This is a list of encyclopedias and encyclopedic/biographical dictionaries on general biographies in any language. Entries are in the English language except where noted.

General Almanac of famous people. Gale Research, Inc., 1989-. ISSN 1040-127X.

Arnim, Max, Preussische Staatsbibliothek. Internationale Personalbibliographie, 1800–1943. K.W. Hiersemann, 1944–1952. Biographical dictionary. S9.com, 1996. Available online here. Sheehy, 1986, p. 282. Biography in context. Gale Group, 2002-. Available online here. Bourne, J. M. Who's who in World War One. Routledge, 2001. . Brennan, Elizabeth A., Elizabeth C. Clarage, Seymour Topping. Who's who of Pulitzer Prize winners. Oryx Press, 1999. . Burnett, John, David Vincent, David Mayall. The autobiography of the working class: An annotated, critical bibliography. New York University Press, 1984–1989. . Cannon, John Ashton. The Blackwell dictionary of historians. Blackwell Reference, 1988. . Chambers, ed., Joan Bakewell, introduction: Chambers Biographical Dictionary, 9th edition, 2011, Chambers, 1,278 pages. . Short descriptions of 18,000 people from Britain and the rest of the world. Cohn-Sherbok, Dan. The dictionary of Jewish biography. Oxford University Press, 2005. . Contemporary black biography. Gale Research Inc., 1992–. ISSN 1058-1316.

Crystal, David. The Cambridge biographical encyclopedia. Cambridge University Press, 1998. . Current biography illustrated. EBSCO Publishing. Available online here.

Encyclopedia of world biography. Gale Research, 1998-. . ISSN 1099-7326. Europa Publications Limited. World Who's Who. Routledge, 2007-. Available online here.

Great lives from history. Salem Press, 2004–. . Haan, Francisca de, Krasimira Daskalova, Anna Loutfi. Biographical dictionary of women's movements and feminisms in Central, Eastern, and South Eastern Europe: 19th and 20th centuries. CEU Press/Central European University Press, 2006. . Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, ed. Woman's record; or, Sketches of all distinguished women, from "the beginning" till A.D. 1850. Arranged in four eras. With selections from female writers of every age. New York: Harper & Brothers (1853), public domain Jöcher, Christian Gottlieb. Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexicon. Johann Friedrich Gleditschens Buchhandlung, 1750–1751. Kuehl, Warren F. Biographical dictionary of internationalists. Greenwood Press, 1983. .

Jaumann, Herbert. Handbuch gelehrtenkultur der frühen neuzeit. W. de Gruyter, 2004–2005. .

Kramme, U., Ž. Urra Muena. Arab-Islamic biographical archive (AIBA). K. G. Saur, 1994–2002. . Lazell, Barry, ed. with Dafydd Rees and Luke Crampton, Rock Movers and Shakers: An A to Z of the People Who Made Rock Happen, Billboard Publications, Inc., New York, 1989 Lorenz, Clare, Women in Architecture: a contemporary perspective, Rizzoli, New York, 1990 MacKay, James, The Dictionary of Sculptors in Bronze, Antique Collectors Club, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 1977

Marquis biographies online. Marquis Who's Who, 1985-. Available here. Marquis Who's Who. Who's who in the world. Marquis Who's Who, 1971-. Marquis Who's Who. Who's who of emerging leaders. Marquis Who's Who, 2006-.

Naylor, Colin, Contemporary Artists, St. James Press, Chicago and London, 1989 Nobel Foundation. Nobelprize.org. Nobel Web AB. Available online here. Sheehy, 1986, p. 283.

ProQuest obituaries. ProQuest, 1999?-. Available online here.

Richards, J.M., ed, Adolf K. Placzek, American Consultant, Who’s Who in Architecture from 1400 to the present, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1977 Rollyson, Carl E. Biography: An annotated bibliography. Salem Press, 1992. . Saur Verlag, K. G. World biographical information system online. De Gruyter Saur, 2004-. Available online here. Schellinger, Paul E. St. James guide to biography. St. James Press, 1991. .

Sherby, Louise S., Wilhelm Odelberg. The who's who of Nobel Prize winners, 1901–2000. Oryx Press, 2002. . Slcoum, Robert B. Biographical dictionaries and related works: An international bibliography of more than 16,000 collective biographies . . . Gale Research, 1986. . Smith, Bonnie G. The Oxford encyclopedia of women in world history. Oxford University Press, 2008. Televski, Nick, Knocking On Heaven’s Door: Rock Obituaries, Omnibus Press, London 2006

Union of International Associations. Yearbook of international organizations online. Union of International Associations, 2000-. Available online here.Guide to Reference: Government Publications

Vernoff, Edward, Rima Shore. The Penguin international dictionary of contemporary biography: From 1900 to the present. Penguin Reference, 2001. . Who's who in world Jewry. Pitman, 1955–1988. ISSN 0511-9138.

Regional

Africa The Africa Centre. Africa contemporary database. The Africa Centre, 2001. Available online here.Guide to Reference: History of Africa African studies. Columbia University, 1999-. Available online here. Appiah, Anthony, Henry Louis Gates. Africana: The encyclopedia of the African and African American experience. Oxford University Press, 2005. . Cook, Chris. The making of modern Africa: A guide to archives. Facts on File, 1995. . Julien, Charles André. Les Africains. Éditions J. A., 1977. . Lipschutz, Mark R., R. Kent Rasmussen. Dictionary of African historical biography. University of California Press, 1986. . Makers of modern Africa. Africa Journal for Africa Books, 1981–1996. ISSN 0261-1570. McIlwaine, John. Africa: A guide to reference material. Hans Zell, 2007. . Mediavilla, Victor Herrero, K. G. Saur Verlag. African biographical archive. K. G. Saur Verlag, 1994–1997. . Núnẽz, Benjamín. Dictionary of Portuguese-African civilization. Hans Zell, 1995–1996. . Shavit, David. The United States in Africa: A historical dictionary. Greenwood Press, 1989. . Weidmann, Conrad. Deutsche männer in Afrika: Lexicon der hervorragensten deutschen Afrika-forscher, missionare, etc. B. Nöhring, 1894.

African islands

Canary Islands

Cape Verde

Comoros

Madagascar

Mauritius

Mayotte

Réunion

Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and Tristan de Cunha

Sao Tome and Principe

Seychelles

Central Africa Brockman, Norbert C. An African biographical dictionary. Grey House Publ., 2006. . Sheldon, Kathleen E. Historical dictionary of women in sub-Saharan Africa. Scarecrow Press, 2005. .

Angola Núnẽz, Benjamín. Dictionary of Portuguese-African civilization. Hans Zell, 1995–1996. .

Burundi

Cameroon Echu, George. Who's who au Cameroun: recueil biographique des personnalités du Cameroun. Africana Publications. .

Central African Republic

Chad Rouvreur, Albert Le, Paule Deville, Joseph Tubiana. Eléments pour un dictionnaire biographique du Tchad et du Niger (Téda et Daza). Editions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1978. .

Democratic Republic of the Congo Kindulu, Joseph-Roger Mazanza, Cornelis Nlandu-Tsasa. Les nouveaux cadres congolais: Figures d'aujourd'hui et de demain. Harmattan, 2005. .

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Republic of the Congo

Sao Tome and Principe

East Africa Brockman, Norbert C. An African biographical dictionary. Grey House Publ., 2006. . Sheldon, Kathleen E. Historical dictionary of women in sub-Saharan Africa. Scarecrow Press, 2005. .

Burundi

Comoros Jérôme, Daniel Trinquet. 1000 célébrités de la Réunion et les 150 personnalités des îles de l'océan Indien. Dicorphie, 2009. . . (French).

Djibouti

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Kenya Who is who in Kenya. Africa Book Services, 1982–1983.

Madagascar Cornevin, Robert, Jacques Serre, Académie des sciences d'outre-mer. Hommes et destins: Dictionnaire biographique d'outre-mer. Académie des sciences d'outre-mer, 1975–2011. .

Malawi

Mauritius Sheehy, 1986, p. 309.

Mayotte

Mozambique Ferreira, Alexandre A. Moçambique, 1489–1975. Prefácio-Edição de Livros e Revistas, Lda, . . (Portuguese) Núnẽz, Benjamín. Dictionary of Portuguese-African civilization. Hans Zell, 1995–1996. .

Réunion Jérôme, Daniel Trinquet. 1000 célébrités de la Réunion et les 150 personnalités des îles de l'océan Indien. Dicorphie, 2009. . . (French).

Seychelles Jérôme, Daniel Trinquet. 1000 célébrités de la Réunion et les 150 personnalités des îles de l'océan Indien. Dicorphie, 2009. . . (French). Mancham, James R. Seychelles: Personalities of yesterday. Mahe Publications, 2005. .

Somalia

South Sudan

Sudan

Tanzania

Uganda Who's who in Uganda. Fountain, 1994. .

Horn of Africa Bidwell, Robin. Arabian personalities of the early twentieth century. Oleander Press, 1986. . Brockman, Norbert C. An African biographical dictionary. Grey House Publ., 2006. . Sheldon, Kathleen E. Historical dictionary of women in sub-Saharan Africa. Scarecrow Press, 2005. .

Djibouti

Eritrea

Ethiopia Belaynesh, Michael, Stanislaw Chojnacki, Richard Pankhurst. The Dictionary of Ethiopian biography. Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa University, 1975–.

Somalia

North Africa Bidwell, Robin. Arabian personalities of the early twentieth century. Oleander Press, 1986. . Fischbach, Michael R. Biographical encyclopedia of the modern Middle East and North Africa. Gale Group, 2008. . Kramme, U., Z. Urra Muena. Arab-Islamic biographical archive (AIBA). K. G. Saur, 1994–2002. .

Algeria

Egypt David, A. Rosalie, Antony E. David. A biographical dictionary of ancient Egypt. Seaby, 1992. .

Leick, Gwendolyn. Who's who in the Ancient Near East. Routledge, 1999. . Rice, Michael. Who's who in ancient Egypt. Routledge, 1999. . Shimoni, Yaacov. The Biographical dictionary of the Middle East. Facts on File, 1991. . Ummah Briss lil-Iʻlām wa-al-Nashr. Who's who in Egypt. Ummah Press Service, 1995–.

Morocco Who's who in Morocco. S.l.: Editions Media C.O.P.E., 1998–2001.

South Sudan

Sudan

Tunisia Clausen, Ursel. Tunisie: Notes biographiques. Deutsches Orient-Institut, 1976. Zmerli, Sadok, Ḥammādī Sāḥilī. Figures tunisiennes. Dar al-Gharb al-Islami, 1993.

Southern Africa Brockman, Norbert C. An African biographical dictionary. Grey House Publ., 2006. . Rosenthal, Eric. Southern African dictionary of national biography. Warne, . Sheldon, Kathleen E. Historical dictionary of women in sub-Saharan Africa. Scarecrow Press, 2005. . Who's who of southern Africa. Who's Who of Southern Africa, 2007-. Available online here.

Angola

Botswana Rosenthal, Eric. Southern African dictionary of national biography. Warne, .

Comoros Jérôme, Daniel Trinquet. 1000 célébrités de la Réunion et les 150 personnalités des îles de l'océan Indien. Dicorphie, 2009. . . (French).

Lesotho Rosenthal, Eric. Southern African dictionary of national biography. Warne, .

Madagascar

Malawi M'Passou, Denis, Mary C. Piringu. Who is who of Malawi. Spot Publications, 1995. . Rosenthal, Eric. Southern African dictionary of national biography. Warne, .

Mayotte

Mozambique Ferreira, Alexandre A. Moçambique, 1489–1975. Prefácio-Edição de Livros e Revistas, Lda, . . (Portuguese) Rosenthal, Eric. Southern African dictionary of national biography. Warne, .

Namibia Rosenthal, Eric. Southern African dictionary of national biography. Warne, .

Réunion Jérôme, Daniel Trinquet. 1000 célébrités de la Réunion et les 150 personnalités des îles de l'océan Indien. Dicorphie, 2009. . . (French).

Seychelles Jérôme, Daniel Trinquet. 1000 célébrités de la Réunion et les 150 personnalités des îles de l'océan Indien. Dicorphie, 2009. . . (French).

South Africa Brockman, Norbert C. An African biographical dictionary. Grey House Publ., 2006. . Joyce, Peter. A concise dictionary of South African biography. Francolin, 1999. . National Council for Social Research (South Africa). Dictionary of South African biography. Nasional Boekhandel Bpk. for National Council for Social Research, Dept. of Higher Education, 1968–1987. Rosenthal, Eric. Southern African dictionary of national biography. Warne, .

Swaziland Jones, Huw M. A biographical register of Swaziland to 1902. University of Natal Press, 1993. .