The number of Canadians who are of English descent is largely unknowable given the propensity of many Canadians to use the term "English Canadians" or "English-Canadians" to mean anglophone Canadians [citation needed].
Notable English immigrants to Canada[edit]
- Roger Abbott, comedian – born in Birkenhead
- Steve Armitage, sports announcer – born in Buckinghamshire
- Michael Bonacini, celebrity chef, restaurant owner, born in Wales
- Patrick Brown, broadcast journalist
- Mackenzie Bowell, 5th Prime Minister of Canada
- Kim Cattrall, actress
- Garry Chalk, actor and voice actor
- Michael Cowpland, entrepreneur and businessman
- Alfred Gardyne de Chastelain, father of Canadian general John de Chastelain
- Richie Hawtin, Electronic musician and disc jockey
- David Hewlett, actor famous for his role as Dr. Rodney McKay in Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe and who was born in Redhill, Surrey, England but later raised in Canada at the age of four after emigrating there with his family.
- Dick Howard, soccer commentator – raised in Birkenhead
- Lennox Lewis, former professional boxer
- Peter Mansbridge, broadcast journalist and television news anchor
- Julian Richings, character actor
- Dave Ridgway, former CFL placekicker
- Ron Searle, 4th mayor of Mississauga
- Nina Tangri, politician
- Amanda Tapping, actress
- Claire Trevena, politician
- John Turner, 17th Prime Minister of Canada
- Chris Wiggins, actor
- Maurice Dean Wint, actor
- Robin Wood, film critic and educator
- Frank Yallop, former soccer player and current team manager – raised in Watford and Vancouver
- Alan Young, actor, comedian, radio host and television host
Notable Canadians of English descent[edit]
- Martin Short, stand-up comedian
- Bryan Adams, popular music star performer
- Margaret Atwood, fiction writer
- Oswald Avery, medical researcher – born in Halifax, Nova Scotia to English immigrant family.
- Earl W. Bascom, artist, sculptor, inventor, actor, Hall of Fame inductee, "Father of Modern Rodeo", grandson of English immigrant
- R. B. Bennett, 11th Prime Minister of Canada – of New England Planter descent; Bennett family had migrated to Connecticut in the 17th century.
- Billy Bishop, flying ace
- Robert Borden, 8th Prime Minister of Canada – of New England Planter descent; paternal ancestor Richard Borden settled in Portsmouth, Rhode Island in 1638.
- John Candy, actor
- John Carling, son of English migrant to Upper Canada and brewery founder Thomas Carling, politician and along with his brother ran brewery.
- Hayden Christensen, actor – portrayed the teen-aged and adult Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequel trilogy
- Adam "Edge" Copeland, actor and retired professional wrestler
- Catherine Disher, actress and comedian
- Paul Dobson, voice actor
- David Edgar, soccer player – father is former pro Eddie Edgar
- Owen Hargreaves, soccer player – English mother and Welsh father
- Stephen Harper, 22nd Prime Minister of Canada
- Joseph Howe, prominent Nova Scotia leader and father of Confederation – son of a United Empire Loyalist, the Howe family were descendant of Puritan migrants.
- Michael Ironside, Canadian actor of English, Scottish and Irish descent
- Carly Rae Jepsen, singer-songwriter and actress
- Sonija Kwok, Hong Kong actress, born there to English and Chinese parentage
- Jack Layton, New Democratic Party leader – Laytons immigrated to Canada
- Shawn Mendes, singer-songwriter – English mother
- Mike Myers, actor and comedian – parents immigrated to Canada from the Liverpool area
- Steve Nash, star basketball player – born to British expatriates in South Africa, raised along with soccer player brother Martin in Victoria, British Columbia.
- Christopher Plummer, Academy Award-winning actor
- Keanu Reeves, film actor
- Glenn Stetson, singer and member of vocal group The Diamonds – family origins are in Devon
- John Abbott, 3rd Prime Minister of Canada
- Cobie Smulders Canadian actress with English descent