleyre
PAINTER
1806 - 1874
HPI: 68.64
Rank: 11
Omar Pasha
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1806 - 1871
HPI: 68.58
Rank: 12
William Webb Ellis
INVENTOR
1806 - 1872
HPI: 67.24
Rank: 13
Duchenne de Boulogne
PHYSICIAN
1806 - 1875
HPI: 66.29
Rank: 14
Pierre Guillaume Frédéric le Play
ECONOMIST
1806 - 1882
HPI: 66.14
Rank: 15
Alphonse Pyramus de Candolle
BIOLOGIST
1806 - 1893
HPI: 66.02
Rank: 16
Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov
PAINTER
1806 - 1858
HPI: 65.55
Rank: 17
Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga
COMPOSER
1806 - 1826
HPI: 65.34
Rank: 18
Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller
MUSICIAN
1806 - 1874
HPI: 65.06
Rank: 19
Others Deceased in 1872
Go to all RankingsBenito Juárez
POLITICIAN
1806 - 1872
HPI: 72.81
Rank: 8
Stanisław Moniuszko
COMPOSER
1819 - 1872
HPI: 70.02
Rank: 9
N. F. S. Grundtvig
WRITER
1783 - 1872
HPI: 69.71
Rank: 10
Franz Grillparzer
WRITER
1791 - 1872
HPI: 69.19
Rank: 11
George Robert Gray
BIOLOGIST
1808 - 1872
HPI: 67.72
Rank: 12
Aleksis Kivi
WRITER
1834 - 1872
HPI: 67.41
Rank: 13
William Webb Ellis
INVENTOR
1806 - 1872
HPI: 67.24
Rank: 14
Ljudevit Gaj
WRITER
1809 - 1872
HPI: 66.99
Rank: 15
Mary Somerville
ASTRONOMER
1780 - 1872
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 16
Charles-Eugène Delaunay
MATHEMATICIAN
1816 - 1872
HPI: 66.17
Rank: 17
Mpande kaSenzangakhona
POLITICIAN
1798 - 1872
HPI: 65.98
Rank: 18
Prince Albert of Prussia
POLITICIAN
1809 - 1872
HPI: 65.66
Rank: 19
Vladimir Dal
PHYSICIAN
1801 - 1872
HPI: 65.15
Rank: 20
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, William Webb Ellis ranks 1,047 out of 8,785. Before him are William Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong (1810), Keith O'Brien (1938), N. R. Pogson (1829), Duncan I of Scotland (1001), John Cale (1942), and Dennis W. Sciama (1926). After him are Ninian (360), Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood (1864), Robert Knox (1791), Katherine Woodville, Duchess of Buckingham (1458), Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers (1878), and Anna Atkins (1799).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsWilliam Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong
ENGINEER
1810 - 1900
HPI: 67.28
Rank: 1,041
Keith O'Brien
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1938 - 2018
HPI: 67.28
Rank: 1,042
N. R. Pogson
ASTRONOMER
1829 - 1891
HPI: 67.28
Rank: 1,043
Duncan I of Scotland
POLITICIAN
1001 - 1040
HPI: 67.26
Rank: 1,044
John Cale
MUSICIAN
1942 - Present
HPI: 67.24
Rank: 1,045
Dennis W. Sciama
PHYSICIST
1926 - 1999
HPI: 67.24
Rank: 1,046
William Webb Ellis
INVENTOR
1806 - 1872
HPI: 67.24
Rank: 1,047
Ninian
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
360 - 432
HPI: 67.23
Rank: 1,048
Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood
DIPLOMAT
1864 - 1958
HPI: 67.22
Rank: 1,049
Robert Knox
PHYSICIAN
1791 - 1862
HPI: 67.22
Rank: 1,050
Katherine Woodville, Duchess of Buckingham
NOBLEMAN
1458 - 1497
HPI: 67.22
Rank: 1,051
Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers
TENNIS PLAYER
1878 - 1960
HPI: 67.21
Rank: 1,052
Anna Atkins
BIOLOGIST
1799 - 1871
HPI: 67.21
Rank: 1,053
Among INVENTORS In United Kingdom
Among inventors born in United Kingdom, William Webb Ellis ranks 17. Before him are Henry Fox Talbot (1800), Rowland Hill (1795), Thomas Savery (1650), John Harrison (1693), Richard Arkwright (1732), and Henry Bessemer (1813). After him are James Hargreaves (1720), Edmund Cartwright (1743), Samuel Crompton (1753), W. O. Bentley (1888), John Kay (1704), and Robert Stirling (1790).
Henry Fox Talbot
1800 - 1877
HPI: 70.63
Rank: 11
Rowland Hill
1795 - 1879
HPI: 69.62
Rank: 12
Thomas Savery
1650 - 1715
HPI: 68.36
Rank: 13
John Harrison
1693 - 1776
HPI: 68.12
Rank: 14
Richard Arkwright
1732 - 1792
HPI: 67.93
Rank: 15
Henry Bessemer
1813 - 1898
HPI: 67.66
Rank: 16
William Webb Ellis
1806 - 1872
HPI: 67.24
Rank: 17
James Hargreaves
1720 - 1778
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 18
Edmund Cartwright
1743 - 1823
HPI: 66.49
Rank: 19
Samuel Crompton
1753 - 1827
HPI: 66.38
Rank: 20
W. O. Bentley
1888 - 1971
HPI: 65.86
Rank: 21
John Kay
1704 - 1779
HPI: 64.88
Rank: 22
Robert Stirling
1790 - 1878
HPI: 64.85
Rank: 23