List of people from Ghent

This is a list of notable people from Ghent, who were either born in Ghent, or spent part of their life there.

Before the 19th century

 * Henry of Ghent, scholastic philosopher (c. 1217 – 1293)
 * Jacob van Artevelde, statesman and political leader (c. 1290 – 1345)
 * Franz Ackerman, statesman (c. 1330 – 1387)
 * Philip van Artevelde, Flemish patriot (c. 1340 – 1382)
 * John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (1340–1399)
 * Hugo van der Goes, painter (c. 1440 – 1482)
 * Alexander Agricola, composer of the Renaissance (1445/6 - 1506)
 * Jacob Obrecht, composer of the Renaissance (c. 1457 – 1505)
 * Adrianus Todeschinus, captain of the papal guard (1471–1546)
 * Jacques Buus, Franco-Flemish composer and organist of the Renaissance (c. 1500 – 1565)
 * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (‘’Charles Quint’’, 1500–1558)
 * Cornelius Canis, Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance, music director for Charles V in the 1540–1550s
 * Jan Utenhove, writer (c. 1520 – 1566)
 * Lieven de Key, architect (1560–1627)
 * Philippe van Lansberg, astronomer (1561–1632)
 * Daniel Heinsius, scholar of the Dutch Renaissance (1580–1655)
 * Jean-Baptiste Loeillet (of London), flutist, oboist, and harpsichordist (1680–1730)
 * Jean-Baptiste Loeillet (of Ghent), composer (1688 – c. 1720)
 * Josse Boutmy, organist and harpsichordist (1697–1779)
 * Peter Anton von Verschaffelt, sculptor and architect (1710–1793)
 * Lieven Bauwens, industrialist (1769–1822)

19th century

 * Josse Joseph de Lehaye, politician, (1800–1888)
 * Henri Colson, burgomaster of Ghent (1819-1900)
 * Eugène Van Bemmel, author and educator (1824–1880)
 * Frans de Potter, writer, (1834–1904)
 * Charles John Seghers, Jesuit clergyman and missionary (1839–1886)
 * Paul de Vigne, sculptor (1843–1901)
 * De Vriendt brothers, painters (second half of 19th century)
 * Pierre De Geyter, socialist, composer, and wood carver (1848–1932)
 * Victor Horta, Art Nouveau architect (1861–1947)
 * Henri Lammens, Jesuit and orientalist (1862–1937)
 * Maurice Maeterlinck, poet, playwright, essayist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1862–1949)
 * Théo van Rysselberghe, neo-impressionist painter 1862–1926)
 * Constant Montald, monumental and symbolic painter 1862-1944
 * Brice Meuleman, Jesuit, 2nd Archbishop of Calcutta (now Kolkata) (1862–1924)
 * Leo Baekeland, chemist and inventor of Bakelite (1863–1944)
 * Pierre Louÿs, poet and romantic writer (1870–1925)
 * Karel van de Woestijne, writer (1878–1929)
 * George Van Biesbroeck, astronomer (1880–1974)
 * Gustave Van de Woestijne, painter (1881–1947)
 * Geo Verbanck, sculptor (1881–1961)
 * Frits Van den Berghe, expressionist painter (1883–1939)
 * Valerius Geerebaert, Redemptorist (1884–1957)
 * Maurice Langaskens, painter (1884—1946)
 * George Sarton, historian of science (1884–1956)
 * Désiré Defauw, conductor and violinist (1885–1960)
 * Jean Ray, writer (1887–1964)
 * Richard Minne, writer and poet (1891–1965)
 * Corneille Jean François Heymans, physiologist and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1892–1968)
 * Edgard Colle, chess master (1897–1932)
 * Henri Story, politician (1897–1944)
 * Emma De Vigne, painter (1850-98)

20th century

 * Suzanne Lilar, playwright, essayist and novelist (1901–1992)
 * Jozef Vergote, Egyptologist and coptologist (1910–1992)
 * Johan Daisne, author, poet, and librarian (1912–1978)
 * Théo Lefèvre, lawyer and prime minister of Belgium (1914–1973)
 * Armand Pien, weatherman (1920–2003)
 * Marc Sleen, comics artist and cartoonist (born 1922)
 * Willy De Clercq, politician (born 1927)
 * Marcel Storme, lawyer and professor at the Ghent University (born 1930)
 * Jean-Marie Albert Bottequin, photographer and journalist (born 1941)
 * Graba' (Ignace De Graeve), designer and artist (1940-2016)
 * Jacques Rogge, former president of the IOC (born 1942)
 * Gérard Mortier, musical artistic director (born 1943)
 * René Jacobs, counter-tenor and conductor (born 1946)
 * Philippe Herreweghe, conductor (born 1947)
 * Marc Mortier, first CEO of Flanders Expo (1948–2004)
 * Godfried-Willem Raes, composer, performer, and instrument maker (born 1952)
 * Matthias Storme, lawyer, academic, thinker, and politician (born 1959)
 * Dirk Brossé, composer, conductor
 * Frank De Winne, cosmonaut (born 1961)
 * Saul Akkemay (Panbello), freelance publicist and columnist (born 1964)
 * Nic Balthazar, movie critic and film director (born 1964)
 * Michel de Kemmeter, entrepreneur and author in the fields of Personal development and Intangible assets and Human Sustainable Development (born 1964)
 * Peter Goes, children's author and illustrator
 * Helmut Lotti, musician (born 1969)
 * Filip Meirhaeghe, cyclist (born 1971)
 * Matthew Gilmore, cyclist (born 1972)
 * Freya Van den Bossche, socialist politician (born 1975)
 * Cédric Van Branteghem, athlete (born 1979)
 * Bradley Wiggins, British cyclist (born 1980)
 * Jonas Geirnaert, creator of animation shorts (born 1982)
 * Iljo Keisse, cyclist (born 1982)
 * Eline Berings, athlete (born 1986)
 * Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, football player (born 1989)
 * Kevin De Bruyne, professional footballer (born 1991)
 * Gijs van Hoecke, cyclist (born 1991)
 * Gaelle Mys, Olympic gymnast (born 1991)
 * Xavier Henry, shooting guard/small forward for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers (born 1995)

Before the 19th century

 * Saint Amand, Roman Catholic saint (584–675)
 * Saint Bavo, patron saint of Ghent (589–654)
 * Jan Boeksent, Franciscan Sculptor.
 * Hubert van Eyck, painter (c. 1366 – 1426)
 * Jan van Eyck, painter (c. 1385 – 1441)
 * Joos van Wassenhove, painter (c. 1410 – c. 1480)
 * Maximilian I and Mary of Burgundy married in Ghent in 1477
 * William Damasus Lindanus, Bishop of Ghent (1525–1588)
 * Jodocus Hondius, artist, engraver, and cartographer (1563–1612)
 * Tobie Matthew, English Catholic priest (1577–1655)
 * Caspar de Crayer, painter (1582–1669)
 * David t'Kindt, architect (1699-1770)
 * Jan Frans Willems, writer (1793–1846)
 * Jacques-Joseph Haus, criminal law and natural rights professor at Ghent University (1796–1881)

19th century

 * Joseph Plateau, physicist, taught at the Ghent University (1801–1883)
 * Louis XVIII of France was exiled in Ghent during the Hundred Days in 1815
 * François-Auguste Gevaert, composer (1828–1908)
 * Rosalie Loveling, poet, novelist, and essayist (1834–1875)
 * Virginie Loveling, poet, novelist, and essayist (1836–1923)
 * Frans Rens, writer, (1805–1874)

20th century

 * Erwin Schrödinger, physicist (1877-1961)
 * Paul van Imschoot, Roman Catholic biblical theologian (1889-1968)
 * Arend Joan Rutgers, physical chemist and professors at the Ghent University (1903–1998)
 * Jean Daskalidès, gynecologist and director of Leonidas chocolates (1922–1992)
 * Hugo Claus, author, poet, dramatist, film and stage director (1929–2008)
 * Jan Hoet, founder of SMAK (Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst) (born 1936)
 * Wilfried Martens, Christian Democratic politician and prime minister (born 1936)
 * Royden Rabinowitch, Canadian sculptor (born 1943)
 * Patrick Sercu, Belgian track cyclist (born 1944)
 * Guy Verhofstadt, liberal politician and prime minister (born 1953)
 * Johan Vande Lanotte, lawyer and politician (born 1955)
 * Herman Brusselmans, novelist and poet (born 1957)
 * Leen Ryckaert, psychologist (born 1957)
 * Dirk Braeckman, photographer (born 1958)
 * Tom Lanoye, novelist and poet (born 1958)
 * Peter Vermeersch, composer, clarinet player, and producer (born 1959)
 * Michaël Borremans, painter (born 1963)
 * Lucas de Lil, composer and conductor (born 1963)
 * Erwin Mortier, author and poet (born 1965)
 * Bianka Panova, rhythmic gymnast (born 1970)
 * Swen Vincke, video game director (born 1972)
 * Lorenz Bogaert, entrepreneur (born 1976)
 * Gabriel Ríos, Puerto Rican musician (born 1978)
 * Tyler Farrar, American cyclist (born 1984)
 * Bolis Pupul, musician (born 1985)