List of Swedish people

This is a list of well known Swedes, ordered alphabetically within categories:

Lists of Swedes
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Actors Architects Artists Clergymen Diplomats Entrepreneurs Film directors Military Music Politicians Scientists Sports Writers
List of Swedish people

Actors

Greta Garbo

Maud Adams (born 1945), actress
Malin Åkerman (born 1978), actress
Ann-Margret (born 1941), singer and actress
Pernilla August (born 1958), actress
Ingrid Bergman (1915–1982), actress
May Britt (born 1933), actress
Malin Crepin (born 1978), actress
Anita Ekberg (born 1931), actress
Britt Ekland (born 1942), actress
Gösta Ekman (senior) (1920–1971), actor
Gösta Ekman (born 1939), actor
Fares Fares (born 1973), actor
Greta Garbo (1905–1990), actress
Lars Hanson (1886–1965), actor
Gerda Lundequist (1871–1959), actress
Dolph Lundgren (born 1957), actor
Fredrique Löwen (1760–1813)
Warner Oland (1879–1938)
Elisabeth Olin (1740–1828)
Lena Olin (born 1955), actress
Mikael Persbrandt (born 1963), actor
Noomi Rapace (born 1979), actress
Alexander Skarsgård (born 1976), actor
Gustaf Skarsgård (born 1980), actor
Stellan Skarsgård (born 1951), actor
Inger Stevens (1934–1970), actress
Peter Stormare (born 1953), actor
Ulla Strömstedt (1939–1986), actress
Max von Sydow (born 1929), actor
Alicia Vikander (born 1988), actress

Architects

Artists

Anders Zorn

Sofia Adlersparre (1808–1862), painter
Alex Akerbladh (1886–1958), illustrator
John Bauer (1882–1918), painter, illustrator
Ingmar Bergman (1918–2007), film director
Nils von Dardel (1888–1940), painter
Anna Maria Ehrenstrahl (1666–1729), painter
Sven Erixson (1899–1970), painter
Wilhelm von Gegerfelt (1844–1920), painter
Isaac Hirsche Grünewald (1889–1946), Expressionist painter
Anna Maria Hilfeling (1713–1783), miniaturist
Sigrid Hjertén (1885–1948), Fauvist painter
Ernst Josephson (1851–1906)
Wilhelmina Krafft (1778–1828), neoclassical painter and miniaturist
Karl Lärka (1892–1981), photographer
Carl Larsson (1859–1928), painter
Bruno Liljefors (1860–1939), painter
Amalia Lindegren (1814–1891), painter, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
Carl Milles (1875–1955), sculptor
Ulrika Pasch (1735–1796), painter
Justus Peterson (1860–1889), painter
Anna Palm de Rosa (1859–1924), painter
Alexander Roslin (1718–1798), painter
Maria Röhl (1801–1875), sketch artist
Johan Tobias Sergel (1740–1814), sculptor
Charlotte Slottsberg (1760–1800)
Gustaf Tenggren (1896–1973), painter, illustrator
Anna Maria Thelott (1683–1710), engraver, illustrator, woodcut-artist and miniaturist painter
Anders Zorn (1860–1920), painter

Religious

Saint Bridget

Saint Saint Bridget (1303–1373), patron saint of Europe
Bo Giertz (1905–1998), Swedish Confessional Lutheran bishop and Christian novelist
Lewi Pethrus (1884–1974), founder of the Swedish Pentecostal movement
Laurentius Petri, archbishop and reformer
Olaus Petri, reformer
Nathan Söderblom, archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772), writer, mystic and philosopher; his disciples founded the New Jerusalem Church
Eric Trolle, bishop and statesman
Kettil Karlsson Vasa, bishop and statesman

Diplomats

Folke Bernadotte (1895–1948), count and diplomat
Hans Blix (born 1928), diplomat
Harald Edelstam (1913–1989), diplomat
Rolf Ekéus (born 1935), diplomat
Jan Eliasson (born 1940), diplomat, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
Dag Hammarskjöld (1905–1961), Secretary-General of the United Nations
Raoul Wallenberg (1912–1945?), diplomat

Entrepreneurs

Alfred Nobel

Gustaf Dalén (1869–1937), inventor and entrepreneur
Nils Ericson (1802–1869), railroad pioneer
John Ericsson (1803–1889), inventor and engineer
Lars Magnus Ericsson (1846–1926), industrialist and founder of Ericsson
Ingvar Kamprad (born 1926), founder of IKEA
Ivar Kreuger (1880–1932), industrialist and financier
Gustaf de Laval (1845–1913), industrialist
Alfred Nobel (1833–1896), industrialist, instituted the Nobel Prizes
Ruben Rausing (1895–1983), co-founder of the liquid food packaging company Tetra Pak
Niklas Zennström (born 1966), founder of the Kazaa peer-to-peer file sharing network and Skype peer-to-peer internet telephony network

Film directors

Internet personalities

Felix Kjellberg (born 1989), YouTube gaming commentator, better known as PewDiePie, the most subscribed user on YouTube
Markus Persson (born 1979), better known as Notch, video game programmer and founder of Mojang

Military commanders

Georg von Döbeln

Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt (1757–1814), soldier
Johan Banér (1596–1641), soldier, Field Marshal
Per Brahe the Younger (1602–1680), soldier and politician
Georg Carl von Döbeln (1758–1820), soldier
Jacob Magnus Sprengtporten (1727–1786), soldier and politician
Ivor Thord-Gray, mercenary commander who fought with Pancho Villa and others
Lennart Torstensson (1603–1651), Field Marshal
Karl Gustav von Wrangel (1613–1676), Field Marshal

Models

Monarchs

Carl XVI Gustaf (born 1946), current
Charles XI (1655–1697)
Charles XII (1682–1718)
Charles XIII of Sweden (1748–1818)
Charles XIV John of Sweden (1763–1844)
Christina (1626–1689), abdicated from the Swedish throne in 1654
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (Gustav the Great) (1594–1632)
Gustav I of Sweden (1496–1560)
Gustav III of Sweden (1746–1792)
Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (1778–1837), abdicated from the Swedish throne in 1809
Gustaf V of Sweden (1858–1950)
Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden (1882–1973)
Eric XIV of Sweden (1533–1577)
John III of Sweden (1537–1592)
Oscar I of Sweden (1799–1859)
Oscar II of Sweden (1829–1907)
Olof Skötkonung (c. 965–c. 1020)
Queen Silvia of Sweden (born 1943), wife of the present king Carl XVI Gustaf
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden (born 1977), heir apparent

Music

Carl Michael Bellman

Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, lead singers of ABBA

Birgit Nilsson

Jenny Lind

Evert Taube

A-Teens, pop group
ABBA, pop group
Ace of Base, band
Alcazar, pop, dance group
Hugo Alfvén, composer
Amon Amarth, metal band
Stikkan Anderson (1931–1997), producer
Benny Andersson, musician/composer
Karin Dreijer Andersson, singer-songwriter (The Knife, Fever Ray, Honey Is Cool)
Arch Enemy, metal band
The Ark, glam-rock group
Army of Lovers, band
Kurt Atterberg, composer
Avicii, stage name for Tim Bergling, electronic dance music DJ
Alice Babs, singer, perhaps best known abroad for her work in the band Swedanes, a collaboration between her and the Danish musicians Svend Asmussen and Ulrik Neumann
Sven-Erik Bäck, composer
Alexander Bard, musician, composer, singer-songwriter
Basshunter, Eurodance and trance DJ
Bathory, metal band
Carl Michael Bellman (1740–1795), singer-songwriter
Franz Berwald, composer
Jussi Björling, opera singer
Karl-Birger Blomdahl, composer
Blindside, Christian rock band
Blue Swede and Björn Skifs, band
Bob Hund, pop group
BWO, electro, pop, dance band
The Cardigans, band
Agnes Carlsson, Swedish idol, singer
Carola, singer, winner ESC 1991
Covenant, electro-pop band
Darin, Swedish Idol 2004, singer
Dark Tranquillity, metal band
Amy Diamond, singer
Dissection, metal band
E-Type, Eurodance DJ
Eagle-Eye Cherry, singer
Entombed, metal band
Malena Ernman, Swedish opera singer
Europe, band
John Fernström, composer
Agnetha Fältskog, lead singer from ABBA
Marie Fredriksson, singer-songwriter, solo and with Roxette
Gunnar de Frumerie, composer
Wilhelmina Fundin (1819–1911), opera singer
Wilhelmina Gelhaar (1837–1923), opera singer
Leocadie Gerlach (1826–1919), Danish-Swedish opera singer
Nicolai Gedda, opera singer
Per Gessle, musician, composer, solo and with Roxette
José González, singer-songwriter
HammerFall, metal band
Bo Hansson, musician
Håkan Hellström, pop singer
The Hives, band
Icona Pop, pop band, Caroline Hjelt, Aino Jawo
In Flames, melodic death metal band
Jonny Jakobsen, singer
Andreas Johnson, pop musician
Kent, rock band
Kleerup, singer-songwriter and producer
The Knife, electronic duo
Lake of Tears, metal band
Lars-Erik Larsson, composer
Zara Larsson, singer
Jens Lekman, singer-songwriter
John Dhani Lennevald, singer
John Levén, bassist
Lykke Li, singer-songwriter
Ingvar Lidholm, composer
Jenny Lind, singer
Christian Lindberg, musician
Bo Linde, composer
Tove Lo, singer
Loreen, singer, winner ESC 2012
Sara Helena Lumholdt, singer
Anni-Frid Lyngstad, lead singer from ABBA
Yngwie J. Malmsteen, legendary guitarist and father of neo-classical metal; paradigm-shifter of rock guitar
Mando Diao, band
Marduk, metal band
Max Martin, composer
Hillevi Martinpelto, opera singer
Meja, singer
Mic Michaeli, keyboardist
Millencolin, punk rock band
Lisa Miskovsky, singer
Birgit Nilsson, singer
Christina Nilsson, singer
Gösta Nystroem, composer
Peter Olsson, bassist
Opeth, metal band
Augusta Öhrström-Renard (1856–1921), opera singer
Anne Sofie von Otter, singer
Pandora, Eurodance artist
Elena Paparizou, singer, winner ESC 2005
Charlotte Perrelli, singer, winner ESC 1999
Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, composer
Allan Pettersson, composer
Eric Prydz, electronic dance music DJ, producer
Povel Ramel (1922–2007), singer
Ture Rangström, composer
Refused, rock band
Karin Rehnqvist, composer
Patrik Ringborg, conductor
Robin Carlsson (Robyn), singer-songwriter
Johan Helmich Roman, "the father of Swedish music"
Hilding Rosenberg, composer
Roxette, duo
Eric Saade, pop singer
Sabaton, metal band
Danny Saucedo, Swedish Idol 2006, singer
September, singer-songwriter
Marie Eleonor Serneholt, singer
Gitta-Maria Sjöberg (born 1957), operatic soprano
The Sounds, rock band
Wilhelm Stenhammar, composer
Wilhelmina Strandberg (1845–1914), opera singer
Set Svanholm, opera singer
Ola Svensson, singer-songwriter
Swedish House Mafia, Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso
The Tallest Man on Earth, folk
Evert Taube, singer-songwriter
Peter Tägtgren, multi-instrumentalist
Joey Tempest, vocalist and songwriter
Joakim Thåström, rock musician
Therion, metal band
Björn Ulvaeus, musician, composer
Cornelis Vreeswijk, singer-songwriter (considered Swedish, although he never received Swedish citizenship)
Måns Zelmerlöw, singer, winner ESC 2015
Zulamith Wellander (1857–1919), opera singer

Politicians

Olof Palme (1927–1986)

Carl Bildt (born 1949), former prime minister, former minister of foreign affairs
Gustaf Bonde (1620–1667), statesman
Ingvar Carlsson (born 1934), former prime minister
Tage Erlander (1901-1985), former prime minister
Thorbjörn Fälldin (1926-2016), former prime minister
Axel von Fersen (1755–1810), statesman
Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie (1622–1686), statesman
Louis De Geer (1818–1896), former prime minister
Arvid Horn (1664–1742), statesman
Anna Lindh (1957–2003), foreign minister (assassinated)
Stefan Löfven (born 1957), Prime Minister of Sweden
Alva Myrdal (1902–1986), politician, agitator
Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654), politician
Olof Palme (1927–1986), former prime minister (assassinated)
Göran Persson (born 1949), former Prime Minister of Sweden
Jöran Persson (1530–1568), counsellor to King Erik XIV (executed)
Fredrik Reinfeldt (born 1965), former prime Minister of Sweden
Sten Sture the Elder (1440–1503), statesman

Science

Carl von Linné

Hannes Alfvén (1908–1995), physicist
Anders Jonas Ångström (1857–1910), physicist
Johann Arfvedson (1792–1841), chemist
Svante Arrhenius (1859-1927), Nobel Prize–winning chemist
Jöns Jakob Berzelius (1779–1848), chemist
Arvid Carlsson (born 1923), neuroscientist, winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology
Gustav Cassel (1866–1945), economist
Anders Celsius (1701–1744), astronomer
Gustaf Dalén (1869–1937), physicist
Eva Ekeblad (1724–1786), botanist
Ulf von Euler (1905–1983), physiologist and pharmacologist
Eli Heckscher (1879–1952), political economist and economic historian
Oskar Klein (1894–1977), physicist
Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778), botanist
Lise Meitner (1878–1968), nuclear physicist
Karl Gunnar Myrdal (1898–1987), Nobel Laureate economist, sociologist, and politician
Alfred Nobel (1833–1896), chemist
Christopher Polhem (1661–1751), physicist
Hans Rosling (1948-2017), professor of international health
Olaus Rudbeck (1630–1702), medicine
Johannes Rydberg (1854–1919), physicist
Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742–1786), chemist
Knut Wicksell (1851–1926), economist

Sport

Daniel Alfredsson (born 1972), ice hockey player
Arne Andersson (1917–2009), track, world record holder in the mile
Malin Andersson (born 1973), football player
Magnus Arvedson (born 1971), ice hockey player
P. J. Axelsson (born 1975), ice hockey player
Nicklas Bäckström (born 1987), ice hockey player
Kristin Bengtsson (born 1970), football player
Kajsa Bergqvist (born 1976), high jump athlete
Stig Blomqvist (born 1946), rally driver, World Champion
Björn Borg (born 1956), tennis player
Kenny Bräck (born 1966), Indy Racing League driver
Ulf Dahlén (born 1967), ice hockey player
Martin Dahlin (born 1968), football player
Stefan Edberg (born 1966), tennis player
Sten Ekberg (born 1964), track and field athlete
Sven-Göran Eriksson (born 1948), football manager
Magdalena Forsberg (born 1965), biathlete
Peter Forsberg (born 1973), ice hockey player
Gillis Grafström (1893–1938), figure skating Olympic and World Champion
Tomas Gustafson (born 1959), speed skater Olympic gold and silver medalist
Toini Gustafsson (born 1938), cross-country skier Olympic gold and silver medalist
Gunder Hägg (1918–2004), track, world record holder in the mile
Johan Harmenberg (born 1954), épée fencer, Olympic champion
Johan Hedberg (born 1973), ice hockey player
Stefan Holm (born 1976), high jump athlete
Johan Holmqvist (born 1978), ice hockey player
Tomas Holmström (born 1973), ice hockey player
Zlatan Ibrahimović (born 1981), football player
Anders Järryd (born 1961), tennis player
Ingemar Johansson (born 1932), World Heavyweight Boxing Champion
Jenny Kallur (born 1981), track and field athlete
Susanna Kallur (born 1981), track and field athlete
Carolina Klüft (born 1983), track and field athlete
Henrik Larsson (born 1971), football player
Nicklas Lidström (born 1970), ice hockey player
Fredrik Ljungberg (born 1977), football player
Hanna Ljungberg (born 1979), football player
Mikael Ljungberg (1970–2004), wrestler
Håkan Loob (born 1960), ice hockey player
Henrik Lundqvist (born 1982), ice hockey player
Markus Näslund (born 1973), ice hockey player
Mats Näslund (born 1959), ice hockey player
Roland Nilsson (born 1963), football player
Gunnar Nordahl (1921–1995), football player
Magnus Norman (born 1976), tennis player
Michael Nylander (born 1972), ice hockey player
Mattias Öhlund (born 1976), ice hockey player
Samuel Påhlsson (born 1977), ice hockey player
Jesper Parnevik (born 1965), golfer
Ronnie Peterson (1944-1978), Formula One racing driver
Thomas Ravelli (born 1959), football player
Tony Rickardsson (born 1970), speedway motor racer
Börje Salming (born 1951), ice hockey player
Magnus Samuelsson (born 1969), World's Strongest Man champion
Mikael Samuelsson (born 1976), ice hockey player
Daniel Sedin (born 1980), ice hockey player
Henrik Sedin (born 1980), ice hockey player
Annika Sörenstam (born 1970), golfer
Ingemar Stenmark (born 1956) – alpine skier
Mats Sundin (born 1971), ice hockey player
Niklas Sundström (born 1975), ice hockey player
Gunde Svan (born 1962), cross-country skier
Björn Waldegård (born 1943), rally driver, World Champion
Jan-Ove Waldner (born 1965), table tennis player
Thomas Wassberg (born 1956), cross-country skier, Olympic and World Champion
Pernilla Wiberg (born 1970), alpine skier
Mats Wilander (born 1964), tennis player
Magnus Wislander (born 1964), handball player, voted World Player of the Century 1999
Henrik Zetterberg (born 1980), ice hockey player

Writers

Frans G. Bengtsson (1894–1954), novelist
Bo Bergman (1869–1967), poet
Elsa Beskow (1874–1953), children's author
Karin Boye (1900–1941), poet and novelist
Fredrika Bremer (1801–1865), writer
Stig Dagerman (1923–1954), writer
Gunnar Ekelöf (1907–1968), poet
Nils Ferlin (1898–1961), poet
Gustaf Fröding (1860–1911), poet
Jonas Gardell, writer, comedian
Jan Guillou (born 1944), novelist, journalist
Wendela Hebbe (1808–1899), reporter and novelist
Verner von Heidenstam (1859–1940), poet, novelist and Nobel Prize laureate
Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976), novelist and Nobel Prize laureate
Erik Axel Karlfeldt (1864–1931), poet and Nobel Prize laureate
Pär Lagerkvist (1891–1974), writer
Selma Lagerlöf (1858–1940), novelist and Nobel Prize laureate
Stieg Larsson (1954–2004), writer
Anna Maria Lenngren (1754–1817), poet
Astrid Lindgren (1907–2002), children's author
Henning Mankell, novelist
Harry Martinson (1904–1978), poet and Nobel Prize laureate
Vilhelm Moberg (1898–1973), novelist
Per Nilsson (born 1953)
Julia Nyberg (1784–1854)
Peter Pohl (born 1940)
Hjalmar Söderberg (1868–1941),
August Strindberg (1849–1912), novelist and playwright
Fredrik Strömberg (1968–), journalist and writer
Esaias Tegnér (1782–1846), writer
Tomas Tranströmer (1931–2015), writer, poet and Nobel Prize laureate

Other notables

Elsa Brändström (1888–1948), The Angel of Siberia
Jonas Bronck (died 1643), early settler of New Netherland and namesake of Bronx, New York
Sigvard Eklund (1911–2000), director of the International Atomic Energy Agency security council from 1961 to 1981
Horace Engdahl (born 1948), critic and literary scholar; former secretary of the Swedish Academy
Axel Hägerström (1868–1939), philosopher, a founder of the Uppsala school of philosophy
Margareta Hallerdt (born 1927), archaeologist, museum curator
Sven Hedin (1865–1952), explorer
Lars Johan Hierta (1801–1872), publicist
Göran Kropp (1966–2002), adventurer
Axel Munthe (1857–1949), psychiatrist
Maria Ribbing (1842–1910), schoolteacher and philanthropist
Simon de la Vallée (1590–1642), architect
Inger Zachrisson (born 1936), Swedish archaeologist and educator, researching Sami people since the Iron Age