List of Latvians

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This is a list of prominent Latvians with Wikipedia articles. It includes:

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

A

• Augusts Vilis Abakuks (1914–1994) – a leader of the British Latvian community in exile
• Valerians Abakovskis (1895–1921) – inventor of a propeller-powered railcar, the aerowagon.
• Rutanya Alda (Rutanya Alda Skrastiņa, born 1942) – actress (Mommy Dearest, 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 see Miķelis Krogzems

B

• Ainars Bagatskis (born 1967) – basketball player
• Helmuts Balderis (born 1952) – ice hockey player, forward
• Jānis Balodis (1881–1965) – army officer and politician
• Jānis Balodis (born 1950) – Latvian/Australian playwright
• Kārlis Balodis (1864–1931) – notable economist, financist, statistician and demographist
• Krišjānis Barons (1835–1923) – "the father of Latvian folk songs", who compiled and edited the first publication of Latvian folk-song texts "Latvju Dainas" (1894–1915)
• Mihails Barišņikovs (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 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
• Kaspars Bērziņš (born 1985) – basketball player
• Kārlis Bētiņš (1867–1943) – chess player
• Andris Biedriņš (born 1986) – basketball player
• Gunārs Birkerts (born 1925) – architect
• Miervaldis Birze (1921–2000) – writer
• Ernests Blanks (1894–1972) – Latvian 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 judoka
• Baiba Broka (born 1973) – actress
• Ingūna Butāne – fashion model

C

• Valters Caps (1905–2003) – designed first Minox 8 x 11 photocameras
• Aleksandrs Cauņa (born 1988) – footballer
• Gustavs Celmiņš (1899–1968) – fascist politician, leader of Pērkonkrusts movement
• Vija Celmins (born 1938) – American painter born in Latvia

Č

• Māris Čaklais (1940–2003) - poet.
• Aleksandrs Čaks (1901–1950) – poet
• Jānis Čakste (1859–1927) – first Latvian president
• Tanhum Cohen-Mintz (1939), Latvian-born Israeli basketball player

D

• Roberts Dambītis (1881–1957) – general and politician
• Jānis Dāliņš (1904–1978) – athlete, race walker
• Emīls Dārziņš (1875–1910) – composer
• 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
• Leor Dimant (born 1972) – the DJ for the rap metal group Limp Bizkit
• Anatols Dinbergs (1911–1993) – diplomat
• Aleksis Dreimanis (born 1914) – geologist
• Inga Drozdova (born 1975) – model and actress
• Oļģerts Dunkers (1932–1997) – actor and film director

E

• Mihails Eizenšteins (1867–1921) – architect
• Sergejs Eizenšteins (1898–1948) – film director
• Modris Eksteins (born 1943) – Canadian historian and writer
• Andrievs Ezergailis (born 1930) – 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 of Foreign Affairs

G

• Inese Galante (born 1954) – opera singer (soprano)
• Gints Gabrāns (born 1970) – artist
• Elīna Garanča (born 1976) – opera singer (mezzo-soprano)
• Kārlis Goppers (1876–1941) – general, founder of Latvian Boy Scouts
• Andrejs Grants (born 1955) – photographer
• Ernests Gulbis (born 1988) – tennis player
• Natālija Gulbis (born 1983) – Latvian-descent LPGA golfer

Ģ

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

H

• Moriss Halle (born 1923) – linguist
• Filips Halsmans (1906–1979) – Latvian/American photographer
• Juris Hartmanis (born 1928) – computer scientist, Turing Award winner
• Uvis Helmanis – basketball player

I

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

J

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

K

• Aivars Kalējs (born 1951) - organist, composer
• 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
• Mārtiņš Karsums (born 1986) – ice hockey player
• Reinis Kaudzīte (1839-1920) - writer and journalist.
• Renārs Kaupers (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 a renowned scholar
• Aleksandrs Kovaļevskis (1840–1901) – zoologist
• 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 – gymnastics Olympic champion (team)
• Ed Leedskalnin (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
• Aleksandrs Liepa (1919–2000) – inventor, artist
• Māris Liepa (1936–1989) – ballet-dancer
• Maksims Ļihačovs (born 1975) – professional football player
• Peggy Lipton (born 1946) -- Latvian-American actress
• Nikolajs Loskis (1870–1965) – philosopher
• Jānis Lūsis (born 1939) – 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 - singer
• Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics (1887–1925) – first Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Leo Mihelsons (1887–1978) – artist
• Arnolds Mikelsons (1922–1984) – artist
• Jevgēņijs Millers (1867–1938) – czarist Russian general
• Kārlis Mīlenbahs (1853–1916) – linguist

N

• Arkādijs Naidičs (born 1985) – chess player, now resident in Germany
• Andris Nelsons (born 1978) – conductor of The Boston Symphony Orchestra
• Andrievs Niedra (1871–1941) – pastor, writer, prime minister of German puppet government (1919)
• Arons Nimcovičs (1886–1935) – influential 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)
• 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

P

• Artis Pabriks (born 1966) – Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007–2007)
• Kārlis Padegs (1911–1940) – Graphic artist, painter
• Marians Pahars (born 1976) – soccer player
• Raimonds Pauls (born 1936) – popular composer, widely known in Russia
• Lūcija Peka (1912–1991) – Artist of the Latvian Diaspora
• Jēkabs Peterss (1886–1938) – revolutionary and Soviet Cheka leader
• Brita Petersone – American model
• Kaspars Petrovs (born 1978) – serial killer
• Vladimirs Petrovs (1907–1943) – chess player
• Oskars Perro (1918–2003)- Latvian soldier and writer
• Andris Piebalgs (born 1957) – politician, diplomat, European Commissioner for Energy
• Jānis Pliekšāns, (1865–1929) – distinguished Latvian writer, author of a number of poetry collections
• Juris Podnieks (1950–1992) – film director, producer
• Nikolajs Poļakovs (1900–1974) – Coco the Clown
• Jānis Poruks (1871-1911) - writer.
• Kristaps Porziņģis (born 1995) – basketball player, New York Knicks
• 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
• Dans Rapoports (1970) - American financier and philanthropist
• Lauris Reiniks (1979) – singer, songwriter, actor and TV personality
• Einars Repše (born 1961) – politician
• Lolita Ritmanis (born 1962) – orchestrator, composer
• Iļja Ripss (born 1948) - inventor of the Bible Code
• Fricis Rokpelnis (1909–1969) – author
• Marks Rotko (1903–1970) – abstract expressionist painter
• Elza Rozenberga (1865–1943) – poet, playwright, married to Jānis Pliekšāns
• Juris Rubenis (born 1961) – famous Lutheran pastor
• Mārtiņš Rubenis (born 1978) – athlete, bronze medalist at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin
• Brunis Rubess (born 1926) – businessman
• Inta Ruka (born 1958) – photographer
• Taņa Rusova (born 1974) – pornographic actress

S

• Rudolfs Saulē (born 1903) - ballet master, performer with the Latvian National Ballet
• Uļjana Semjonova (born 1952) – basketball player
• Haralds Silovs – short track and long track speed skater
• Kārlis Skalbe (1879–1945) – poet
• Kārlis Skrastiņš (1974–2011) – ice hockey player
• Baiba Skride (born 1981) – violinist
• 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) – Latvian industrialist, entrepreneur, and civil rights activist
• Gotthard Friedrich Stender (1714-1796) – the 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) – prominent 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 – basketball player
• Ksenia Solo (born 1987) – actress
• Ernests Štālbergs (1883–1958) – architect, ensemble of the Freedom Monument
• Īzaks Nahmans Šteinbergs (1888–1957) – politician, lawyer and author
• Māris Štrombergs – 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 and president of Latvia
• Juris Upatnieks (born 1936) - physicist and inventor, and 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 – 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
• 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
• Jāzeps Vītols (1863–1948) – composer
• Eduards Veidenbaums (1867–1892) – Latvian poet
• Māris Verpakovskis (born 1979) – footballer
• Aleksandrs Voitkevičs (1963–2006) – chess player

Z

• Kārlis Zāle (1888–1942) – sculptor, author of the Freedom Monument in Riga
• Frīdrihs Canders (1887–1933) – pioneer of rocketry and spaceflight
• 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
• Elmārs Zemgalis (born 1923) – chess player
• Gustavs Zemgals (1871–1939) – former president
• Imants Zemzaris (born 1951) – contemporary composer
• Valdis Zeps (1932–1996) – author and linguist, pseudonym Jānis Turbads
• Imants Ziedonis (1933-2013) – Latvian 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

See also

• Latvians
• Latvian American