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

 * 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)
 * 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

 * Aleksandrs Laime (1911–1994) – explorer
 * Vilis Lācis (1904–1966) – author and politician
 * Ginta Lapiņa (born 1989) – fashion model
 * 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
 * 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
 * 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
 * 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 (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) – 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