List of Karelians explained

This list of Karelians lists both people from Republic of Karelia, Finnish Karelians and other people of Karelian ancestry.

People from Republic of Karelia

Viena Karelians

Arhippa Perttunen, rune singer
, rune singer

Finnish Karelians

Antti Aalto, Finnish ice hockey player
Matti Aarnio, Finnish military officer and motti specialist
Aleksanteri Aava, Finnish poet
Tuomas Aho, Finnish football player
Aleksanteri Ahola-Valo, Finnish artist, architect and thinker
Martti Ahtisaari, Finnish president from 1994 to 2000, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2008
Toimi Alatalo, Finnish cross country skier and Olympic winner
Koop Arponen, Finnish-Dutch musician
Alfred Asikainen, Finnish wrestler, Olympic bronze medallist and participant in longest wrestling match in history
Teuvo Aura, Finnish politician, born in Ruskeala
Anna Easteden, Finnish actress
, Finnish basketball player. Mother of Lauri Markkanen and Eero Markkanen
, Finnish bandy player
Kari Haakana, Finnish ice hockey player
Veikko Hakulinen, Finnish cross country skier and three time Olympic winner
Arto Halonen, Finnish filmmaker
Kaarlo Halttunen, Finnish actor
Ann-Elise Hannikainen, Finnish composer
, Finnish composer and violinist
Heikki Hannikainen, Finnish diplomat
Ilmari Hannikainen, Finnish composer and pianist
Pietari Hannikainen, Finnish writer
P.J. Hannikainen, Finnish composer
Tauno Hannikainen, Finnish conductor and cellist
, Finnish composer
Toomas Heikkinen, Finnish rallycross driver
Kari Heiskanen, Finnish actor
Katri Helena, Finnish singer
Mikko Hietanen, Finnish long-distance runner, European Champion
Laila Hirvisaari, Finnish author
Tuomas Holopainen, Finnish musician
Hannu Hoskonen, Finnish politician
Veikko Huhtanen, Finnish gymnast and three time Olympic winner
Jouni Hynynen, Finnish musician
Mikko Hyyrynen, Finnish football player
Juho Hänninen, Finnish rally driver
Jorma Härkönen, Finnish middle-distance runner
Simo Häyhä, Finnish sniper
Ansa Ikonen, Finnish actress
Rieti Itkonen, Finnish politician
Max Jakobson, Finnish-Jewish diplomat
Mikko Jokela, Finnish ice hockey player
Jesse Joronen, Finnish football player
Aarne Juutilainen, Finnish Army captain and mercenary in French Foreign Legion
Ilmari Juutilainen, Finnish fighter ace
Nestori Kaasalainen, Finnish politician
Marjatta Kajosmaa, Finnish cross-country skier, four time Olympic medallist
Hannu Kapanen, Finnish ice hockey player
, Finnish rune singer
Paavo Karjalainen, Finnish journalist and politician
Aki Karvonen, Finnish cross-country skier and three time Olympic medallist
Veikko Karvonen, Finnish marathon runner and Olympic bronze medallist
Heino Kaski, Finnish composer
Pia Kauma, Finnish politician
Yrjö Keinonen, Finnish general and former Chief of Defence
Matti Kekki, Finnish politician
Anneli Kiljunen, Finnish politician
Anssi Kippo, Finnish music producer
Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi, Finnish cross-country skier, three time Olympic gold medallist and four time bronze medallist
Eila Kivikk'aho, Finnish poet
Timo Kivinen, Finnish general and Chief of Defence
Uuno Klami, Finnish composer
Teuvo Kohonen, Finnish researcher, best known for the development of self-organizing map
Yrjö Kokko, Finnish writer
Janne Kolehmainen, Finnish ice hockey player
Joonas Kolkka, Finnish football player
Gustaf Komppa, Finnish chemist
Aku Korhonen, Finnish actor and director
Paavo Korhonen, Finnish skier
Väinö Korhonen, Finnish modern pentathlete, two time Olympic bronze medallist
Tapio Korjus, Finnish javelin thrower
Esko Kovero, Finnish actor
Mateli Magdalena Kuivalatar, Rune singer
Sakari Kukko, Finnish musician
Mikko Kuningas, Finnish football player
Jarno Kultanen, Finnish ice hockey player
Jari Kurri, Finnish ice hockey player
Kyösti Kylälä, Finnish engineer and inventor
Heikki Kähkönen, Finnish wrestler and Olympic medallist in Greco-Roman wrestling.
Kyösti Laasonen, Finnish archer, Olympic bronze medallist
Samppa Lajunen, Finnish Nordic combined athlete, three time Olympic gold medallist
Timo Lavikainen, Finnish actor
Eino Leino, Finnish poet
Ville Leino, Finnish ice hockey player
, Finnish businessman and politician
Kari Liimo, Finnish basketball player
Arvi Lind, Finnish news anchor
Antti Lindtman, Finnish politician
Anna-Liisa Linkola, Finnish politician
Kaarlo Linkola, Finnish botanist and phytogeographer
, Finnish rune singer
Antti Litja, Finnish actor
Jari Litmanen, Finnish football player
Olavi Litmanen, Finnish football player
Eino Luukkanen, Finnish fighter ace
Matti Lähde, Finnish cross country skier and Olympic winner
Pave Maijanen, Finnish musician
Niina Malm, Finnish politician
Albin Manner, Finnish politician
Martti Mansikka, Finnish gymnast, Olympic bronze medallist
Jussi Markkanen, Finnish ice hockey player
Marjo Matikainen, Finnish cross-country skier and politician, Olympic gold medallist and three time World Champion. Chairwoman of Karjalan Liitto 2011-2017
Pentti Matikainen, Finnish hockey coach and general manager. Led Finland to silver medals in the 1988 Winter Olympics and the 1992 World Championships, and to third place in the 1991 Canada Cup
Erkki Melartin, Finnish composer
Veijo Meri, Finnish writer
Hannu Mikkola, Finnish rally driver
Lauri Mononen, Finnish ice hockey player
Matti Mononen, Finnish pole vaulter
Veikko Muronen, Finnish engineer
Antti Muurinen, Finnish football coach
Jonni Myyrä, Finnish javelin thrower, two time Olympic winner
Jani Mäkelä, Finnish politician
Jarmo Mäkinen, Finnish actor
Anders Nevalainen, Finnish gold- and silversmith, and a Fabergé workmaster
Yrjö Nikkanen, Finnish javelin thrower, Olympic silver medallist
Lauri Nissinen, Finnish fighter ace
Petteri Nokelainen, Finnish ice hockey player
Sulo Nurmela, Finnish cross-country skier and Olympic winner
Voldemar Oinonen, Finnish General
Onni Okkonen, Finnish art historian
Jukka Paarma, Finnish Archbishop
Erkki Paavolainen, Finnish journalist and politician
Jaakko Paavolainen, Finnish historian
Olavi Paavolainen, Finnish writer
Pekka Paavolainen, Finnish lawyer and politician
Aaro Pajari, Finnish Major General
Ari Pakarinen, Finnish javelin thrower
Esa Pakarinen, Finnish actor
Hanna Pakarinen, Finnish singer
Iiro Pakarinen, Finnish ice hockey player
Pia Pakarinen, Finnish actress
Juho Paksujalka, Finnish politician
Larin Paraske, Izhorian-Karelian rune singer
Aki Parviainen, Finnish javelin thrower
Urho Peltonen, Finnish javelin thrower, two time Olympic medallist
Eino Penttilä, Finnish javelin thrower
Arhippa Perttunen, Rune singer
Kauko Pirinen, Finnish historian
Antti Puhakka, Finnish poet
Olli Puhakka, Finnish fighter ace
Ari Puheloinen, Finnish general and former Chief of Defence
Teemu Pukki, Finnish football player
Anna Puu, Finnish singer
Markku Pölönen, Finnish director
Jussi Pylkkänen, Finnish art dealer
, Finnish soldier and farmer
Jaska Raatikainen, Finnish musician, former drummer and co-founder of the band Children of Bodom
Väinö Raitio, Finnish composer
Siiri Rantanen, Finnish cross country skier and Olympic winner
Armi Ratia, Finnish entrepreneur, co-founder of Marimekko
Oskari Reinikainen, Finnish physician and politician
Lauri Kristian Relander, Finnish president from 1925 to 1931
Ilkka Remes, Finnish writer
Juuso Riikola, Finnish ice hockey player
Jorma Rissanen, Finnish information theorist, and originator of the minimum description length principle
Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Finnish conductor
Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish F1 World Champion
Arto Räty, Finnish general
Seppo Räty, Finnish javelin thrower
Matti Rönkä, Finnish writer
Kaija Saariaho, Finnish composer
Sylvi Saimo, Finnish politician and Olympic winner
Sipe Santapukki, Finnish drummer
Aulis Sallinen, Finnish composer
Petri Sarvamaa, Finnish politician
, Finnish rune singer
Aarne Sihvo, Finnish general and former Chief of Defence
Hannu Siitonen, Finnish javelin thrower. European champion and Olympic silver medallist
Mikko Silvennoinen, Finnish television host, journalist and producer
Anton Suurkonka, Finnish farmer, business executive, lay preacher and politician
Juhani Suutarinen, Finnish biathlete
Sten Suvio, Finnish boxer and Olympic winner
Taiska, Finnish singer
Jaakko Tallus, Finnish Nordic combined athlete and Olympic gold medallist
Martti Talvela, Finnish operatic bass
Penna Tervo, Finnish politician
Einari Teräsvirta, Finnish gymnast, Olympic winner and architect
Juha Tiainen, Finnish hammer thrower and Olympic winner
Kimmo Tiilikainen, Finnish politician
Reino Tolvanen, Finnish actor
Ari Torniainen, Finnish politician
Heikki Turunen, Finnish writer
Tarja Turunen, Finnish singer-songwriter
Aale Tynni, Finnish poet
Lauri Törni, born in Viipuri, Törni was a soldier and winner of the Mannerheim Cross during the Continuation War, who later served with the German and American armies. Later known as Larry Thorne
Kerttu Törnqvist, Finnish politician
Riitta Uosukainen, Finnish politician, Counselor of State
Urho Vaakanainen, Finnish ice hockey player
, Finnish scientist, CEO of Solar Foods
Alisa Vainio, Finnish long-distance runner
Jukka Vakkila, Finnish football manager
Jorma Valkama, Finnish athlete, Olympic bronze medallist in long jump
Väinö Valve, Finnish general
Tatu Vanhanen, Finnish political scientist and author
Matti Vanhanen, Finnish politician
Ari Vatanen, Finnish politician and former rally driver
Vesa Vierikko, Finnish actor
Vesa Viitakoski, Finnish ice hockey player¨
Lauri Vilkko, Finnish pentathlete and Olympic medallist
Johannes Virolainen, Finnish politician, Counselor of State
Emppu Vuorinen, Finnish musician
Vilho Väisälä, Finnish meteorologist, physicist and founder of Vaisala
Yrjö Väisälä, Finnish astronomer and physicist
Martti Välimaa, Finnish American football defensive tackle
Stephen Wäkevä, Finnish silversmith and a Fabergé workmaster

Other ethnic Karelians

Nikolay Abramov, Vepsian writer
Boris Akbulatov, artist
Pamela Anderson, Canadian-American actress and model
Aleksandr Hudilainen, Ingrian politician
Reino Häyhänen, Ingrian lieutenant colonel of Soviet Russia, spy, and defector to the United States
Robert Ivanov, Russian-Ingrian football player
Kristina Karjalainen, Karelian-Lithuanian model born in Estonia
Aleksandr Kokko, Ingrian football player
Leo Komarov, Finno-Russian ice hockey player in the National Hockey League
Yelena Kondulainen, Ingrian actress
Timothy Kopra, astronaut
Robert Kurvitz, Estonian-Karelian novelist, musician, and video game developer
Valeri Minkenen, Ingrian football player
Matti Poikala, Swedish wrestler
Roland Pöntinen, Ingrian-Swedish pianist and composer
Igor Novozhilov, Russian-Karelian physicist and mathematician
Elmo Nüganen, Estonian-Ingrian actor and director
Hillar Rootare, Estonian-Ingrian physical chemist
Jarmo Sandelin, Swedish golfer
Vasili Vainonen, Ingrian choreographer
Alina Voronkova, Russian-Ingrian model