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.
5. Margo Dydek – 7’2″ (218 cm), Poland
Małgorzata “Margo” Dydek was the tallest player in WNBA history, officially listed at 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in). The Polish center played for teams like the Utah Starzz, Connecticut Sun, and Los Angeles Sparks, and is remembered as a shot-blocking legend.
6. Zainab Bibi – 7’2″ (218 cm), Pakistan
Zainab Bibi from Pakistan was reported at around 7 ft 2 in (218 cm) and described as her country’s tallest woman. She was even said to have held a Guinness title in 2003 as the world’s tallest woman. Bibi’s unusual height brought her both media attention and serious day-to-day challenges.
7. Rumeysa Gelgi – 7’0.7″ (215.16 cm), Turkey
Rumeysa Gelgi currently holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest living woman, standing 215.16 cm (7 ft 0.7 in). Born with Weaver syndrome, she often uses a wheelchair, but due to that, she’s become a very visible advocate for people with rare conditions.
8. Malee Duangdee – ~7’0″ (212–214 cm), Thailand
Malee Duangdee from Thailand was known as one of the world’s tallest teenagers and later Thailand’s tallest woman. News outlets placed her height around 212 cm (about 6 ft 11 in), while some other records list her closer to 214 cm (roughly 7 ft), which is not a lot, but it still matters.
9. Uljana Semjonova – 6’11” (210 cm), Latvia
Soviet-Latvian basketball star Uljana Semjonova, towering over her teammates at about 210 cm (6 ft 11 in), dominated women’s basketball in the 1970s–80s. She led club and national teams to multiple European and Olympic titles and remains one of the sport’s most influential figures.
10. Gitika Srivastava – 6’11” (≈211 cm), India
Former Indian national team player Gitika Srivastava is officially reported to be about 6 ft 11 in (around 211 cm). While that’s not quite enough to break into the Guinness Book of Records, she is often cited as one of the tallest women in India’s history.
