After ranking the tallest men in history, Wetall invites you today to discover who the tallest women of all time are.
We’ll start with those officially verified, then look at credible cases without official measurements. We’ll continue with famous giantesses and wrap up with a few tall French women.
The ten tallest women of all time:
- Zeng Jinlian: 8’1½”, Chinese
- Anna Haining Bates: 7’11½”, Canadian
- Jane Bunford: 7’10¾”, English
- Yao Defen: 7’8″, Chinese
- Sandy Allen: 7’7¼”, American
- Vasiliki Caliandi: 7’6¼”, Greek
- Sun Fang La: 7’3″, Chinese
- Małgorzata Dydek: 7’1¾”, Polish
- Zainab Bibi: 7’1¾”, Pakistani
- Rumeysa Gelgi: 7’0¼”, Turkish
1/ Zeng Jinlian, 8’1½”
Zeng Jinlian is officially the tallest woman of all time. She was born on June 26, 1964 in Yujiang in the People’s Republic of China. She died on February 13, 1982 at only 17 years old while she was still growing. She could have become the tallest person of all time without this premature death. At her death, she was taller than Robert Wadlow at the same age.
Here is a table comparing their incredible growths:
| Age | Zeng Jinlian | Robert Wadlow |
| 4 years old | 5’1½” | 5’3″ |
| 13 years old | 7’1½” | 7’1¾” |
| 16 years old | 7’10½” | 7’10½” |
| 17 years old | 8’1″ | 8’0½” |
For reference, Robert Wadlow reached 8’11” at age 22, the age at which he died. Jinlian’s hands measured 10 inches and her feet 14 inches. She weighed 304 lbs. In addition to acromegaly, she suffered from scoliosis and diabetes. Standing upright was very difficult for her. Her family was of normal height — her father stood 5’4″, her mother 5’1″, and her brother 5’2″.
2/ Anna Haining Bates, 7’11½”
Anna Haining Swan (married Bates) was born in New England (Canada) on August 6, 1846. At her death on August 5, 1888 at 41 years old she measured 2m43. She was the tallest woman of her time. 
Anna’s growth does not resemble that of Zeng Jinlian but takes on more classic appearances:
| Age | Height |
| 4 years old | 4’6″ |
| 5 years old | 4’8″ |
| 6 years old | 5’2″ |
| 11 years old | 6’2″ |
| 15 years old | 6’11” |
At 22 years old, Anna weighed 353 lbs and wore a size 14 (US women’s) shoe. It’s clear she followed the growth curve of a very tall person, but not necessarily one destined to become the second tallest woman of all time. Her extraordinary frame attracted attention, and at 16 she was recruited to perform at the American Museum on Broadway. The offer was very appealing: her mother could move with her, she would earn a solid salary for the time ($1,000), and she could continue her studies and put her sharp intellect to good use.
On July 13, 1865, a fire broke out at the American Museum while she was there. With the staircase in flames, she nearly perished because her size prevented her from fitting through the window. Fortunately, museum employees found a winch, broke through the wall, and lowered her to safety with the help of 18 men.
In 1871, Anna went on a tour of Europe, during which she met Martin Van Buren Bates, who would become her husband. He was from Kentucky and stood 7’8″. They married on June 17, 1871, in London. After returning to the US, they bought a farm in Ohio and settled there. Their home had 14-foot ceilings and 8’6″ doors, with all furniture custom-made. Every summer they toured with the W.W. Cole Circus.
The world’s tallest couple also had two tragic children. The first, a girl, weighed 18 lbs at birth and died shortly after. Four years later they had a boy who weighed 23.6 lbs at birth — the heaviest newborn ever recorded. He measured 29.5 inches and had feet measuring 6 inches. He died 11 hours later. On August 15, 1888, Anna passed away in her sleep, much like André the Giant. It was the eve of her 42nd birthday; she had tuberculosis.
3/Jane Bunford, 7’10¾”
Jane Bunford was born on June 26, 1895, near Birmingham, England. She died at age 26 on April 1, 1922, standing 7’10¾”, and was the tallest woman of her era. Jane is one of the most mysterious giantesses in history. Although her height was officially confirmed, she never allowed any photographs to be taken. The only proof is her enormous skeleton, which confirmed her stature.
Jane’s growth was also atypical, though different from her two predecessors. Unlike them, there were no signs of gigantism until she was 11. It was after a bicycle accident in which she fractured her skull on the ground that everything changed. The accident damaged her pituitary gland, permanently disrupting her growth; it is this gland that produces growth hormones. Here is an overview of her growth:
| Age | Height |
| 13 years old | 6’6″ |
| 15 years old | 7’0″ |
| 19 years old | 7’8″ |
| 21 years old | 7’10” |
| 26 years old | 7’10¾” |
She always refused to appear in public to put her uniqueness on display for money. Jane also had the distinction of having the longest hair in the world — it reached her ankles and measured 8’1″. She chose to live out her days in seclusion, limiting visits to those closest to her. She also suffered greatly from back pain, like Jinlian and others.
Everyone believed Jane had been buried on April 5, 1922. But a scandal erupted 50 years later. After a journalist took a few photos, the Guinness Book of Records caught wind of a giant skeleton housed in the anatomy department of the University of Birmingham. It belonged to a woman who had disappeared around 1922, and the origin of the skeleton had been kept secret. Since the country had not seen many giants of that stature, the connection was quickly made and the truth came out. Following this, her family was finally able to reclaim the skeleton for a proper burial. Without this discovery, Jane would never have appeared on this list and no one would have heard of her again.
4/ Yao Defen, 7’8″
Yao Defen was born on July 15, 1972, in Xian de Shucheng. She passed away on November 30, 2012, at age 40.
Like most giants, Yao suffered from gigantism. Her doctor identified it when she was 15, at which point she already stood 6’11”. Unfortunately, her parents, simple farmers, could not afford the operation to treat her.
She tried to pursue sports, but her fragile constitution prevented her. Instead, she took part in traveling exhibitions alongside her father. A British television program made a documentary about her and funded a surgery that slowed her growth and reduced her pain.
5/ Sandy Allen, 7’7¼”
Sandy Allen was born in 1955 and passed away on August 13, 2008, at age 53. At the time of her death, she stood 7’7¼”.
She has the distinction of having written a book about her condition: Cast a Giant Shadow. A French author also wrote a book about her: Le silence de Sandy Allen. Sandy was fortunate enough to undergo surgery at age 22 — without it, she would have continued growing without end.
Her remarkable height opened some doors in Hollywood, landing her roles in Fellini’s Casanova and Side Show.
At an older age, she was forced to use a wheelchair, as her legs and back caused her too much pain.
6/ Vasiliki Caliandi, 7’6¼”
Vasiliki Caliandi was born in 1882 and died in 1904 at age 22. Unfortunately, she left behind very little information about herself. We know only that she lived in the Greek village of Corinth. Her feet and hands appeared enormous, as did her eyes, which were described as being “as big as hen’s eggs.” It also seems she chose to stay far away from circuses and exhibitions.
7/ Sun Fang La, 7’3″
Sun Fang, like several other giantesses, shares very little about her tall stature. She is currently the tallest living woman in the world.
Sun was born in 1987 in China and stands 7’3″. She leads a “normal” life in spite of her height. She studied economics at Wuhan University and has also worked at a financial institution, rising to a director-level position.
Sun enjoys a wide range of sports and has a passion for music.
8/ Małgorzata Dydek, 7’1¾”
Małgorzata Dydek (Margo) was born on April 28, 1974, in Poznań, Poland. She passed away on May 27, 2011, in Brisbane, Australia, at age 37. She stood 7’1¾” and wore a US women’s size 22 shoe.
Margo was a professional basketball player of recognized talent. A career highlight was winning the European Championship in 1999 with Poland. She was also the first overall pick in the 1998 WNBA Draft. During her career overseas, she set every possible record for blocked shots. She also played in Poland, France, Spain, and Russia.
Margo’s height was not the result of a glandular disorder or illness; it came purely from genetics. Her father stood 7’4″, her grandfather 6’11¾”, and her mother 6’3¾”.
Margo passed away on May 27, 2011, at age 37. While pregnant with her third child, she suffered a heart attack. She was kept in an induced coma at a Brisbane hospital for eight days before passing away.
9/ Zainab Bibi, 7’1¾”
Zainab Bibi was born in 1972 in Mandi-Rayyan, Pakistan. She passed away in 2018 at age 46 in Manchester. She stood 7’1¾”.
Her life, like many others on this list, was not easy, and she was forced to leave her home country of Pakistan to settle in the United Kingdom. Like many of her peers, she kept public and media appearances to a minimum.
10/ Rumeysa Gelgi, 7’0¼”
Rumeysa Gelgi was born in Turkey in 1997. She stands 7’0¼”. Her hands measure 9.6 inches long and her feet 12 inches. She held the title of world’s tallest teenager for several years.
She suffers from a condition called Weaver syndrome, characterized by accelerated growth and the deformation of certain parts of the body. Cases are extremely rare. She also has scoliosis and fragility in her lower limbs. Unlike the giantesses before her, Rumeysa is very active in the media. She has a blog and an Instagram account.
Tallest women in the world without official measurements
Up to now, we’ve listed the officially measured tallest women of all time. Let’s now take a quick look at women who could have claimed a spot on this list had they been officially measured:
1/ Trijntje Keever, 8’4″
A Dutch legend. She died at 17 and was likely still growing. At 9 years old she already stood 6’7″ and wore a size 14 shoe. She died of cancer and was buried. All that remains of her is a painting and a few legends.
2/ Carolina Rascón, 7’5½”
Carolina was born in the early 1900s in Uruachi, Mexico. She reportedly had Herculean strength. Legend has it she once single-handedly loaded a cast-iron stove onto a donkey’s back. She was very self-conscious about her height and led a reclusive life.
3/Delores Pullard, 7’5½”
Delores was born on August 13, 1946, in Louisiana. At 14, she stood 6’10”. She wore a US women’s size 24 shoe and weighed 430 lbs. On March 11, 1971, she underwent surgery to remove a tumor from her pituitary gland. Initially believed to be a success, she never recovered and passed away on May 19, 1971. She was 24 years old.
4/ Ella Ewing, 7’4″
Born on March 9, 1872, in Lewis County, Missouri, she was the tallest woman of her time. Until age 9 her height was normal, then everything accelerated rapidly. By 10 she stood 5’11¾”. Her parents were farmers who did their best to protect her from onlookers and con men looking to exploit her potential. They eventually accepted an appealing offer on the condition they could accompany her, earning $250,000 for a week of exhibitions at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Following that exposure, she was spotted by a circus and went on to enjoy a 17-year career. She wore a US women’s size 25 shoe. Her time with the circus was reportedly very happy. In 1912 she contracted pneumonia and returned to the family home, where she died on January 10, 1913. The family refused to donate her body to science, and her father kept watch over her grave after her death to prevent any trouble.
5/ Maria Feliciana dos Santos, 7’4″
Maria was born in 1946 in Brazil. She grew normally until age 10, at which point her growth suddenly surged. She was a basketball player, singer, and circus performer. She won the title of world’s tallest woman through a television competition. She also played basketball in Porto Alegre while studying there. In 1971 she played 22 games for the national university team. After foot surgery in 1995, the doctor had to amputate a third of her foot. From then on she was unable to walk properly and relied on a wheelchair. Maria was married and had three children. After her husband died in a car accident, she had no source of income and spent the rest of her life in poverty.
6/ Maria Fassnauer, 7’3″
Maria was born on February 28, 1879, in Ridnaun, in the Tyrol region of Italy. She died on December 4, 1917, at age 38. Maria had a normal height until age 3, followed by very rapid growth that saw her reach 7’1″ by age 15. Although her parents were poor farmers, they always refused exhibition offers. At 27 she decided to take the plunge and toured Europe accompanied by her sister, becoming the main attraction at all kinds of fairs and festivals. She gave all the money she earned to her parents, keeping only what was strictly necessary. Maria was deeply religious and was essentially confined by her contract, which prevented her from appearing in public outside of exhibitions — something that caused her great suffering. Over time she developed leg ulcers that prevented her from standing, and she lost the interest of show organizers. In 1913 she returned to the family farm, physically and emotionally worn down. She died there in December of the following year.
The case of Siddiqa Parveen is also worth noting. She is reported to stand 7’7″. Some sources claim she was officially recognized by the Guinness Book of Records, but no official evidence supports this. She has great difficulty standing upright. More info in this video:
Other notable giantesses
Here are a few more famous names among giantesses who left their mark on history:
- Marianne Wehde: 7’1¾”, German (1866–1882)
- Kaatje van Dyk: 7’0¾”, Dutch (~1905–1968/1980?)
- Eleanor Wagner: 7’0¼”, German (dates unknown)
- Rosa Wedsted: 7’0″, Finnish (1881–1906?)
- Uljana Semnojova; 7’0″, Latvian (1952– )
- Lyuba Shilo: 7’0″, Ukrainian (1976?– )
We hope you enjoyed this article!