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)
 * 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
 * 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

 * 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

 * 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
 * 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