Biographical dictionaries — a type of encyclopedic dictionary limited to biographical information — have been written in many languages. Many attempt to cover the major personalities of a country (with limitations, such as living persons only, in Who's Who, or deceased people only, in the DNB). Others are specialised, in that they cover important names in a subject field, such as architecture or engineering. An encyclopedic dictionary typically includes a large number of short listings discussing a wide of topics. ... Sir Thomas Malory wrote the most famous fictional biography of the Middle Ages with Le Morte dArthur about the life of King Arthur. ... Whos Who is the name of a number of publications, generally containing concise biographical information on a particular group of people. ... The Dictionary of National Biography (or DNB) is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history. ...

List of biographical dictionaries

International

• Dictionary of International Biography

A biographical dictionary published annually by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England, reflecting contemporary achievement in every profession and field of interest in as many countries as possible. ...

Australian

• Australian Dictionary of Biography
• Dictionary of Australian Biography

The Dictionary of Australian Biography is a reference work containing information on notable people associated with Australian history. ... The Dictionary of Australian Biography, first published in 1949, is a reference work by Percival Serle containing information on notable people associated with Australian history. ...

Canadian

• Dictionary of Canadian Biography

The Dictionary of Canadian Biography (DoCB) is a dictionary of biographical entries for individuals that have contributed to the History of Canada. ...

English

• A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers
• A Biographical Dictionary of British coleopterists - online at The Coleopterist
• A Biographical Dictionary of Railway Engineers
• Dictionary of National Biography
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
• British Biographical Index

A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland, 2002, 897pp, (ISBN 0-7277-2939-X) discusses the lives of the people who were concerned with building harbours and lighthouses, undertook fen drainage and improved river navigations, built canals, roads, bridges and early railways, and provided water supply... A Biographical Dictionary of Railway Engineers, by John Marshall (b. ... The Dictionary of National Biography (or DNB) is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history. ... British Biographical Index in four vols. ...

Poland

• Polski słownik biograficzny

Polski słownik biograficzny (PSB; English: Polish Biographical Dictionary) is a Polish-language biographical dictionary, comprising an alphabetically arranged compilation of authoritative biographies of, currently, some 25,000 notable Poles and foreigners who have been active in Poland — famous as well as less well-known persons, from Popiel, Piast Ko...

United States

• African American National Biography Project
• Dictionary of American Biography