This is a list of notable people from Iceland, arranged in categories and ordered alphabetically by first name, following the usual naming conventions of Iceland.

Business

  • Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson, billionaire entrepreneur
  • Björgólfur Guðmundsson, former billionaire entrepreneur, father of Thor Björgólfsson (above)
  • Eggert Magnússon, businessman and former chairman of the English Premiership football club West Ham United
  • Hreiðar Már Sigurðsson, businessman
  • Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson, billionaire and founder of the Bónus supermarket and the Baugur Group
  • Magnús Þorsteinsson, businessman
  • Arnor Sighvatsson, economist

Arts and culture

Architects

  • Guðjón Samúelsson
  • Guðmundur Jónsson
  • Halldóra Briem
  • Högna Sigurðardóttir

Authors

  • Arnaldur Indriðason, writer
  • Davíð Stefánsson, poet
  • Einar Benediktsson, writer, poet
  • Einar Kárason, writer
  • Einar Hjörleifsson Kvaran, editor, novelist, poet, dramatist
  • Einar Már Guðmundsson, writer
  • Guðmundur G. Hagalín, writer, poet
  • Halldór Kiljan Laxness, writer, poet, Nobel Prize winner
  • Hallgrímur Helgason, writer
  • Jón Kalman Stefánsson, writer, poet
  • Jón Thoroddsen, author
  • Jónas Hallgrímsson, writer, poet
  • Halldóra Bjarnadóttir, educator, author
  • Jóhannes úr Kötlum, writer, poet
  • Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir, writer
  • Magnus Magnusson, television presenter, writer
  • Nína Björk Árnadóttir, poet, novelist, playwright
  • Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, writer
  • Sjón, poet, writer, lyricist
  • Snorri Hjartarson, poet
  • Snorri Sturluson, historian, poet
  • Steinunn Sigurðardóttir, writer, poet
  • Stephan G. Stephansson, Western Icelander, poet
  • Tómas Guðmundsson, poet
  • Vigdís Grímsdóttir, writer
  • Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson, writer
  • Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, writer
  • Þórarinn Eldjárn, writer, poet
  • Þórbergur Þórðarson, writer, poet

Film, radio, and TV

  • Anita Briem, actress
  • Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, best known as Silvía Nótt (Silvia Night), actress, singer, model, TV personality.
  • Baltasar Kormákur, film actor and film director
  • Egill (Eagle) Örn Egilsson, cinematographer, Director, TV Production
  • Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, film director
  • Gunnar Hansen, film actor
  • Hilmir Snær Guðnason, film actor
  • Hrafn Gunnlaugsson, film director
  • Karl Júlíusson, film production designer/costume designer
  • Magnus Magnusson, television presenter, writer
  • Magnús Scheving, writer, actor, athlete, creator of LazyTown
  • Margrét Vilhjálmsdóttir, actress
  • Marinó Sigurðsson, actor
  • Markús Örn Antonsson, former mayor of Reykjavík and former director of RÚV
  • Páll Magnússon, former director of RÚV, a member of the Icelandic parliament
  • Ragnar Bragason, director
  • Rósa Ingólfsdóttir, actress
  • Stefán Karl Stefánsson, actor
  • Tinna Gunnlaugsdóttir, actress and former Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Iceland
  • Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson, actor
  • Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, poet, writer, musician

Music

  • Anna Mjöll, singer-songwriter
  • Arndís Halla (born 1969), opera singer, songwriter and entertainer
  • Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, more commonly known as Silvía Nótt, singer, actress, and TV personality
  • Ásgeir Trausti, singer-songwriter
  • Bára Gísladóttir (born 1989), musician and composer
  • Björgvin Halldórsson, singer
  • Björk Guðmundsdóttir, singer-songwriter more commonly known as Björk
  • Bragi Ólafsson, musician
  • Daði Freyr, musician
  • Diddú (Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir), soprano and songwriter
  • Emilíana Torrini, singer-songwriter
  • Einar Örn Benediktsson, musician
  • Eiríkur Hauksson, musician
  • Eythor Arnalds, musician
  • Gabríel Ólafs, composer
  • Garðar Thór Cortes, tenor
  • Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir, singer, violinist
  • Gísli Magnússon, pianist
  • Gunnsteinn Ólafsson, musician, composer
  • Hafdís Bjarnadóttir (born 1977), composer and musician
  • Hafdís Huld, singer
  • Halldor Mar, songwriter and guitarist
  • Haukur Tómasson, composer
  • Hildur Guðnadóttir, musician and composer, first solo woman to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
  • Hallgrímur Helgason, composer, conductor, violinist, and musicologist
  • Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, musician, art director, and chief goði of the Icelandic Ásatrú Association
  • Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer, musician, producer
  • Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson, (Jónsi) singer
  • Jón Leifs, composer
  • Jón Þór Birgisson, singer, guitarist
  • Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, pop singer (Yohanna)
  • Kjartan Ólafsson (born 1958), composer, professor
  • Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir, musician
  • Mugison, composer, musician
  • Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, musician
  • Ólafur Arnalds, composer, musician
  • Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson (Paul Oscar), pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey
  • Ragnheiður Gröndal, musician
  • Sigurður Bragason, baritone singer and composer
  • Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, poet, writer and musician

Musical bands and groups

  • Agent Fresco
  • Amiina
  • Ampop
  • Árstíðir
  • Bang Gang
  • Changer
  • Cynic Guru
  • Dikta
  • FM Belfast
  • GusGus
  • Kaleo
  • HAM
  • Hatari
  • Mammút
  • Mezzoforte
  • Mínus
  • Mugison
  • múm
  • Nylon
  • Of Monsters and Men
  • Quarashi
  • Samaris
  • Seabear
  • Sigur Rós
  • Singapore Sling
  • Skálmöld
  • Ske
  • Sólstafir
  • The Sugarcubes
  • Trúbrot
  • Voces Thules
  • VÆB

Painters and visual artists

  • Kristleifur Björnsson
  • Einar Hákonarson
  • Erró
  • Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval

Photographers

  • Ragnar Axelsson
  • Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson

Sculptors

  • Ásmundur Sveinsson
  • Bertel Thorvaldsen
  • Einar Jónsson
  • Gunnfríður Jónsdóttir
  • Nína Sæmundsson
  • Olafur Eliasson
  • Ríkarður Jónsson
  • Steinunn Thorarinsdottir

Miss World

  • Hólmfríður "Hófí" Karlsdóttir, Miss World 1985
  • Linda Pétursdóttir, Miss World 1988
  • Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir, Miss World 2005

Historical figures of Iceland

  • Ari Þorgilsson, priest and author of Íslendingabók, a historical work
  • Björn Sveinsson Björnsson, first born son of Sveinn Björnsson, and an Waffen-SS volunteer
  • Egill Skallagrímsson, Viking skald
  • Eiríkur rauði, (e. Eirík the Red, Old Norse. Eirīkr hinn rauði) named Greenland
  • Freydís Eiríksdóttir
  • Guðmundur Arason
  • Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir, explorer
  • Ingólfur Arnarson
  • Ísleifur Gissurarson
  • Kolbeinn Tumason
  • Leifur Eiríksson (e. Leif Ericson, Old Norse Leifr Eiríksson), discovered America in the year 1000 and named it Vínland (Land of Wine)
  • Loftur Sæmundsson, priest and chieftain at Oddi
  • Solveig Guðmundsdóttir, heir and landlord
  • Snorri Sturluson
  • Þorfinnur "Karlsefni" Þórðarson
  • Þorleifur Skaftason, priest and Galdrmaster
  • Þorvaldur Eríksson
  • Vilhjálmur Stefánsson, Western Icelander, Arctic explorer
  • Þóra Magnúsdóttir, born 1100 in Norway, daughter of Magnus III of Norway, a direct descendant of Harald Fairhair the first Norwegian King. Þóra Magnúsdóttir married an Icelander and moved to Iceland.

Politics

  • Albert Guðmundsson, former minister
  • Árni Sigfússon, politician
  • Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, former president
  • Bergdis Ellertsdóttir, ambassador
  • Birgitta Jónsdóttir, member of parliament
  • Björn Bjarnason, minister of justice and ecclesiastical affairs
  • Davíð Oddsson, former prime minister and former mayor of Reykjavík
  • Geir H. Haarde, former prime minister, former foreign minister
  • Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, former president
  • Halla Tómasdóttir, current president
  • Halldór Ásgrímsson, former prime minister
  • Halldór Blöndal, former minister
  • Hannes Hafstein, first prime minister
  • Hannibal Valdimarsson, chairman of two parties and one electoral alliance
  • Hulda Jakobsdóttir (1911–1998), Iceland's first woman mayor
  • Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, former prime minister, also the world's first openly gay head of government
  • Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson, former foreign minister, ambassador
  • Jón Loftsson, chieftain and politician
  • Jón Sigurðsson, independence leader
  • Katrín Jakobsdóttir, former Prime minister
  • Katrín Magnússon (1858–1932), early Reykjavik municipal councillor and women's rights activist
  • Kristján Eldjárn, former president
  • Markús Örn Antonsson, former mayor of Reykjavík and former director of RÚV
  • Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former president
  • Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, former prime minister
  • Steingrímur Hermannsson, former prime minister
  • Sveinn Björnsson, first president
  • Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former president, first elected female head of state
  • Þorsteinn Pálsson, former prime minister

Scholarship and academia

  • Agnar Helgason, anthropologist
  • Ari Brynjolfsson, physicist
  • Ari Þorgilsson, documentarian, chronicler
  • Ari Trausti Guðmundsson, geologist, explorer, documentarian
  • Árni Magnússon, documentarian
  • Ásgeir Helgason, psychologist, public health scientist
  • Auður Eir Vilhjálmsdóttir, first female priest
  • Eiríkur Magnússon, librarian and lecturer at Cambridge University, co-translator with William Morris
  • Gisli Gudjonsson, professor of forensic psychology
  • Gísli Pálsson, anthropologist
  • Guðbrandur Vigfússon, lexicographer, editor, and lecturer at Oxford University
  • Guðmundur Eiríksson, judge and law professor
  • Hannes Hólmsteinn Gissurarson, political scientist
  • Helgi Valdimarsson, immunologist
  • Jón Steinsson, economist at University of California, Berkeley
  • Hjörtur Þórðarson, inventor
  • Kári Stefánsson, founder of deCODE genetics
  • Leifur Magnusson, Icelandic-American economist, U.S. Representative to the International Labour Organization
  • Magnús Eiríksson, theologian
  • Marga Ingeborg Thome, nursing professor
  • Margrét Hermanns-Auðardóttir, archaeologist
  • Niels Finsen, physician, Nobel Prize winner (Icelandic parents)
  • Ólafía Einarsdóttir, archaeologist
  • Páll Skúlason, philosopher, former Rector of the University of Iceland
  • Reynir Böðvarsson, seismologist
  • Sigurdur Helgason, mathematician
  • Sigurður Nordal, philosopher
  • Sigurður Þórarinsson, geologist, volcanologist, professor
  • Snorri Sturluson, documentarian, writer
  • Stefán Einarsson, linguist and literary historian
  • Vilhjálmur Árnason, philosopher
  • Þór Whitehead, historian
  • Þorsteinn Gylfason, philosopher

Sports and games

Football (Soccer)

  • Rúrik Gíslason, professional footballer, currently at SV Sandhausen
  • Albert Guðmundsson, first Icelandic professional footballer, played for Valur, Rangers, A.C. Milan, Arsenal and FC Nancy.
  • Arnór Guðjohnsen, former professional footballer, father of Eiður Guðjohnsen
  • Aron Gunnarsson, professional footballer, currently at Cardiff City FC
  • Ásgeir Sigurvinsson, former professional footballer
  • Birkir Bjarnason, professional footballer, currently at Aston Villa F.C.
  • Eggert Jónsson, professional footballer, currently at Wolverhampton Wanderers
  • Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen, professional footballer, top scorer for Icelandic national team
  • Emil Hallfreðsson, professional footballer, currently at Udinese Calcio
  • Eyjólfur Héðinsson, professional footballer, currently at SønderjyskE
  • Guðni Bergsson, former professional footballer, played for teams such as Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and Bolton Wanderers
  • Gylfi Sigurðsson, professional footballer, currently at Everton F.C.
  • Heiðar Helguson, professional footballer, currently at Cardiff City FC
  • Heimir Hallgrímsson, manager of the Iceland national football team, also a football player and dentist
  • Hermann Hreiðarsson, professional footballer, currently at ÍBV
  • Ívar Ingimarsson, former professional footballer
  • Jóhannes Karl Guðjónsson, professional footballer, currently at Knattspyrnufélag ÍA
  • Teitur Thordarson, former professional footballer
  • Stefán Teitur Þórðarson, professional footballer, currently at Preston North End F.C.

Chess

  • Bobby Fischer, former world chess champion, granted Icelandic citizenship on 21 March 2005
  • Friðrik Ólafsson, chess grandmaster

Handball

  • Arnór Atlason, handball player who plays for FCK Håndbold in Denmark.
  • Aron Pálmarsson, handball player who plays for FC Barcelona Handbol
  • Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson, handball player who plays for Paris Saint-Germain Handball in Germany.
  • Ólafur Stefánsson, handball player, Rhein-Neckar Löwen. Formerly of Wuppertal, Magdeburg and Ciudad Real.
  • Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson, handball player who plays for Rhein-Neckar Löwen in Germany.

Strongmen

  • Benedikt Magnússon, Raw Deadlift world record holder
  • Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, 2018 World's Strongest Man 3 x Arnold Strongman Classic Champion and Deadlift world record holder
  • Jón Páll Sigmarsson, 4 x World's Strongest Man
  • Magnús Magnússon
  • Magnús Ver Magnússon, 4 x World's Strongest Man
  • Stefán Sölvi Pétursson, World's Strongest Man Finalist

Others

  • Anníe Þórisdóttir, back-to-back CrossFit Games winner (2011, 2012)
  • Einar Ragnarsson Kvaran, engineer, teacher, genealogist and writer
  • Fiann Paul, fastest ocean rower, most record breaking explorer, most Guinness World Records decorated athlete
  • Guðrún Erlendsdóttir (1936–2013), first woman to become a judge of the Supreme Court of Iceland
  • Gunnar Nelson, MMA fighter
  • Halldór Helgason, snowboarder
  • Katrín Davíðsdóttir, back-to-back CrossFit Games winner (2015, 2016)
  • Kristján Einar Kristjánsson, racing driver, currently racing in British formula 3
  • Sara Sigmundsdóttir, CrossFit Games athlete
  • Sigurlína Ingvarsdóttir (born 1978), video games producer
  • Þórunn Jónassen (1850–1922), first chair of Thorvaldsensfélagið and early Reykjavik city councillor
  • Vala Flosadóttir, pole vaulter
  • Vilhelmína Lever (1802–1879), shopkeeper who voted in municipal elections in 1863 and 1866 before women such as her were officially given voting rights

References