Gang Bing (died 1410): patron saint of eunuchs in China who castrated himself to demonstrate his loyalty to the Yongle Emperor. Wang Zhen (died 1449): first Ming eunuch with much power; see Tumu Crisis. Kim Cheo Seon (1421–1505): one of the most famous eunuchs in Korean Joseon Dynasty, ably served kings in the Joseon dynasty. His life is the subject of a historical drama in South Korea. Liu Jin (1451–1510): corrupt eunuch official of the Ming dynasty and de facto emperor, member of the Eight Tigers. Judar Pasha (1562–1606): a Spanish eunuch who became the head of the Moroccan invasion force into the Songhai Empire. Wei Zhongxian (1568–1627): eunuch of the Ming dynasty, considered the most powerful eunuch in Chinese history. Senesino (1686–1758): Italian contralto castrato singer. Farinelli (1705–1782): Italian soprano castrato singer. Giusto Fernando Tenducci (c. 1736–1790): Italian soprano castrato singer. Mohammad Khan Qajar (1742–1797): chief of the Qajar tribe. He became the King/Shah of Persia in 1794 and established the Qajar dynasty. Lê Văn Duyệt (c. 1763–1832): Vietnamese eunuch, military strategist and government official (not a true eunuch, he was born a hermaphrodite). Thomas P. "Boston" Corbett (b. 1832; presumed dead 1894): killer of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln, who castrated himself to avoid temptation from prostitutes. Li Lianying (1848–1911): a despotic eunuch of the Qing dynasty. Alessandro Moreschi (1858–1922): Italian castrato singer, the only one to make recordings.
Eunuch priests also figured prominently in the Atargatis cult in Syria during the first centuries AD.The practice of religious castration continued into the Christian era, with members of the early church practicing celibacy (including castration) for religious purposes, although the extent and even the existence of this practice among Christians is subject to debate. The early theologian Origen found evidence of the practice in Matthew 19:10–12: "His disciples said to him, If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry. But he said to them, Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can." (NRSV)
Tertullian, a 2nd-century Church Father, described Jesus himself and Paul of Tarsus as spadones, which is translated as "eunuchs" in some contexts. Quoting from the cited book: "Tertullian takes spado to mean virgin". The meaning of spado in late antiquity can be interpreted as a metaphor for celibacy. Tertullian even goes so far with the metaphor as to say St. Paul had been "castrated".Eunuch priests have served various goddesses from India for many centuries.