# 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
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z

## 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)
* Lidiia Alekseeva (1909–1989), Latvian poet and writer of short stories
* 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
* 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
* 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

* Vilis Lācis (1904–1966) – author and politician
* Aleksandrs Laime (1911–1994) – explorer
* Ginta Lapiņa (born 1989) – fashion model
* Yan Larri (1900–1977) Soviet children's and utopian fiction writer
* 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
* Vita Liberte (living) – lawyer, art collector, patron and entrepreneur
* 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
* Kristīne Petrikina (born 1985) – footballer
* 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
* 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
* Laura Rizzotto (born 1994) – Latvian-Brazilian singer
* 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 (1942–2024) – 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