List of Afghans

The following is a list of notable Afghan people, which includes all the ethnic groups of the modern state of Afghanistan. Afghanistan has gone through territorial changes. This list generally excludes Ethnic Pashtuns who originate from regions that were not controlled by Afghanistan at the time, though there are exceptions for certain figures who are prominent to Pashtuns. It also includes historical figures coming from the present day borders of Afghanistan, even if they were non-Pashtuns.
Faridoon Angar
Monarchs
Presidents
Daoud Khan
Nur Muhammad Taraki
Mohammad Najibullah
Burhanuddin Rabbani
Habibullah Kalakani
Hamid Karzai
Ashraf Ghani
Politicians and diplomats
Mohammad Siddiq Chakari
Scientists
Sayed Hassan Akhlaq philosopher
Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani philosopher
Hedayat Amin Arsala economist
Mohammad Amin Fatemi physician
Nake M. Kamrany professor of economics
Habib Mangal physician
Abdul Ahad Mohmand astronaut
Abdul Karim Mustaghni
M. Ishaq Nadiri professor of economics
Ghulam Faroq Nijrabi physician
Abbas Noyan engineer
Hamidullah Qalandarzai engineer
Mohammad Qayoumi engineer; president of San Jose State University
Daud Shah Saba geologist
Sima Samar physician
Habiba Sarobi hematologist
Nazif Shahrani professor of anthropology
Kabir Stori psychologist
Zemaryalai Tarzi archeologist
Abdul Qayum Tutakhail physician
Ghulam Sediq Wardak inventor
Entrepreneurs
Fatema Akbari
Ehsan Bayat
Sherkhan Farnood
Fauzia Gailani, Gilani ethnic Pashtun
Dawood Jabarkhyl
Mahmud Karzai
Roya Mahboob
Sher Khan Nashir
Historians
Hafiz-i Abru
Abu Mansour al-Hosein ibn Muhammad al-Marghani
Hamid Naweed
Akram Assem
Ghulam Mohammad Ghobar (1898-1978)
Zalmay A. Gulzad
Abdul Hai Habibi (1910-1984)
Faiz Mohammad Katib Hazara
Omara Khan Massoudi geographer, historian
Abdul Shakoor Rashad (1921-2004)
Media people (including actors and film directors)
Latif Ahmadi director of Afghan Film, Afghanistan's state-run film company
Humayoon Shams Khan actor
Leena Alam actress
Siddiq Barmak (born 1962) directed the drama film Osama (2003)
Abdul Ghafoor Breshna painter, music composer, poet and film director
Sonia Nassery Cole directed the drama film The Black Tulip (2010)
Zohre Esmaeli (born 1985) model, author, designer
Josh Gad
Azita Ghanizada
Marina Golbahari
Nelufar Hedayat
Haji Kamran
Kader Khan
Ahmed Latif
Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada
Mamnoon Maqsoodi (born 1966)
Anisa Wahab
Abdul Wahid Nazari (born 1953)
Nelofer Pazira
Leena Alam
Soosan Firooz
Ali Olomi
Writers (including journalists)
Mohammad Jan Fana (born 1932)
Nelufar Hedayat
Khaled Hosseini (born 1965)
Qiamuddin Khadim
Sultan Munadi (1976-2009)
Fariba Nawa (born 1973)
Nelofer Pazira
Sayed Ihsanuddin Taheri
Mahmud Tarzi (1865-1933)
Sakena Yacoobi
Rahnaward Zaryab
Ahmad Javeed Ahwar
Poets
Jami (1414-1492)
Rumi (1207-1273) originally from the Balkh city of Afghanistan
Qahar Asi (1335)
Hamza Baba (1907-1994)
Rahman Baba (1650-1715)
Wasef Bakhtari
Khalilullah Khalili (1907-1987)
Ghani Khan (1914-1996)
Khushal Khan Khattak (1613-1689)
Parween Pazhwak (born 1967)
Pir Roshan (1525-1582/1585)
Sana Safi
Layla Sarahat Rushani (died 2004)
Hakim Sanai (1080-1131)
Kabir Stori (1942-2006)
Mahmud Tarzi (1830-1900)
Nazo Tokhi
Matiullah Turab
Sportspeople
Rashid Khan Cricketer
Javed Ahmadi Cricketer
Sandjar Ahmadi Footballer
Raees Ahmadzai Cricketer
Yamin Ahmadzai Cricketer
Shamsuddin Amiri Footballer
Jan Alam Hassani Volleyballer
Qaher Hazrat Cyclist
Gulbudeen Naib Cricketer
Nasratullah Nasrat Cricketer
Ahmad Nasir Safi Footballer
Dawlat Zadran Cricketer
Siyar Bahadurzada UFC Fighter
Nadia Nadim Footballer
Musicians (including composers)
Omar Akram Grammy Award-winning Afghan-American recording artist, composer and pianist
Farhad Darya
Soosan Firooz actress and rapper
Mozhdah Jamalzadah
Miri Maftun
Latif Nangarhari
Nasrat Parsa
Dawood Sarkhosh
Aryana Sayeed
Ahmad Zahir
Women activists
Aryana Sayeed women's rights activist and famous singer
Roqia Abubakr
Sitara Achakzai women's rights activist
Jamila Afghani founder of Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organization (NECDO)
Safia Ahmed-jan women's rights activist
Khadija Ahrari helped give women the right to vote
Fatema Akbari
Farida Azizi advocate for peace and women's rights.