List of Latvians

A

Augusts Vilis Abakuks (1914–1994) – a leader of the British-Latvian community in exile

Valerians Abakovskis (1895–1921) – inventor of a propeller-powered railcar, the aerowagon

Rutanya Alda (Rutanya Alda Skrastiņa, born 1942) – actress (Mommy 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 – see Miķelis Krogzems

B

Ainars Bagatskis (born 1967) – basketball player

Helmuts Balderis (born 1952) – ice hockey player, forward

Jānis Balodis (1881–1965) – army officer and politician

Jānis Balodis (born 1950) – Latvian-Australian playwright

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

Kaspars Bērziņš (born 1985) – basketball player

Kārlis Bētiņš (1867–1943) – chess player

Andris Biedriņš (born 1986) – basketball player

Gunārs Birkerts (born 1925) – 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

Baiba Broka (born 1973) – actress

Baiba Broka (born 1975) – lawyer and politician

Ingūna Butāne – fashion model

Toms Burkovskis (born 1992) – music producer

C

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

Č

Māris Čaklais (1940–2003) – poet

Aleksandrs Čaks (1901–1950) – poet

Jānis Čakste (1859–1927) – first President of Latvia

Tanhum Cohen-Mintz (1939) – Latvian-born Israeli basketball player

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

Leor Dimant (born 1972) – DJ for the rap metal group Limp Bizkit

Anatols Dinbergs (1911–1993) – diplomat

Aleksis Dreimanis (born 1914) – geologist

Inga Drozdova (born 1975) – model and actress

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) – choral music composer

Andrievs Ezergailis (born 1930) – 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

Ģ

Uldis Ģērmanis (1915–1997) – historian; under the alias of Ulafs Jāņsons, a social commentator

Aivars Ģipslis (1937–2000) – chess player

H

Moriss Halle (born 1923) – linguist

Filips Halsmans (1906–1979) – Latvian-American photographer

Juris Hartmanis (born 1928) – computer scientist; Turing Award winner

Uvis Helmanis – basketball player

I

Artūrs Irbe (born 1967) – ice hockey player, goalkeeper

Kārlis Irbītis (1904–1997) – aviation inventor, engineer, designer

J

Gatis Jahovičs – basketball player

Mariss Jansons (born 1943) – conductor

Inese Jaunzeme (born 1932) – 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

Mārtiņš Karsums (born 1986) – ice hockey player

Reinis Kaudzīte (1839–f1920) – writer and journalist

Renārs Kaupers (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 (born 1942) – 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 – gymnastics Olympic champion (team)

Ed Leedskalnin (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

Aleksandrs Liepa (1919–2000) – inventor, artist

Māris Liepa (1936–1989) – ballet dancer

Maksims Ļihačovs (born 1975) – professional football player

Peggy Lipton (born 1946) – Latvian-American actress

Nikolajs Loskis (1870–1965) – philosopher

Jānis Lūsis (born 1939) – 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 – singer

Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics (1887–1925) – first Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs

Leo Mihelsons (1887–1978) – artist

Arnolds Mikelsons (1922–1984) – artist

Jevgēņijs Millers (1867–1938) – czarist 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)

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

P

Artis Pabriks (born 1966) – Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007–2007)

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

Jēkabs Peterss (1886–1938) – revolutionary and Soviet Cheka leader

Brita Petersone – American model

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, New York Knicks

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

Dans Rapoports (1970) – American financier and philanthropist

Lauris Reiniks (1979) – singer-songwriter, actor and television personality

Einars Repše (born 1961) – politician

Lolita Ritmanis (born 1962) – orchestrator, composer

Iļja Ripss (born 1948) – inventor of the Bible code

Fricis Rokpelnis (1909–1969) – author

Marks Rotko (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 (born 1926) – businessman

Inta Ruka (born 1958) – photographer

Taņa Rusova (born 1974) – pornographic actress

S

Rudolfs Saulē (born 1903) – ballet master; performer with the Latvian National Ballet

Uļjana Semjonova (born 1952) – basketball player

Haralds Silovs – short track and long track speed skater

Kārlis Skalbe (1879–1945) – poet

Kārlis Skrastiņš (1974–2011) – ice hockey player

Baiba Skride (born 1981) – violinist

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 – basketball player

Ksenia Solo (born 1987) – actress

Ernests Štālbergs (1883–1958) – architect, ensemble of the Freedom Monument

Īzaks Nahmans Šteinbergs (1888–1957) – politician, lawyer and author

Māris Štrombergs – 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 – 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 – 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

Eduards Veidenbaums (1867–1892) – poet

Māris Verpakovskis (born 1979) – footballer

Aleksandrs Voitkevičs (1963–2006) – chess player

Z

Kārlis Zāle (1888–1942) – sculptor; author of the Freedom Monument in Riga

Frīdrihs Canders (1887–1933) – pioneer of rocketry and spaceflight

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 (born 1923) – 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