# List of Galician people

This is a list of famous Galician people.

## Arts

* Delmi Álvarez, photographer
* Maruja Mallo (1902–1995), painter
* Mariano Grueiro (born 1975), activist, writer, photographer, filmmaker, artist
* Francisco Calvelo (born 1982), filmmaker
* Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor y Zaragoza (1875–1960), painter
* Gregorio Fernández (1576–1636), Baroque sculptor
* Victor Moscoso (born 1936), Spanish-American artist
* Luís Seoane (1910–1979), lithographer and artist
* Isaac Díaz Pardo (1920–2012), artist and businessman

### Actors

* María Casares (1922–1996)
* José Garcia (actor) (born 1966)
* Nancho Novo (born 1958)
* La Belle Otero (1868–1965), dancer, actress, and courtesan
* Fernando Rey (1917–1994)
* Martin Sheen a.k.a. Ramon Estevez (born 1940) (part Irish, part Galician)
* Charlie Sheen a.k.a. Carlos Estevez (born 1965) (father part Galician)
* Emilio Estevez (born 1962) (father part Galician)
* Luis Tosar (born 1971)
* Jesús Vázquez (born 1965)
* Paula Vázquez (born 1974)
* Pedro Alonso (born 1971)
* Dafne Keen (born 2005) (mother Galician)

### Musicians

* Bernal de Bonaval (13th century), troubadour
* Avelino Cachafeiro (1899–1972), bagpiper
* Luz Casal (born 1958), singer
* Manu Chao (born 1961) (father from Vilalba), singer
* Martín Codax (fl. 13th and 14th centuries), medieval composer and performer
* Iván Ferreiro (born 1970), singer
* Fuxan Os Ventos, folk music group
* Jerry Garcia (1942–1995) (part Galician, part Irish and Swedish), founding member of American rock group The Grateful Dead
* Isabel Granada (born 1976) (mother from Ferrol), singer
* Enrique Iglesias (born 1975) (grandfather from Ourense), singer
* Julio Iglesias (born 1943) (father from Ourense), singer
* Carlos Leal (born 1969), Swiss rapper and actor born to Galician immigrants
* Xoel López, singer
* Anxo Lorenzo (born 1974), bagpiper
* Luar na Lubre, Celtic music group
* Mendinho (fl. 13th century), medieval troubadour
* Milladoiro, Celtic music group
* Carlos Núñez (born 1971), musician and bagpiper
* Natalia Oreiro (born 1977), singer
* Cristina Pato (born 1970), bagpiper
* Manuel Ramil (born 1978), power metal keyboardist
* Rosalía (born 1992), (father part Galician), singer
* Paulina Rubio (born 1971) (father from A Coruña), singer
* Marta Sánchez (born 1966) (both parents from A Coruña), singer
* Susana Seivane (born 1976), bagpiper
* C. Tangana (born 1990), (father from Vigo), rapper
* Siniestro Total, punk rock group
* Los Suaves, hard rock band
* Octavio Vázquez (born 1972), composer

### Writers

* Marilar Aleixandre (born 1947)
* Concepción Arenal (1820–1893), writer and feminist
* Xela Arias (1962–2003)
* Eduardo Blanco Amor (1897–1979), writer and journalist
* Carmen Blanco (born 1954)
* Xurxo Borrazás (born 1963)
* Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (born 1962), linguist
* Castelao (1886–1950), writer, politician, and painter
* Ricardo Carvalho Calero (1910–1990)
* Yolanda Castaño (born 1977), poet
* Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885), writer
* Camilo José Cela (1916–2002), writer, Nobel Prize in Literature
* Ramón Chao (1935–2018)
* Álvaro Cunqueiro (1911–1981), writer and journalist
* Manuel Curros Enríquez (1851–1908), writer
* María Magdalena Domínguez (1922-2021), poet
* Benito Jerónimo Feijóo y Montenegro (1676–1764)
* Wenceslao Fernández Flórez (1885–1964)
* Agustín Fernández Mallo (born 1967)
* Celso Emilio Ferreiro (1912–1979)
* Xesús Ferro Ruibal (born 1944)
* Ricardo Flores Peres (1903–2002)
* Suso de Toro (born 1956), writer
* Béa González, (born 1962), writer
* Beremundo González Rodríguez (1909–1986)
* Juana Teresa Juega López (1885-1979), poet
* María López Sández (born 1973), philologist and essayist
* Salvador de Madariaga (1886–1978), diplomat, writer, historian, and pacifist
* Luis Mariñas (1947–2010), journalist
* María Mariño (1907–1967)
* Xosé Luís Méndez Ferrín (born 1938), writer, proposed for the Nobel Prize
* José María Merino (born 1941)
* Manuel Murguía (1833–1923)
* Xosé Neira Vilas (1928–2015)
* Olga Novo (born 1975)
* Albino Núñez Domínguez (1901–1974)
* Pilar Pallarés (born 1957), poet
* Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851–1921), writer and feminist
* Chus Pato (born 1955)
* Otero Pedrayo (1888–1976)
* Ánxeles Penas (born 1943), poet
* Eduardo Pondal (1835–1917)
* José María Posada (1817–1886)
* Luz Pozo Garza (1922-2020), poet
* Ignacio Ramonet (born 1943)
* Jacinto Rey (born 1972)
* Ofelia Rey Castelao (born 1956)
* Vicente Risco (1884–1963), writer and politician
* Manuel Rivas (born 1957), writer
* Juan Rodríguez de la Cámara (1390–1450)
* Claudio Rodriguez Fer (born 1956)
* Fátima Rodríguez (b. 1961), writer, translator, professor
* Luís Seoane (1910–1979)
* Gonzalo Torrente Ballester (1910–1999), writer
* Ramón del Valle-Inclán (1866–1936), writer
* Lorenzo Varela (1917–1978)
* Martin Veiga (born 1970)
* Benito Vicetto Pérez (1824–1878)
* Darío Villanueva (born 1950), literary theorist and critic, director of the Real Academia Española
* Miguel Ángel Villar Pinto (born 1977)
* Antón Vilar Ponte (1881–1936)

## Business

* José María Castellano Ríos (born 1947) is the former CEO and Deputy Chairman of the Inditex Group, which includes brand stores such as Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Bershka.
* Carmela Arias y Díaz de Rábago (1920–2009), first woman president of a bank in Spain
* Adolfo Dominguez
* Rosalia Mera, co-founder of the Inditex Group
* Amancio Ortega founder of global fashion manufacturing and retail chain Inditex
* Antonio M. Pérez (born 1947), Spanish-American businessman

## Exploration

* Pedro Madruga (fl. 1434–1506), navigator and explorer
* Juan de Betanzos, historical source on the Incan civilization
* João da Nova (1460-1509) navigator and explorer
* Vasco Núñez de Balboa, (1475–1519) (Galician noble from Balboa), explorer and conquistador, discoverer of the Pacific Ocean
* Luís Vaz de Torres (1565–1607), navigator and explorer, first European who saw Australia
* Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira (1542–1595), navigator and explorer, discoverer of Marquesas Islands and Salomon Islands
* Isabel Barreto (1567–1612), navigator and explorer, first female Admiral in history
* Rodrigo de Quiroga, conquistador, Royal Governor of Chile
* Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, explorer and historian
* Benito de Soto (1805-1830), pirate

## Military

* Ángel Castro y Argiz (1875–1956), father of Fidel and Raúl Castro
* Juan de Lángara (1736–1806), naval officer and Minister of Marine
* Pedro Mariño de Lobera (1528–1594), soldier and chronicler of the Arauco War
* Casto Méndez Núñez (1824–1869), admiral
* Patricio Montojo, naval commander at the Battle of Manila Bay
* Alonso Pita da Veiga (fl. 1513–1529), military officer
* Maria Pita, soldier

## Nobility

* Manuel de Godoy y Álvarez de Faria Ríos (1767-1851) Prince of Spain, 1st Duke of Alcudia, 1st Duke of Sueca, 1st Secretary of State, 1st Baron of Mascalbo.
* Alfonso VII of León and Castile (1105–1157), King of Galicia, León, and Castile
* Alfonso X of Castile (1221–1284), King of Galicia and Castile
* Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, 1st Count of Gondomar (1567–1626), Spanish ambassador to England
* Fernán Pérez de Andrade (fl. 1356–1397), Galician knight
* Fernando de Andrade de las Mariñas (1477–1540), First Count of Andrade and Second of Vilalba, Lord of Pontedeume and Ferrol
* Fernando Pérez de Traba (1090–1155), count of the Crown of León
* Fernando Ruiz de Castro (fl. 1354–1377), nobleman of the House of Castro
* Fernando Ruiz de Castro Andrade y Portugal (1548–1601), nobleman, Viceroy of Naples
* Gaspar de Zúñiga, 5th Count of Monterrey (1560–1606), nobleman, Viceroy of New Spain
* Inês de Castro (1325–1355), noblewoman, consort of King Peter I of Portugal
* Manuel de Acevedo y Zúñiga (fl. 1628–1637), Viceroy of Naples
* Menendo González (fl. 997–1008), Duke of Galicia and Count of Portugal
* Pedro Fernández de Castro y Andrade (1560–1622), nobleman, Viceroy of Naples
* Sueiro Gomes de Soutomaior (1417–1490), aristocrat in the kingdom of Galicia
* Vímara Peres (820–873), first ruler of the County of Portugal

## Politics

* Santiago Iglesias, labor leader & organizer in Cuba & Puerto Rico born in A Coruña. First Spaniard elected in 1932 & 1936 to the U. S. Congress as Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico
* Nadia Calviño
* Fidel Castro (both parents from Galicia), former president of Cuba
* Raúl Castro (both parents from Galicia), former president of Cuba, incumbent first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
* Pablo Iglesias, founder of the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in 1879 and the Spanish General Workers' Union (UGT) in 1888
* Tabaré Vázquez (of Galician ancestry), president of Uruguay
* Francisco Franco, leader and later formal head of state of Spain from October 1936, and of all of Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975
* Manuel Fraga Iribarne, President of the Xunta of Galicia from 1990 to 2005 and founder of the People's Alliance (Spain) (Alianza Popular - AP), later refounded as the People's Party (Spain) (Partido Popular - PP).
* Anxo Quintana, politician, former leader of the Galician Nationalist Block (Bloque Nacionalista Galego), the main Galician Nationalist party
* Adolfo Suárez González (his father was from La Coruña), Spain's first democratically elected prime minister after the end of Francoist Spain
* Xosé Manuel Beiras, politician, economist, writer and intellectual
* Benigno Álvares, leader and founder of Galician Communist Party
* Alexandre Bóveda
* Yolanda Díaz
* Elena Espinosa, Minister of the Environment and currently represents Ourense in the Spanish Congress
* Amada Garcia, Communist activist
* Francisco Caamaño Domínguez (born 1963)
* Rosario Hernández Diéguez, newspaper hawker and trade unionist affiliated with UGT and PSOE
* José Patiño (1666–1736), secretary of state
* Ricardo Mella, writer, intellectual and libertarian activist
* Alberto Núñez Feijóo
* Emilio Pérez Touriño, politician and economist
* Mariano Rajoy, leader of the conservative People's Party (PP) and prime minister of Spain until a vote of no confidence ousted his government
* Alfonso Daniel Rodríguez Castelao, writer, politician and one of the main symbols of Galician nationalism
* Elena Salgado, former Second Vice President and Minister of Economy and Finance in Spain
* Juan Niño de Tabora, former governor of the Philippines.
* Ramón Franco, pioneer of aviation, a political figure and brother of later caudillo Francisco Franco
* Juan Camilo Mouriño, politician
* Manolo Sánchez personal valet to the 37th president of the United States Richard Nixon.
* Enrique Líster Forján, a communist politician and military, serving as a general in the armies of the Spanish Republic, the Soviet Red Army and the Yugoslav People's Army
* José Calvo Sotelo (1893–1936), leader of the opposition, his assassination by Socialists agents marked the outbreak of the Spanish civil war
* Eugenio Montero Ríos (1832–1914), prime minister of Spain (19th century)
* José Canalejas (1854- 1912), prime minister of Spain (20th century)
* Manuel Portela Valladares (1868–1952) prime minister of Spain (20th century)
* Eduardo Dato e Iradier (1856–1921), prime minister of Spain (20th century, 3 times)
* Santiago Casares Quiroga, Prime Minister of Spain when Spanish civil war broke out

## Religion

* Alonso III Fonseca (1475–1534), Catholic archbishop and politician
* Antonio María Rouco Varela (born 1936), Catholic prelate
* Benito Jerónimo Feijoo e Montenegro, neoclassical monk and scholar
* Diego Gelmírez (1069–1149), Catholic archbishop
* Hydatius (400–469), Catholic bishop
* Marina of Aguas Santas (119–139), Portuguese Catholic saint
* Pope Damasus I (305–384)
* Rudesind (907–977), Catholic bishop and abbot
* Senorina (fl. 982), Catholic abbess
* Theodemar of Iria (fl. 818–847), Catholic bishop

## Sportspeople

* Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro (born 2002), tennis player
* David Cal (born 1982), flatwater canoer
* Támara Echegoyen (born 1984), sailor
* Beatriz Gómez Cortés (born 1994), Olympic swimmer
* Francisco Javier Gómez Noya (born 1983), triathlete
* Juan López Mella (1965–1995), motorcycle racer
* Ana Peleteiro (born 1995), triple jumper, 2020 Olympic bronze medallist
* Carlos Pérez (born 1979), flatwater canoer
* Iván Raña (born 1979), triathlete
* Fran Vázquez (born 1983), basketball player

### Cycling

* Gustavo César (born 1980)
* David García Dapena (born 1977)
* Vicente López Carril (born 1942)
* Ezequiel Mosquera (born 1975)
* Óscar Pereiro (born 1977), winner of the 2006 Tour de France
* Álvaro Pino (born 1956)
* Gonzalo Rabuñal (born 1984)
* Delio Rodríguez (1916–1994), winner of the 1945 Vuelta a España
* Emilio Rodríguez (1923–1984), winner of the 1950 Vuelta a España

### Football

* Amancio Amaro (born 1939), former Spanish international, 1964 European Championship winner
* Iago Aspas (born 1987), Spanish international
* Verónica Boquete (born 1987), Spanish women's international
* Paco Buyo (born 1958), former Spanish international
* Ricardo Cabanas (born 1979), former Swiss international
* Fran (born 1969), former Spanish international
* Jorge Otero (born 1969), former Spanish international
* Joselu (born 1990), Spanish international
* Pahiño (born 1923), former Spanish international
* Míchel Salgado (born 1975), former Spanish international
* Luis Suárez (born 1935), former Spanish international, 1964 European Championship winner, Ballon d'Or winner
* Lucas Vázquez (born 1991), Spanish international

## Others

* Ana Romero Masiá, Galician historian
* Benito de Soto (1805–1830), pirate
* Ramón Menéndez Pidal (1869–1968), philologist and historian
* Antonio Palacios (1872–1945), architect
* Domingo de Andrade (1639–1712), Baroque architect
* Simón Rodríguez (1769–1854), philosopher and educator