List of Latvians

This list of prominent Latvians includes:

people who were born in the historical territory of what is now Latvia, regardless of ethnicity, citizenship, or time period; and
people of Latvian descent regardless of their place of birth or citizenship.

A

Valerians Abakovskis (1895–1921) – inventor of a propeller-powered railcar, the aerowagon
Rutanya Alda (Rutanya Alda Skrastiņa, born 1942) – actress (Mommie Dearest, The Deer Hunter)
Viktor Alksnis (born 1950) – Soviet military officer and Russian communist politician known as "the Black Colonel"
Juris Alunāns (1832–1864) – writer and philologist
Ingrīda Andriņa (1944–2015) – actress
Iveta Apkalna (born 1976) – organist
Fricis Apšenieks (1894–1941) – chess player
Vija Artmane (1929–2008) – actress
Aspazija, pen-name of Elza Pliekšāne (1865–1943) – poet and playwright
Gunārs Astra (1931–1988) – dissident, fighter for human rights
Auseklis, pseudonym of Miķelis Krogzemis (1850–1879) – poet, author and translator of German poets

B

Ainars Bagatskis (born 1967) – basketball player
Helmuts Balderis (born 1952) – ice hockey player, forward
Jānis Balodis (1881–1965) – army officer and politician
Kārlis Balodis (1864–1931) – economist, financist, statistician and demographist
Krišjānis Barons (1835–1923) – "the father of Latvian folk songs"; compiled and edited the first publication of Latvian folk-song texts, Latvju Dainas (1894–1915)
Mikhail Baryshnikov (born 1948) – ballet dancer
Kārlis 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 the Nobel Prize in Literature
Eduards Berklavs (1914–2004) – politician, leader of Latvian national-communists
Krišjānis Berķis (1884–1942) – general
Dairis Bertāns (born 1989) – basketball player
Isaiah Berlin (Jesaja Berlins, 1909–1997) – philosopher
Eduards Bērziņš (1894–1938) – soldier in the Red Army, later head of Dalstroy, the Kolyma forced-labour camps in North-Eastern Siberia
Yan Karlovich Berzin (1889–1938) – Soviet military intelligence officer
Kaspars Bērziņš (born 1985) – basketball player
Kārlis Bētiņš (1867–1943) – chess player
Andris Biedriņš (born 1986) – basketball player
Gunārs Birkerts (1925–2017) – architect
Miervaldis Birze (1921–2000) – writer
Ernests Blanks (1894–1972) – publicist, writer, historian, the first to publicly advocate for Latvia's independence
Rūdolfs Blaumanis (1863–1908) – writer and playwright
Himans Blūms (1913–2009) – painter
Jānis Blūms (born 1982) – basketball player
Ārons Bogoļubovs (born 1938) – Olympic medalist in judoka
Mairis Briedis (born 1985) – world boxing champion
Baiba Broka (born 1973) – actress
Baiba Broka (born 1975) – lawyer and politician
Ingūna Butāne (born 1986) – fashion model

C

Frīdrihs Canders (1887–1933) – pioneer of rocketry and spaceflight
Valters Caps (1905–2003) – designed first Minox 8 x 11 photo cameras
Aleksandrs Cauņa (born 1988) – footballer
Gustavs Celmiņš (1899–1968) – fascist politician, leader of Pērkonkrusts movement
Vija Celmins (born 1938) – American painter born in Latvia
Tanhum Cohen-Mintz (1939–2014) – Latvian-born Israeli basketball player

Č

Māris Čaklais (1940–2003) – poet^[1]
Aleksandrs Čaks (1901–1950) – poet
Jānis Čakste (1859–1927) – first President of Latvia

D

Roberts Dambītis (1881–1957) – general and politician
Jānis Dāliņš (1904–1978) – athlete, race walker
Emīls Dārziņš (1875–1910) – composer
Volfgangs Dārziņš (1906–1962) – composer, pianist, and music critic
Kaspars Daugaviņš (born 1988) – ice hockey player
Jacob Davis (1834–1908) – inventor of denim
Johans Aleksandrs Heinrihs Klapje de Kolongs (1839–1901) – naval engineer
Eliass Eliezers Desslers (1892–1953) – Orthodox rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and Jewish philosopher
Elīna Dikaioulaku (born 1989) – basketball player for Israeli team Elitzur Ramla
Leor Dimant (born 1972) – DJ for the rap metal group Limp Bizkit
Anatols Dinbergs (1911–1993) – diplomat
Aleksis Dreimanis (1914–2011) – geologist
Inga Drozdova (born 1975) – model and actress
Domenique Dumont – music producer
Oļģerts Dunkers (1932–1997) – actor and film director
Christine Dzidrums (born 1971) – author

E

Mihails Eizenšteins (1867–1921) – architect
Sergejs Eizenšteins (1898–1948) – film director
Modris Eksteins (born 1943) – Canadian historian and writer
Ēriks Ešenvalds (born 1977) – composer
Andrievs Ezergailis (1930–2022) – historian of the Holocaust

F

Movša Feigins (1908–1950) – chess player
Gregors Fitelbergs (1879–1953) – conductor, composer and violinist
Vesels fon Freitāgs-Loringhofens (1899–1944) – colonel and member of the German resistance against German dictator Adolf Hitler
Laila Freivalds (born 1942) – former Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs

G

Inese Galante (born 1954) – opera singer; soprano
Gints Gabrāns (born 1970) – artist
Elīna Garanča (born 1976) – opera singer; mezzo-soprano
Zemgus Girgensons (born 1994) – ice hockey centre
Kārlis Goppers (1876–1941) – general; founder of Latvian Boy Scouts
Andrejs Grants (born 1955) – photographer
Kristers Gudļevskis (born 1992) – ice hockey goaltender
Ernests Gulbis (born 1988) – tennis player
Natālija Gulbis (born 1983) – Latvian-descent LPGA golfer
Pāvels Gumennikovs (born 1986) – Latvian film director, actor, writer, and producer

Ģ

Uldis Ģērmanis (1915–1997) – historian; under the alias of Ulafs Jāņsons, a social commentator
Aivars Ģipslis (1937–2000) – chess player

H

Moriss Halle (1923–2018) – linguist
Filips Halsmans (1906–1979) – Latvian-American photographer
Juris Hartmanis (1928–2022) – computer scientist; Turing Award winner
Uvis Helmanis (born 1972) – basketball player

I

Artūrs Irbe (born 1967) – ice hockey player, goalkeeper
Kārlis Irbītis (1904–1997) – aviation inventor, engineer, designer

J

Gatis Jahovičs (born 1984) – basketball player
Mariss Jansons (1943–2019) – conductor
Inese Jaunzeme (1932–2011) – athlete

K

Aivars Kalējs (born 1951) – organist, composer
Konrāds Kalējs (1913–2001) – alleged war criminal
Sandra Kalniete (born 1952) – politician, diplomat, former Latvia's EU commissioner
Bruno Kalniņš (1899–1990) – Saeima member, Red Army General
Imants Kalniņš (born 1941) – composer, politician
Oskars Kalpaks (1882–1919) – colonel, first Commander of Latvian National Armed Forces
Kaspars Kambala (born 1978) – basketball player
Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš (born 1964) – politician; Prime Minister of Latvia
Mārtiņš Karsums (born 1986) – ice hockey player
Reinis Kaudzīte (1839–1920) – writer and journalist^[1]
Renārs Kaupers (born 1974) – musician
Jēkabs Ketlers (1610–1682) – Duke of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
Gustavs Klucis (1895–1938) – painter and graphic designer
Aleksandrs Koblencs (1916–1993) – chess player
Ābrams Izāks Kūks (1864–1935) – chief rabbi, Jewish thinker, statesman, diplomat, mediator and scholar
Aleksandrs Kovaļevskis (1840–1901) – zoologist
Ilsa Konrads (born 1944) – Olympic swimmer
John Konrads (1942–2021) – Olympic swimmer
Gidons Krēmers (born 1947) – violinist and conductor
Miķelis Krogzemis (1850–1879) – poet, author and translator of German poets
Juris Kronbergs (born 1946) – poet, writer, free-lance journalist, translator
Atis Kronvalds (1837–1875) – teacher and journalist; reformed the Latvian language; organized the first Latvian Song and Dance Festival
Dainis Kūla (born 1959) – athlete (Olympic gold medal in javelin)
Alberts Kviesis (1881–1944) – President of Latvia

L

Aleksandrs Laime (1911–1994) – explorer
Vilis Lācis (1904–1966) – author and politician
Ginta Lapiņa (born 1989) – fashion model
Natālija Lašenova (born 1973) – gymnastics Olympic champion (team)
Edvards Liedskalniņš (1887–1951) – builder of Coral Castle in Florida; claimed to have discovered the ancient magnetic levitation secrets used to construct the Egyptian pyramids
Jēkabs Mihaels Reinholds Lencs (1751–1792) – author
Marija Leiko (1887–1937) – actress
Māris Liepa (1936–1989) – ballet dancer
Peggy Lipton (1946–2019) – Latvian-American actress
Nikolajs Loskis (1870–1965) – philosopher
Jānis Lūsis (1939–2020) – athlete; Olympic champion

Ļ

Jevgēnija Ļisicina (born 1942) – organist

M

Māris Martinsons (born 1960) – film director, producer, screenwriter and film editor
Hermanis Matisons (1894–1932) – chess player
Zenta Mauriņa (1897–1978) – writer, literary scholar, culture philosopher
Juris Māters (1845–1884) – author, lawyer and journalist; translated laws to Latvian and created the foundation for Latvian law
Jānis Medenis (1903–1961) – poet
Arnis Mednis (born 1961) – singer
Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics (1887–1925) – first Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mareks Mejeris (born 1991) – basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Alan Melikdjanian (born 1980) – independent filmmaker, YouTuber
Leo Mihelsons (1887–1978) – artist
Arnolds Mikelsons (1922–1984) – artist
Mikhail Tal (1936-1992) – chess player Grandmaster (GM)
Jevgēņijs Millers (1867–1938) – tsarist Russian general
Kārlis Mīlenbahs (1853–1916) – linguist

N

Arkādijs Naidičs (born 1985) – chess player; now resident in Germany
Andris Nelsons (born 1978) – conductor, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andrievs Niedra (1871–1941) – pastor, writer, prime minister of German puppet government (1919)
Arons Nimcovičs (1886–1935) – chess player
Reinis Nitišs (born 1995) – World Rallycross driver
Fred Norris (born 1955) – radio personality, The Howard Stern Show

O

Staņislavs Olijars (born 1979) – athlete (European champion in 110m hurdles)
Jeļena Ostapenko (born 1997) – tennis player (Grand Slam champion)
Vilhelms Ostvalds (1853–1932) – received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1909 for his work on catalysis, chemical equilibria and reaction velocities
Elvīra Ozoliņa (born 1939) – athlete (Olympic gold medal in javelin)
Sandis Ozoliņš (born 1972) – ice hockey player, defense
Valdemārs Ozoliņš (1896–1973) – composer, conductor
Auseklis Ozols (born 1941) – artist

P

Artis Pabriks (born 1966) – Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007–2007)
Ināra Petrusēviča (born 1969) – artist
Kārlis Padegs (1911–1940) – graphic artist, painter
Marians Pahars (born 1976) – soccer player
Raimonds Pauls (born 1936) – composer; widely known in Russia
Lūcija Peka (1912–1991) – artist of the Latvian diaspora
Konstantīns Pēkšēns (1859-1928) – Art nouveau architect
Jēkabs Peterss (1886–1938) – revolutionary and Soviet Cheka leader
Boris Pugo (1937-1991) - Soviet Minister of Interior
Kaspars Petrovs (born 1978) – serial killer
Vladimirs Petrovs (1907–1943) – chess player
Oskars Perro (1918–2003) – soldier and writer
Andris Piebalgs (born 1957) – politician and diplomat; European Commissioner for Energy
Jānis Pliekšāns (1865–1929) – writer; author of a number of poetry collections
Juris Podnieks (1950–1992) – film director, producer
Nikolajs Poļakovs (1900–1974) – circus performer; creator of Coco the Clown
Jānis Poruks (1871–1911) – writer^[1]
Kristaps Porziņģis (born 1995) – basketball player, Boston Celtics
Rosa von Praunheim (born 1942) – film director, author, painter and gay rights activist
Sandis Prūsis (born 1965) – athlete, bobsleigh
Uldis Pūcītis (1937–2000) – actor, director
Jānis Pujāts (born 1930) – Roman Catholic cardinal
Andrejs Pumpurs (1841–1901) – poet; author of Latvian national epic Lāčplēsis

R

Rainis, pseudonym of Jānis Pliekšāns (1865–1929) – poet and playwright
Dan Rapoport (born 1970) – American financier and philanthropist
Lauris Reiniks (born 1979) – singer-songwriter, actor and television personality
Einars Repše (born 1961) – politician
Jānis Rieksts (1881-1970) – photographer
Lolita Ritmanis (born 1962) – orchestrator, composer
Iļja Ripss (born 1948) – inventor of the Bible code
Fricis Rokpelnis (1909–1969) – author
Markuss Rotkovičs (1903–1970) – abstract expressionist painter
Elza Rozenberga (1865–1943) – poet, playwright; married to Jānis Pliekšāns
Juris Rubenis (born 1961) – Lutheran pastor
Mārtiņš Rubenis (born 1978) – athlete; bronze medalist at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin
Brunis Rubess (1926–2009) – businessman
Inta Ruka (born 1958) – photographer
Wolf Ruvinskis (1921–1999) – versatile actor, a memorable face of the Cinema of Mexico

S

Rudolfs Saule (1903–1975) – ballet master; performer with the Latvian National Ballet
Uļjana Semjonova (born 1952) – basketball player
Haralds Silovs (born 1986) – short track and long track speed skater
Kārlis Skalbe (1879–1945) – poet
Kārlis Skrastiņš (1974–2011) – ice hockey player
Baiba Skride (born 1981) – violinist
Andrew Smith (born 1992) - American-Latvian basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Konstantīns Sokoļskis (1904–1991) – romance and tango singer
Ksenia Solo (born 1987) – Latvian-Canadian actress
Serge Sorokko (born 1954) – art dealer and publisher
Raimonds Staprans (born 1926) – Latvian-American painter
Jānis Šteinhauers (1705–1779) – industrialist, entrepreneur, and civil rights activist
Gotthard Friedrich Stender (1714–1796) – first Latvian grammarian
Līna Šterna (1878–1968) – biologist and social activist
Roze Stiebra (born 1942) – animator
Henrijs Stolovs (1901–1971) – stamp dealer
Jānis Streičs (born 1936) – film director, screenwriter, actor
Jānis Strēlnieks (born 1989) – basketball player
Pēteris Stučka (1865–1932) – author, translator, editor, jurist and educator
Jānis Sudrabkalns (1894–1975) – poet and journalist
Jevgēņijs Svešņikovs (born 1950) – chess player
Staņislavs Svjanevičs (1899–1997) – economist and historian

Š

Viktors Ščerbatihs (born 1974) – athlete, weightlifter
Pauls Šīmanis (1876–1944) – Baltic German journalist, politician, activist defending and preserving European minority cultures
Vestards Šimkus (born 1984) – pianist
Aleksejs Širovs (born 1972) – chess player
Andris Šķēle (born 1958) – politician; Prime Minister of Latvia
Armands Šķēle (born 1983) – basketball player
Ainārs Šlesers (born 1970) – politician, chairman of Latvia First
Ernests Štālbergs (1883–1958) – architect, ensemble of the Freedom Monument
Īzaks Nahmans Šteinbergs (1888–1957) – politician, lawyer and author
Māris Štrombergs (born 1987) – BMX cyclist; gold medal winner at 2008 and 2012 Olympics

T

Esther Takeuchi (born 1953) – materials scientist and chemical engineer
Mihails Tāls (1936–1992) – the 8th World Chess Champion
Jānis Roberts Tilbergs (1880–1972) – painter, sculptor

U

Guntis Ulmanis (born 1939) – President of Latvia
Kārlis Ulmanis (1877–1942) – Prime Minister of Latvia; President of Latvia
Juris Upatnieks (born 1936) – physicist and inventor; pioneer in the field of holography
Andrejs Upīts (1877–1970) – poet and writer

V

Ojārs Vācietis (1933–1983) – writer
Romāns Vainšteins (born 1973) – cyclist, World Road Champion in 2000
Krišjānis Valdemārs (1825–1891) – public figure, writer, publicist and economist
Pauls Valdens (1863–1957) – chemist
Miķelis Valters (1874–1968) – state official, journalist, diplomat
Valdis Valters (born 1957) – basketball player
Aleksandrs Vanags (1918–1986) – footballer
Jānis Vanags (born 1958) – Lutheran archbishop
Jūlijs Vanags (1903–1984) – author and translator
Pēteris Vasks (born 1946) – contemporary composer
Jukums Vācietis (1873–1938) – first commander of the Soviet Army
Ojārs Vācietis (1933–1983) – poet
Kaspars Vecvagars (born 1993) – basketball club BC Žalgiris player
Eduards Veidenbaums (1867–1892) – poet and translator
Makss Veinreihs (1893–1969) – linguist
Ed Viesturs (Edmunds Viesturs, born 1959) – mountaineer
Igors Vihrovs (born 1978) – gymnast, gold medalist at Sydney Olympics in 2000
Edvarts Virza (1883–1940) – writer
Alvis Vītoliņš (1946–1997) – chess master
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (born 1937) – former President of Latvia
Jāzeps Vītols (1863–1948) – composer
Māris Verpakovskis (born 1979) – footballer
Aleksandrs Voitkevičs (1963–2006) – chess player

Z

Kārlis Zāle (1888–1942) – sculptor; author of the Freedom Monument in Riga
Juris Zariņš (born 1945) – archaeologist and professor at Missouri State University
Kārlis Zariņš (Charles Zarine) (1879–1963) – diplomat
Rihards Zariņš (1869–1939) – graphic artist
Valdis Zatlers (born 1955) – former President of Latvia
Elmārs Zemgalis (1923–2014) – chess player
Gustavs Zemgals (1871–1939) – former President of Latvia
Imants Zemzaris (born 1951) – contemporary composer
Valdis Zeps (1932–1996) – author and linguist; pseudonym Jānis Turbads
Imants Ziedonis (1933–2013) – poet and folklorist
Mārtiņš Zīverts (1903–1990) – playwright
Kaspars Znotiņš (born 1975) – stage and film actor

Ž

Sergejs Žoltoks (1972–2004) – ice hockey player, forward

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Robert B. Pynsent; Sonia I. Kanikova (1993). The Everyman Companion to East European Literature. Dent. ISBN 978-0-460-87201-0. Retrieved 7 April 2013.

[PynsentKanikova1993-1] Robert B. Pynsent; Sonia I. Kanikova (1993). The Everyman Companion to East European Literature. Dent. ISBN 978-0-460-87201-0. Retrieved 7 April 2013.

[1]

A

B

C

Č

D

E

F

G

Ģ

H

I

J

K

L

Ļ

M

N

O

P

R

S

Š

T

U

V

Z

Ž

See also

References