List of Icelanders explained
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
Arts and culture
Architects
Authors
See main article: List of Icelandic writers.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Diddú (Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir), soprano and songwriter
- Emilíana Torrini, singer-songwriter
- Einar Örn Benediktsson, musician
- Eiríkur Hauksson, 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
- Haukur Tómasson, composer
- Hildur Guðnadóttir, musician and composer, first solo woman to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
- 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
- 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
Painters and visual artists
Photographers
Sculptors
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[1]
- 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
See also: List of rulers of Iceland.
- 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, 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, current 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
- Gauti Eggertsson, economist at Brown University
- 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[2]
- 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
Chess
Handball
Strongmen
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
Notes and References
- „Saga latínuskóla á Íslandi til 1846. Tímarit hins íslenzka bókmenntafélags 1893.“
- Web site: St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search . 2024-03-27 . news.google.com.
