List of Famous people born in Nelson, New Zealand

Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, was a New Zealand-born British physicist who came to be known as the father of nuclear physics. Encyclopædia Britannica considers him to be the greatest experimentalist since Michael Faraday (1791–1867). Like all New Zealanders at this time, he was a British subject, and spent much of his career in the United Kingdom.

Sir Geoffrey Winston Russell Palmer is a New Zealand lawyer, legal academic, and past politician, who was a member of Parliament from 1979 to 1990. He served as the 33rd Prime Minister of New Zealand for a little over a year, from August 1989 until September 1990, leading the Fourth Labour Government. As Minister of Justice from 1984 to 1989, Palmer was responsible for considerable reforms of the country's legal and constitutional framework, such as the creation of the Constitution Act 1986, New Zealand Bill of Rights, Imperial Laws Application Act, and the State Sector Act. He served as president of the New Zealand Law Commission, from 2005 to 2010.

George Bennett is a New Zealand professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Team Jumbo–Visma. He represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Cedric Russell Marshall, known as Russell Marshall, is a former New Zealand politician of the Labour Party and diplomat.

Carthew Neal is an Academy nominated film, television and interactive producer.

Sir Francis Henry Dillon Bell was a New Zealand lawyer and politician who served as the 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 10 to 30 May 1925. He was the first New Zealand-born prime minister, holding office in a caretaker capacity following the death of William Massey.