There have been several notable individuals of this name in British history.

John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk (1442 - 1491) was the son of William de la Pole, the first duke, who was executed in 1450.

He was married to Margaret Beaufort in 1450 but the marriage was annuled. John succeeded to the title and in 1460 or 1461 married Elizabeth, the sister of King Edward IV of England.

John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln (1462/1464 - 1487) was the eldest son of the above.

During the last year of the reign of King Richard III, he was designated heir to the throne, being Richard's closest adult male relative in the Yorkist line. After Richard's defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, Lincoln was reconciled with the new king, Henry VII, but soon became impatient for power and tried to achieve it by supporting the claims of the boy pretender, Lambert Simnel. Lincoln was killed at the Battle of Stoke in 1487, at which the rebel army was defeated.