List of Latvians

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This is a list of prominent Latvians. It includes persons who were born in the territory of what is now Latvia, both prior to independence in 1918, and during the occupation of Latvia 1940-1991, regardless of ethnicity or citizenship, as well as persons of Latvian descent.

  • Dace Akmentiņa (1858-1936) - actress
  • Jānis Akurāters (1876-1937) - writer
  • Ieva Akurātere (1951) - singer/songwriter
  • Rutanya Alda, born Rutanya Skrastiņa (1942) - Actress (Mommy Dearest, Deer Hunter)
  • Viktors Alksnis (1950) - Soviet military officer and Russian politician known as "the Black Colonel"
  • Ādolfs Alunāns (1848-1912) - actor, playwright
  • Edgars Andersons (Edgar Anderson, 1920-1989) - historian
  • Jānis Anmanis (1943) - painter
  • Anna Annus-Hāgena - artist, educator, curator
  • Augusts Annus (1893-1984) - painter
  • Jānis Annus - painter
  • Vija Artmane (1929) - actress
  • Fricis Apšenieks (1894-1941) - chess player
  • Gunārs Astra (1931-1988) - dissident, fighter for human rights
  • Helmuts Balderis (1952) - ice hockey player, forward
  • Krišjānis Barons (1835-1923) - “the father of Latvian folk songs”, who compiled and edited the first publication of Latvian folk-song texts “Latvju Dainas” (1894-1915)
  • Andris Biedrins (1986) - basketballer, NBA team Warriors
  • Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948) - ballet-dancer
  • Karlis Baumanis (1835-1905) - composer, author of the national anthem of the Republic of Latvia "Dievs, svētī Latviju!" (God bless Latvia!)
  • Vizma Belševica (1931-2005) - author, candidate for Nobel Prize in Literature
  • Eduards Berklavs (1914-2004) - politician, leader of Latvian national-communists
  • Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) - philosopher
  • Lilita Bērziņa (1903-1983) - actress
  • Alfreds Bīlmanis (1887-1948) - politician, diplomat, historian
  • Gunārs Birkerts (1925) - architect
  • Ernests Blanks (1894–1972) - Latvian publicist, writer, historian, the first to publicly advocate for Latvia's independence.
  • Rūdolfs Blaumanis (1863-1908) - writer and playwright
  • Arvīds Blūmentals - the prototype for the Paul Hogan film Crocodile Dundee
  • Mikelis Bukšs - Latgalian ethnographer and linguist
  • Fridrihs Briedis- (1885-1918) Famous Latvian colonel in first world war
  • Calia Brencsons - (1966) actress, producer, playwright
  • Valters Caps (1905-2003) designed first „Minox 8 x 11” photocameras
  • Egons Dunens (1945) - inventor
  • Eriks Dunens (1983) - Famous Minneapolis Hipster
  • Jānis Ciaguns (1951) - downhill skier
  • Jānis Cimze (1814-1881) - composer, pedagogue
  • Aleksandrs Čaks (1901-1950) - poet
  • Jānis Čakste (1859-1927) - President
  • Konstantīns Čakste (1901-1945) - lawyer and politician
  • Jānis Dāliņš (1904-1978) - athlete, race walker
  • Emīls Dārziņš (1875-1910) - composer
  • Augusts Deglavs (1862-1922) - writer
  • Anatols Dinbergs (1911-1993) - diplomat
  • Edgars Dunsdorfs (1904-2002) - historian, publicist and economist
  • Andrejs Eglītis (1912-2006) - Famous Latvian poet and patriot
  • Kārlis Eihenbaums (1961) - diplomat
  • Peteris Elferts (1961) - Parliamentary secretary, diplomat
  • Indulis Emsis (1952) - politician
  • Andrievs (Andrew) Ezergailis (1930) - historian
  • Movsas Feigins (1908-1950) - chess player
  • Julijs Feldmans (1889-1953) - diplomat
  • Laila Freivalds (1942) - Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Inese Galante - opera singer (soprano)
  • Lūcija Garūta (1902-1977) - composer
  • Aivars Ģipslis (1937-2000) - chess player
  • Kārlis Goppers (1876-1941) - General, founder of Latvian Boy Scouts
  • Austris Grasis - (1942) - linguist, ethnographer
  • Aleksandrs Grīns (1895-1941) - writer
  • Uldis Ģērmanis (1915-1997) - historian, and under the alias of Dr. Ulafs Jāņsons a social commentator
  • Juris Hartmanis (1928) - computer scientist, Turing Award winner
  • Artūrs Irbe (1967) - ice hockey player (NHL), goalkeeper
  • Mariss Jansons (1943) - conductor
  • Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš (1877-1962) - writer and painter
  • Andryvs Jūrdžs (1845-1925) - pioneer of Latgalian literature
  • Sandra Kalniete (1952) - politician, diplomat, former Latvia's EU commissionner
  • Bruno Kalniņš (1899-1990) - Saeima member, Red Army General
  • Oskars Kalpaks (1882-1919) - Colonel, first Commander of Latvian National Armed Forces
  • Kaspars Kambala (1978) - basketballer, various teams
  • Jānis Klīdzējs (1914-2000) - writer
  • Gustavs Klucis - painter and graphic designer
  • Aleksandrs Koblencs (1916-1993) - chess player
  • Gidon Kremer (1947) - violinist and conductor
  • Juris Kronbergs (1946) - poet, writer, free-lance journalist, translator
  • Dainis Kūla - athlete (Olympic gold medal in javelin)
  • Alberts Kviesis (1881-1944) - president
  • Ed Leedskalnin (1887-1951) - builder of Coral Castle in Florida, claimed to have discovered the ancient magnetic levitation secrets used to construct the Egyptian pyramids.
  • Maris Liepa (1936-1989) - ballet-dancer
  • Edgars Liepiņš (1928-1995) - actor
  • Gvīdo Linga - rock musician
  • Pēteris Lūcis (1907-1991) - actor
  • Jānis Lūsis (1939), the only athlete (javelin) in Latvia to have a complete Olympic medal set (gold, silver, bronze).
  • Hermanis Matisons (1894-1932) - chess player
  • Zenta Mauriņa (1897-1978) - writer, literary scholar, culture philosopher
  • Jānis Mediņš (1890-1966) - composer, conductor
  • Haralds Mednis (1906-2000) - conductor
  • Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics (1887-1925) - first Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Pīters Miglinīks (1852-1883) - Latgalian poet and fighter for social justice
  • Kārlis Mīlenbahs (1853-1916) - linguist
  • Kārlis Miesnieks (1887-1977) - Latvian painter
  • Arkadij Naiditsch (1985) - prolific chess player, now resident in Germany.
  • Marija Naumova (1973) - variety singer, winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 under her stage name Marie N.
  • Andrievs Niedra (1871-1941) - pastor, writer, prime minister of German puppet government (1919)
  • Aron Nimzowitsch (1886-1935) - influential chess player
  • Fred Norris (1955) - Radio Personality
  • Stanislavs Olijars - athlete (European champion in 110m Hurdles)
  • Elvīra Ozoliņa - athlete (Olympic gold medal in javelin)
  • Arturs Ozoliņš (1946) - pianist
  • Sandis Ozoliņš (1972) - ice hockey player (NHL), defense
  • Valdemārs Ozoliņš (1896-1973) - composer, conductor
  • Artis Pabriks (1966) - Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Marian Pahars (1976) - Soccer player for Southampton FC, and part of Latvia's national squad.
  • Raimonds Pauls (1936) - popular composer, widely known in Russia
  • Jānis Pauļuks - painter
  • Eduards Pāvuls (1929-2006) - actor
  • Rudolfs Frederiks Peksens (1944) - Briagdier General, US Air Force
  • Jānis Peters (1939) - poet, politician, diplomat
  • Brita Petersons American Model
  • Kaspars Petrovs (1978) - serial killer
  • Vladimirs Petrovs (1907-1943) - chess player
  • Andris Piebalgs (1957) - politician, diplomat, European Commissioner for Energy
  • Juris Podnieks (1950-1992) - film director, producer
  • Gunārs Priede (1928-2000) - playwright
  • Jelena Prokopčuka (1976) - winner of the 2005 and 2006 ING New York City marathon
  • Andrejs Pumpurs (1841-1901) - poet, author of Latvian national epic Lāčplēsis
  • Elza Radziņa (1917-2005) - actress
  • Jānis Rapa - publisher
  • Rainis (real name: Jānis Pliekšāns, 1865-1929), the most distinguished Latvian writer of all time, author of a number of poetry collections. Rainis is also acknowledged as the "Man of the 20th century of Latvia".
  • Dr. Konstantīns Raudive (1919-1974) - writer, parapsychologist; Discovered means of communicating with souls in the afterlife, the famed "Raudive voices."
  • Einars Repše (1961) - politician
  • Lolita Ritmanis - Orchestrator, composer
  • Mark Rothko (1903-1970) - abstract expressionist painter
  • Jānis Roze - publisher
  • Jānis Rozentāls (1866-1917) - painter
  • Juris Rubenis (1961) - a famous Lutheran pastor
  • Mārtiņš Rubenis (1978) - sportsman, bronze medalist at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin
  • Brunis Rubess (1926) - businessman
  • Voldemārs Salnais (1886-1948) - diplomat, statistician
  • Augusts Saulietis (1869-1933) - poet, writer and teacher
  • Kārlis Sebris (1914) - actor
  • Uļjana Semjonova (1952), tallest female basketball player in the Olympic history, 3-time World Champion
  • Aleksejs Širovs (1972) - one of the top chess grandmasters in the world today.
  • Dāvids Sīmonsons (1882-1919) - General, first Commander-in-Chief of Latvian Army
  • Egīls Siliņš - opera singer (basso)
  • Kārlis Skalbe (1879-1945) - poet
  • Baiba Skride (1981) - violinist
  • Lauma Skride (1982) - pianist
  • Linda Skride (1978) - viola player
  • Jurģis Skulme (1928) - artist
  • Vilis Skultāns (1914-1990) - journalist, historian
  • Eduards Smiļģis (1886-1966) - theatre director, actor
  • Konstantin Sokolsky (1904-1991) - romance and tango singer
  • Arnolds Spekke (1887-1972) - historian, diplomat
  • Lina Stern (1878-1968) - biologist and social activist
  • Jānis Stībelis - singer
  • Jānis Stradiņš - scientist
  • Jānis Streičs (1936) - film director, screenwriter, actor
  • Olafs Stumbrs (1931-1996) - poet, educator
  • Jānis Sudrabkalns (1894-1975) - poet
  • Evgeny Sveshnikov (1950) - prominent chess player
  • Mikhail Tal (1936-1992) - the 8th World Chess Champion
  • Guntis Ulmanis (1939) - President
  • Kārlis Ulmanis (1877-1942) - Prime Minister
  • Juris Upatnieks - inventor of first hologram
  • Jukums Vācietis (1873-1938) - the first commander of Soviet Army
  • Ojārs Vācietis (1933-1983) - poet
  • Māris Valainis (1963) - actor, ("Hoosiers," and "Casualties of War")
  • Krišjānis Valdemārs (1825-1891) - public figure, writer, publicist and economist
  • Ēvalds Valters (1894-1994) - actor
  • Miķelis Valters (1874-1968) - state official, journalist, diplomat
  • Alex Vanags-Baginskis - Aviation Author/Editor
  • Pēteris Vasks (1946) - contemporary composer
  • Igors Vihrovs (1978) - Gymnast, gold medalist at Syndey Olympics in 2000.
  • Edvarts Virza (1883-1940)- Famous Latvian writer
  • Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (1937) - President
  • Jāzeps Vītols (1863-1948) - composer
  • Eduards Veidenbaums (1867-1892}- Latvian poet.
  • Māris Verpakovskis (1979) - footballer, FC Dynamo Kyiv
  • Aleksandrs Voitkevičs (1963-2006) - chess player
  • Kārlis Zāle (1888-1942) - sculptor, author of the Freedom Monument in Riga
  • Kārlis Zariņš (Charles Zarine) (1879-1963) - diplomat
  • Kārlis Zemdega (1894-1963) - sculptor
  • Elmars Zemgalis (1923) - chess player
  • Gustavs Zemgals (1871-1939) - President
  • Imants Zemzaris (1951) - contemporary composer
  • Valdis Zeps (1932-1996) - author and linguist, psuedonym Jānis Turbads
  • Sergejs Žoltoks (1972-2004) - ice hockey player (NHL), forward
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