Stafford has been home to, or associated with, numerous historical and contemporary notable figures:
* **Izaak Walton (1593–1683):** Author of the seminal fishing book *The Compleat Angler*, born in Stafford. * **Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816):** Famed Irish playwright (*The School for Scandal*) and long-serving Member of Parliament for Stafford. * **Francis Barber (c.1742–1801):** The Jamaican-born manservant, assistant, and heir to literary giant Samuel Johnson; Barber retired to the Stafford area. * **Dave Follows (1941–2003):** Beloved cartoonist best known for his long-running comic strip *May un Mar Lady*. * **Storm Constantine (1956–2021):** Prolific science fiction and fantasy author who resided in Stafford.