The Best Female Comedians Of All Time

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Best Female Comedians

Female comedians, like Moms Mabley and Phyllis Diller, have influenced many of the great comedians that have come after them, including Joan Rivers and Ellen DeGeneres! Slide through our gallery and see our list of best female comedians right here!

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Moms Mabley

Loretta May Aiken, or better known by her stage name, Jackie "Moms" Mabley, was not only an early trailblazer for women comedians during the early 20th century but was also one of the first colored and queer comedians of her time! Talented and influential, as her name suggests, Moms Mabley was a mom to many now-famous comedians!

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Phyllis Diller

Phyllis Diller is a comedian who has influenced many of the great comedians that have come after her, including Joan Rivers and Ellen DeGeneres! Recognizable by her zany costumes and makeup, Phyllis Diller helped to shed female stereotypes with her absurd characters!

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Joan Rivers

Joan Rivers was another influential–and controversial–trailblazer for women comedians during the second half of the 20th century! While some remember her as having quite the mean tongue, Joan moved rivers and mountains by speaking her mind and defying gender roles at a time when women were being told to be quiet!

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Carol Burnett

With a career spanning seven decades, no list would be complete without Carol Burnett. Perhaps best known for her 1970s comedy show, The Carol Burnett Show, Carol has never failed to light up the room with her charming humor! In fact, as such an important trailblazer, the now 88-year-old Carol just had a Golden Globe Award named after her!

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Whoopi Goldberg

This next comedian is one of the few people that have won four major American Awards (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony) for her work! Whoopi Goldberg has been breaking down walls since she got started in the 1980s, advocating for the LGBT community as well as for older actresses, and is well-loved for her no-nonsense humor!

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Tina Fey

Tina Fey rose to popularity at the end of the 20th century and has continued to shine in the new millinieum. Known for her time on Saturday Night Live from 1997 to 2006, as well as her hit series 30 Rock (2006-2013; 2020) and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-2020), Tina Fey is a force to be reckoned with in the comedy world!

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Kathy Griffin

From taking on taboo subjects like politics to Hollywood figures, Kathy Griffin's unfiltered style of comedy cuts straight to the chase. Funny and a hard worker, Kathy is the winner of two Emmy Awards and entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 2013 after starring in and writing 23 stand-up TV specials—more than any other comedian, male or female!

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Margaret Cho

Margaret Cho is yet another amazing female comedian that has overcome societal expectations and made a name for herself! Of Korean-American heritage, Margaret's non-conforming liberal comedy style has garnered much attention and, since her big rise to fame in 1994 with ABC sitcom, All-American Girl, she has continued to defy stereotypes.

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Wanda Sykes

Getting her start in the late 1980s after leaving a career in the NSA, Wanda Sykes wit and sassy personality would quickly gain her a large following. Sykes is one of the most popular female African-American comedians and is known for her time writing for The Chris Rock Show, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, and currently stars on hit ABC sitcom Black-ish.

Female comedians often don't get the recognition they deserve! Just as talented, in fact, probably more so than their male counterparts, female comedians know how to land the jokes and address real issues. While it is hard to pick just a few favorites, we have compiled a list of some of the best female comedians of all time!

Female Comedians

Female comedians, like Moms Mabley and Phyllis Diller, have influenced many of the great comedians that have come after them, including Joan Rivers and Ellen DeGeneres! Diller, who is recognizable by her zany costumes and makeup, helped to shed female stereotypes with her absurd characters!

Check out our gallery to see the rest of the amazing female comedians that made our list!