10 Tallest Women of the Modern Era

Human height records are a mess of rumors, exaggerations, and badly translated listicles. So instead of random tall ladies, who may or may not have been real (according to the internet or hearsay), let’s focus on women whose heights are backed by Guinness World Records or multiple reliable sources. A few of them were officially crowned as “the tallest living woman” at some point; others turned their extraordinary height into legendary basketball careers, but either way, these ten really are towering figures, literally.

1. Siddiqa Parveen – 7’8″ (234 cm), India

This Indian woman, Siddiqa Parveen, was listed by the GWR as the tallest living woman around 2014, with a reported height of about 7 ft 8 in (234 cm). Her growth was linked to a pituitary disorder, similar to many other extreme-height cases.

2. Yao Defen – 7’7″ (233.3 cm), China

Yao Defen was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest living woman, measuring 233.3 cm (7 ft 7 in) at the time of her last official documentation. Born in 1972 in Anhui province, she lived with gigantism caused by a pituitary tumor and held the title until her death in 2012.

3. Sandy Allen – 7’7″ (231.7 cm), USA

Sandra “Sandy” Allen from the United States was certified by Guinness in the 1970s as the tallest living woman at roughly 7 ft 7 in (around 231.7 cm). She kept that title for decades and became something of a gentle-giant celebrity, openly discussing life with gigantism.

4. Zhang Ziyu – 7’3″ (220 cm), China

Chinese basketball prodigy Zhang Ziyu is listed in tall-person databases at about 220 cm (7 ft 3 in), making her one of the tallest active female athletes in the world. Still in her teens, she’s widely expected to dominate women’s basketball if she continues professionally.