List of Icelanders
This is a list of famous people from Iceland, arranged in categories and ordered alphabetically by first name, following the usual naming conventions of Iceland.
Business
Arts and culture
Film, Radio, and TV
- Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, best known as Silvía Nótt (Silvia Night), actress, singer, model, TV personality.
- Anita Briem, actress
- Baltasar Kormákur, film actor and film director
- Bjarni Gautur, filmmaker
- Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, film director
- Hilmir Snær Guðnason, film actor
- Hrafn Gunnlaugsson, film director
- Karl Júlíusson, film production designer/costume designer
- Magnús Magnússon, television presenter, writer
- Magnús Scheving, writer, actor, athlete, creator of LazyTown
- Margrét Vilhjálmsdóttir, actress
- Marinó Sigurðsson, actor
- Markús Örn Antonsson, former mayor of Reykjavík and director of RÚV
- Ólafur Hannesson, Icelandic television personality
- Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, radio announcer, actor
- Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, poet, writer, musician
- Ragnar Bragason, director
- Tinna Gunnlaugsdóttir, actress and head of Reykjavík City Theater
Authors
- Arnaldur Indriðason, writer
- Davíð Stefánsson, poet
- Einar Kárason, writer
- Einar Már Guðmundsson, writer
- Einar Benediktsson, writer, poet
- Einar Hjörleifsson Kvaran editor, novelist, poet, dramatist
- Guðmundur G. Hagalín, writer, poet
- Halldór Kiljan Laxness, writer, poet, Nobel Prize winner
- Hallgrímur Helgason, writer
- Jón Kalman Stefánsson, writer, poet
- Jón Thoroddsen, writer and/or poet
- Jónas Hallgrímsson, writer, poet
- Jóhannes úr Kötlum, writer, poet
- Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir, writer
- Magnús Magnússon, television presenter, writer
- Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, writer
- Sjón, poet
- Snorri Hjartarson, poet
- Snorri Sturluson, historian, poet
- Steinunn Sigurðardóttir, writer, poet
- Stephan G. Stephansson, Western Icelander, poet
- Tómas Guðmundsson, poet
- Vigdís Grímsdóttir, writer
- Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson, writer
- Þórarinn Eldjárn, writer, poet
- Þórbergur Þórðarson, writer, poet
Sculptors
Painters
Music
- Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, more commonly known as Silvía Nótt, singer, actress, and TV personalty
- Anna Mjöll singer and songwriter
- Björgvin Halldórsson, singer
- Björk Guðmundsdóttir, singer and songwriter
- Bragi Ólafsson, musician
- Diddú (Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir), soprano and songwriter
- Eggert Pálsson, percussionist, founder of the music group Voces Thules
- Emilíana Torrini, singer and songwriter
- Einar Örn Benediktsson, musician
- Eiríkur Hauksson, musician
- Garðar Thór Cortes, tenor
- Hafdís Huld, singer
- Haukur Tómasson, composer
- Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson,musician, art director, and chief goði of the Icelandic Ásatrú Association.
- Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer, musician, producer
- Jón Leifs, composer
- Jón Þór Birgisson, singer, guitarist
- Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, pop singer (Yohanna)
- Kjartan Ólafsson, composer, professor
- Mugison, composer, musician
- Ólafur Arnalds, composer, musician
- Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, poet, writer, musician
- Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson (Paul Oscar), pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey
- Ragnheiður Gröndal, musician
- Sigurður Bragason, bariton singer and composer
Musical bands and groups
Photographers
Historical figures of Iceland
- Ari Þorgilsson, priest and author of Íslendingabók, a historical work
- Egill Skallagrímsson, Viking skald
- Eirík the Red, (Eiríkr rauði) Named Greenland
- Freydís Eiríksdóttir
- Guðmundur Arason
- Guðríðr Þorbjarnardóttir, explorer
- Ingólfur Arnarson
- Ísleifur Gissurarson
- Kolbeinn Tumason
- Leifr Eiríksson (Leifur Eiríksson), discovered America in the year 1000 and named it Vínland (Land of Wine)
- Loftur Sæmundsson, priest and chieftain at Oddi
- Snorri Sturluson
- Þorfinnr Karlsefni
- Þorvaldr Eríksson
- Vilhjalmur Stefansson, Western Icelander, Arctic explorer
- Þóra Magnúsdóttir, born 1100 in Norway, daughter of Magnus III of Norway, a direct descendant of Harald Fairhair the first Norwegian King. Þora Magnusdottir married an Icelander and moved to Iceland.
Politics
- See also: List of Presidents of Iceland, List of Prime Ministers of Iceland and List of Icelandic rulers
- Albert Guðmundsson, former minister
- Árni Sigfússon, politician
- Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, former president
- Birgitta Jónsdóttir, minister
- Björn Bjarnason, minister of justice and ecclesiastical affairs
- Davíð Oddsson, former prime minister and former mayor of Reykjavík
- Geir H. Haarde, former prime minister, former foreign minister
- Halldór Ásgrímsson, former prime minister
- Halldór Blöndal, former minister
- Hannes Hafstein, first prime minister
- Hannibal Valdimarsson, chairman of two parties and one electoral alliance,
- Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, current prime minister, also the world's first openly gay head of government
- Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson, former foreign minister, ambassador
- Jón Loftsson, chieftain and politician
- Jón Sigurðsson, independence leader
- Kristján Eldjárn, former president
- Markús Örn Antonsson, former mayor of Reykjavík and director of RÚV
- Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, current president
- Steingrímur Hermannsson, former prime minister
- Sveinn Björnsson, first president
- Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former president, first elected female head of state
- Þorsteinn Pálsson, former prime minister
Scholarship and academia
- Agnar Helgason, PhD, anthropologist
- Ari Þorgilsson, documentarian, chronicler
- Árni Magnússon, documentarian
- Ásgeir Helgason, PhD, psychologist, public health scientist
- Eiríkr Magnússon, librarian and lecturer at Cambridge University, co-translator with William Morris
- Gisli Gudjonsson, Professor of Forensic Psychology
- Gísli Pálsson, PhD, anthropologist
- Guðbrandur Vigfússon, lexicographer, editor, and lecturer at Oxford University
- Hannes Hólmsteinn Gissurarson, PhD, political scientist
- Helgi Valdimarsson, MD, immunologist
- Hjörtur Þórðarson, inventor
- Kári Stefánsson, MD, founder of deCODE genetics
- Magnús Eiríksson, theologian
- Margrét Hermanns Auðardóttir, PhD, archaeologist
- Niels Finsen, physician, Nobel Prize winner (Icelandic parents)
- Páll Skúlason, PhD, philosopher, former Rector of the University of Iceland
- Reynir Bödvarsson, PhD, seismologist
- Sigurdur Helgason, mathematician
- Sigurður Nordal, PhD, philosopher
- Sigurður Þórarinsson, PhD, geologist, volcanologist, professor
- Snorri Sturluson, documentarian, writer
- Vilhjálmur Árnason, PhD, philosopher
- Þór Whitehead, historian
- Þorsteinn Gylfason, philosopher
Sports and games
- Albert Guðmundsson, first Icelandic professional footballer, played for Valur, Rangers, AC Milan, Arsenal and FC Nancy.
- Arnór Guðjohnsen, former professional footballer
- Aron Gunnarsson, professional footballer, currently at Cardiff City FC
- Ásgeir Sigurvinsson, former professional footballer
- Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen, professional footballer, currently at AEK Athens F.C.
- Guðni Bergsson, former professional footballer, played for teams like Tottenham Hotspur FC and Bolton Wanderers
- Teitur Thordarson, former professional footballer, currently head coach at Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Heiðar Helguson, professional footballer, currently at Q.P.R.
- Hermann Hreiðarsson, professional footballer, currently at Portsmouth
- Ívar Ingimarsson, professional footballer, currently at Ipswich Town F.C.
- Jóhannes Karl Guðjónsson, Professional footballer, currently at Huddersfield Town F.C.
Chess Champions
Handball
Strongmen
Others