The English are foreign born people from England. As such, they are first generation English people and therefore are not people claiming an ancestry from England who are commonly known as Anglo-Americans.

Historically, they descended from several peoples — the earlier Britons and the Germanic peoples that settled in Britain following the withdrawal of the Romans. Collectively known as the Anglo-Saxons, they founded what is now known as England.

They are the source of the English language, the common law system and numerous major sports such as football, rugby and tennis. Their influence has caused English cultural characteristics to spread worldwide.

They follow the established religion in England, the Anglican Church of England, a denomination of Christianity headed by the Queen and with special position within England's Constitution. English also are Roman Catholic, Methodists, and Baptists.