List of Frisians

This is a list of famous or notable persons considered Frisians by citizenship, ethnicity or nationality.

A

 * Bernard Accama (1697–1756), 18th-century painter from Friesland
 * Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836–1912), Dutch painter from Dronrijp
 * Stine Andresen (1849–1927), poet from Föhr who also wrote in Fering; befriended poet Friedrich Hebbel

B

 * Nicolaas Baur (1736–1817), portrait painter from Harlingen
 * Eggerik Beninga (1490–1562), East Frisian chronicler
 * William Bergsma (1921–1994), American composer of Frisian descent
 * Titus Brandsma (1881–1942), Carmelite priest of the Roman Catholic Church, anti-Nazi Dutch resistance voice
 * Hinrich Braren (1751–1826), nautical examiner from Föhr; wrote the first textbook on navigation in German language
 * Oluf Braren (1787–1839), painter from Föhr
 * Dan Bylsma, NHL head coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins (born 1970), of Frisian descent

C

 * Franciscus Carree (c. 1630), was made the first painter of William Frederick, Prince of Nassau-Dietz
 * Peter Harry Carstensen (born 1947), Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein from 2005 to 2012

D

 * Edsger Dijkstra (1930–2002), computer scientist
 * Everett Dirksen (1896-1969), American politician of the Republican Party; parents were born in East Frisia
 * Pier Gerlofs Donia (1480–1520), Frisian freedom fighter and folk hero; founder of the Arumer Black Heap
 * Ennik Somi Douma (stage name Jeon Somi, born 2001), South Korean-Canadian singer
 * Lenny Dykstra, Major League baseball player for the New York Mets (1985–1989) and Philadelphia Phillies (1989–1996)

E

 * Fred Eaglesmith, Canadian folk singer; original last name was Elgersma
 * Gerard Edema (1652–1700?), Dutch landscape-painter who settled in England
 * Edzard the Great (1461–1528), count of East Frisia from 1491 until his death in 1528
 * Dieter Eilts, football (soccer) player; nicknamed the Alemão of East Frisia; won the UEFA European Championship 1996 with Germany
 * Eise Eisinga (1744–1828), Frisian amateur astronomer and builder of the oldest working planetaria in the world
 * Ubbo Emmius (1547–1625), professor of history and Greek
 * Heiko Engelkes (1933–2008), German journalist born in Norden, East Frisia
 * Jens Jacob Eschels (1757–1842), seafarer and entrepreneur; became known by his autobiography
 * Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898–1972), graphic artist born in Leeuwarden
 * Balthasar Oomkens von Esens (died 1540), East Frisian nobleman who opposed House Cirksena
 * Rudolf Eucken (1846–1926), German philosopher; winner of the 1908 Nobel Prize for Literature

F

 * David Fabricius (1564–1617), astronomer and theologian
 * Johannes Fabricius (1587–1616), astronomer and a discoverer of sunspots, independently of Galileo Galilei
 * Pieter Feddes van Harlingen (1586–1623), Dutch Golden Age painter
 * Bernard Fokke (1600–1641), on whom the Flying Dutchman is said to be based
 * Jane Fonda, actress with Frisian ancestry
 * Magnus Forteman (~809), legendary commander and magistrate governor of Friesland
 * William Frankena (1908–1994), American philosopher of Ethics; scholar in history of ethics; played role in controversies of the 1950s
 * Josh Freese, American musician of Frisian descent
 * Gemma Frisius (1508–1555), mathematician and cartographer

G

 * Ygo Gales Galama (1443–1493), infamous medieval warlord; Galama-family patriarch
 * Wybrand de Geest (1592 – c. 1661), Dutch Golden Age portrait painter
 * Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (1885–1961), prime minister of the Dutch government in exile during World War II

H

 * Tamme Hanken (1960–2016), German horse whisperer and bonesetter from Filsum
 * Mata Hari (born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, August 7, 1876, in Leeuwarden, Friesland), infamous dancer, courtesan; executed as a spy in France, October 1917
 * Wiebbe Hayes (born c. 1608), Colonial soldier hero from Winschoten
 * Grant Hayunga (born 1970), painter and musician
 * Simon Heere Heeresma (1932–2011), Dutch author and poet
 * Hendrik Eelke Hiddinga (1942), Professional cyclist
 * Meindert Hobbema (1638-1709), Dutch Golden Age painter

I

 * Dodo zu Innhausen und Knyphausen (1583–1636), professional soldier from Lütetsburg, East Frisia; field marshal in Swedish service during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648)
 * Ub Iwerks (1901–1971), American animator, cartoonist, character designer, inventor, and special effects technician; co-created Mickey Mouse

J

 * Gysbert Japiks (1603–1666), Frisian writer, poet, schoolteacher and cantor
 * Wijard Jelckama (1490–1523), Frisian freedom fighter, nephew of Pier Gerlofs Donia and who later led the Frisian rebellion (Arumer Black Heap)
 * Tako Hajo Jelgersma (1702–1795), 18th-century Dutch painter
 * William Harry Jellema (1893-1982), American philosopher
 * Carl Ludwig Jessen (1833–1917), North Frisian Naturalist painter

K

 * Joost Klein (born November 10, 1997 in Leeuwarden, Friesland), Dutch musician, rapper, singer and former Youtuber
 * Wilhelm von Knyphausen (1716–1800), general from Hesse-Cassel; fought in the American Revolutionary War, during which he led Hessian mercenaries on behalf of the British Empire
 * Tjalling Koopmans (1910–1985), Dutch American mathematician and economist; Nobel Prize Laureate in Economic Sciences
 * Sven Kramer, Dutch long track speed skater
 * Doutzen Kroes (born January 23, 1985, in Eastermar, Friesland), Dutch supermodel

L

 * Anna-Marie Lampe, Playboy magazine (US edition) 40th anniversary Playmate/Playmate of the Month for January 1994; Playboy magazine (Dutch edition) Playmate of the year for 1995
 * Cynthia Lenige (1755–1780), poet
 * Abe Lenstra (1920–1985), Dutch football player and national football icon in the 1950s
 * Boy Lornsen (1922–1995), author and sculptor from Sylt, Germany
 * Jack Lousma, astronaut with Frisian ancestry

M

 * Theodor Mommsen (1817–1903), received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1902; German politician, member of the Prussian and German parliaments
 * Hans Momsen (1735–1811), North Frisian farmer, layman mathematician and astronomer
 * F. W. Matthiessen (1835-1918) Born in Altona, Denmark, Descendant of Matthias Petersen (Matthias der Gluckliche), co-founder of Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Works in LaSalle, IL (USA), Founder of Westclox (now General Time), Philanthropist, Matthiessen State Park Deer Park, IL (USA)

O

 * Hark Olufs (1708–1754), sailor from Amrum; was enslaved by Algerian pirates; eventually became Commander in Chief of the Bey of Constantine's cavalry
 * Christian von Ompteda (1765–1815), commander in the Napoleonic Wars
 * Jürgen Ovens (1623–1678), portrait painter from North Frisia; said to have been a pupil of Rembrandt

P

 * Frederik Paulsen Sr (1909–1997), physician; founder of Ferring Pharmaceuticals
 * Tjede Peckes (1500–1517), female Wurster Frisian military flag bearer who was slain in the Battle of the Wremer Djip.
 * Sam Peckinpah, American film director and screenwriter
 * Matthias Petersen (1632–1706), whaling captain from Föhr; in his lifetime he caught 373 whales
 * Wolfgang Petersen, German movie director (Das Boot)
 * David Petraeus, former four-star general in the United States Army, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; his father was a sea captain from Franeker, Netherlands
 * Alvin Plantinga, American philosopher of Frisian descent
 * Gerriet Postma (1932–2009), Dutch painter

R

 * Hendrik van Rijgersma (1835–1877), physician and amateur botanist, malacologist and ichthyologist
 * Rintje Ritsma, former Dutch long track speed skater

S

 * Menno Simons (1496 – January 31, 1561), Anabaptist religious leader from Friesland whose followers became known as Mennonites
 * Kyrsten Sinema (born 1976), American politician and former social worker; U.S. Senator from Arizona
 * Friede Springer (born 1942), widow of publisher Axel Springer; major shareholder of Axel Springer AG
 * Theodor Storm (1817–1888), wrote Der Schimmelreiter
 * Peter Stuyvesant (1612–1672), last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland (New York)

V

 * Simon Vestdijk (1899–1971), novelist, musician, psychological analyst
 * Wigerus Vitringa (1657-1725), Dutch painter
 * Jouke de Vries, Dutch PVDA politician

W

 * Otto Waalkes, German comedian, actor and musician, born in Emden
 * Hayley Westenra, singer from New Zealand; of some Frisian descent
 * Harm Wiersma (born 1953 in Leeuwarden), six time world champion in draughts and politician
 * Piter Wilkens (born 1959), Frisian folk and pop singer

Z

 * Jelle Zijlstra (1918–2001), Prime Minister of the Netherlands 1966-67
 * Wout Zijlstra, strongest man of the Netherlands in 2001; third of the world in 1998
 * Epke Zonderland, gymnast, Olympic champion (2012)