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
- Arnaldur Indriðason, writer
- DavÃÂð Stefánsson, poet
- Einar Benediktsson, writer, poet
- Einar Kárason, writer
- Einar Hjörleifsson Kvaran, editor, novelist, poet, dramatist
- Einar Már Guðmundsson, writer
- Guðmundur G. HagalÃÂn, writer, poet
- Halldór Kiljan Laxness, writer, poet, Nobel Prize winner
- HallgrÃÂmur Helgason, writer
- Jón Kalman Stefánsson, writer, poet
- Jón Thoroddsen, author
- Jónas HallgrÃÂmsson, writer, poet
- Halldóra Bjarnadóttir, educator, author
- Jóhannes úr Kötlum, writer, poet
- KristÃÂn Marja Baldursdóttir, writer
- Magnus Magnusson, television presenter, writer
- NÃÂna Björk ÃÂrnadóttir, poet, novelist, playwright
- ÃÂlafur Jóhann ÃÂlafsson, 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
- VigdÃÂs GrÃÂmsdóttir, writer
- Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson, writer
- Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, writer
- ÃÂórarinn Eldjárn, writer, poet
- ÃÂórbergur ÃÂórðarson, writer, poet
Film, radio, and TV
- Anita Briem, actress
- ÃÂgústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, best known as SilvÃÂa Nótt (Silvia Night), actress, singer, model, TV personality.
- Baltasar Kormákur, film actor and film director
- Egill (Eagle) ÃÂrn Egilsson, cinematographer, Director, TV Production
- Friðrik ÃÂór Friðriksson, film director
- Gunnar Hansen, film actor
- Hilmir Snær Guðnason, film actor
- Hrafn Gunnlaugsson, film director
- Karl JúlÃÂusson, 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 ÃÂrn Antonsson, former mayor of ReykjavÃÂk and former director of RÃÂV
- Páll Magnússon, former director of RÃÂV, 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
- ÃÂröstur Leó Gunnarsson, actor
- ÃÂrvar ÃÂóreyjarson Smárason, poet, writer, musician
Music
- Anna Mjöll, singer-songwriter
- ArndÃÂs Halla (born 1969), opera singer, songwriter and entertainer
- ÃÂgústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, more commonly known as SilvÃÂa Nótt, singer, actress, and TV personality
- ÃÂsgeir Trausti, singer-songwriter
- Bára GÃÂsladóttir (born 1989), musician and composer
- Björgvin Halldórsson, singer
- Björk Guðmundsdóttir, singer-songwriter more commonly known as Björk
- Bragi ÃÂlafsson, musician
- Daði Freyr, musician
- Diddú (Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir), soprano and songwriter
- EmilÃÂana Torrini, singer-songwriter
- Einar ÃÂrn Benediktsson, musician
- EirÃÂkur Hauksson, musician
- Eythor Arnalds, musician
- GabrÃÂel ÃÂlafs, composer
- Garðar Thór Cortes, tenor
- Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir, singer, violinist
- GÃÂsli Magnússon, pianist
- Gunnsteinn ÃÂlafsson, musician, composer
- HafdÃÂs Bjarnadóttir (born 1977), composer and musician
- HafdÃÂs 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
- HallgrÃÂmur Helgason, composer, conductor, violinist, and musicologist
- Hilmar ÃÂrn Hilmarsson, musician, art director, and chief goði of the Icelandic ÃÂsatrú Association
- Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer, musician, producer
- Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson, (Jónsi) singer
- Jón Leifs, composer
- Jón ÃÂór Birgisson, singer, guitarist
- Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, pop singer (Yohanna)
- Kjartan ÃÂlafsson (born 1958), composer, professor
- Laufey LÃÂn Jónsdóttir, musician
- Mugison, composer, musician
- Nanna BryndÃÂs Hilmarsdóttir, musician
- ÃÂlafur Arnalds, composer, musician
- Páll ÃÂskar Hjálmtýsson (Paul Oscar), pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey
- Ragnheiður Gröndal, musician
- Sigurður Bragason, baritone singer and composer
- ÃÂrvar ÃÂóreyjarson Smárason, poet, writer and musician
Musical bands and groups
Painters and visual artists
Photographers
Sculptors
Historical figures of Iceland
- Ari ÃÂorgilsson, priest and author of ÃÂslendingabók, a historical work
- Björn Sveinsson Björnsson, first born son of Sveinn Björnsson, and an Waffen-SS volunteer
- Egill SkallagrÃÂmsson, Viking skald
- EirÃÂkur rauði, (e. EirÃÂk the Red, Old Norse. Eirëkr hinn rauði) named Greenland
- FreydÃÂs EirÃÂksdóttir
- Guðmundur Arason
- GuðrÃÂður ÃÂorbjarnardóttir, explorer
- Ingólfur Arnarson
- ÃÂsleifur Gissurarson
- Kolbeinn Tumason
- Leifur EirÃÂksson (e. Leif Ericson, Old Norse Leifr EirÃÂksson), discovered America in the year 1000 and named it VÃÂnland (Land of Wine)
- Loftur Sæmundsson, priest and chieftain at Oddi
- Solveig Guðmundsdóttir, heir and landlord
- Snorri Sturluson
- ÃÂorfinnur "Karlsefni" ÃÂórðarson
- ÃÂorleifur Skaftason, priest and Galdrmaster
- ÃÂorvaldur ErÃÂksson
- Vilhjálmur Stefánsson, Western Icelander, Arctic explorer
- ÃÂóra Magnúsdóttir, born 1100 in Norway, daughter of Magnus III of Norway, a direct descendant of Harald Fairhair the first Norwegian King. ÃÂóra Magnúsdóttir married an Icelander and moved to Iceland.
Politics
- Albert Guðmundsson, former minister
- ÃÂrni Sigfússon, politician
- ÃÂsgeir ÃÂsgeirsson, former president
- Bergdis Ellertsdóttir, ambassador
- Birgitta Jónsdóttir, member of parliament
- Björn Bjarnason, minister of justice and ecclesiastical affairs
- DavÃÂð Oddsson, former prime minister and former mayor of ReykjavÃÂk
- Geir H. Haarde, former prime minister, former foreign minister
- Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, former president
- Halla Tómasdóttir, current president
- Halldór ÃÂsgrÃÂmsson, former prime minister
- Halldór Blöndal, former minister
- Hannes Hafstein, first prime minister
- Hannibal Valdimarsson, chairman of two parties and one electoral alliance
- Hulda Jakobsdóttir (1911âÂÂ1998), 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
- KatrÃÂn Jakobsdóttir, former Prime minister
- KatrÃÂn Magnússon (1858âÂÂ1932), early Reykjavik municipal councillor and women's rights activist
- Kristján Eldjárn, former president
- Markús ÃÂrn Antonsson, former mayor of ReykjavÃÂk and former director of RÃÂV
- ÃÂlafur Ragnar GrÃÂmsson, former president
- Sigmundur DavÃÂð Gunnlaugsson, former prime minister
- SteingrÃÂmur Hermannsson, former prime minister
- Sveinn Björnsson, first president
- VigdÃÂs Finnbogadóttir, former president, first elected female head of state
- ÃÂorsteinn Pálsson, former prime minister
Scholarship and academia
- Agnar Helgason, anthropologist
- Ari Brynjolfsson, physicist
- Ari ÃÂorgilsson, documentarian, chronicler
- Ari Trausti Guðmundsson, geologist, explorer, documentarian
- ÃÂrni Magnússon, documentarian
- ÃÂsgeir Helgason, psychologist, public health scientist
- Auður Eir Vilhjálmsdóttir, first female priest
- EirÃÂkur Magnússon, librarian and lecturer at Cambridge University, co-translator with William Morris
- Gisli Gudjonsson, professor of forensic psychology
- GÃÂsli Pálsson, anthropologist
- Guðbrandur Vigfússon, lexicographer, editor, and lecturer at Oxford University
- Guðmundur EirÃÂksson, judge and law professor
- Hannes Hólmsteinn Gissurarson, political scientist
- Helgi Valdimarsson, immunologist
- Jón Steinsson, economist at University of California, Berkeley
- Hjörtur ÃÂórðarson, inventor
- Kári Stefánsson, founder of deCODE genetics
- Leifur Magnusson, Icelandic-American economist, U.S. Representative to the International Labour Organization
- Magnús EirÃÂksson, theologian
- Marga Ingeborg Thome, nursing professor
- Margrét Hermanns-Auðardóttir, archaeologist
- Niels Finsen, physician, Nobel Prize winner (Icelandic parents)
- ÃÂlafÃÂa Einarsdóttir, archaeologist
- Páll Skúlason, philosopher, former Rector of the University of Iceland
- Reynir Böðvarsson, seismologist
- Sigurdur Helgason, mathematician
- Sigurður Nordal, philosopher
- Sigurður ÃÂórarinsson, geologist, volcanologist, professor
- Snorri Sturluson, documentarian, writer
- Stefán Einarsson, linguist and literary historian
- Vilhjálmur ÃÂrnason, philosopher
- ÃÂór Whitehead, historian
- ÃÂorsteinn Gylfason, philosopher
Sports and games
Football (Soccer)
- Rúrik GÃÂslason, 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
- ÃÂsgeir 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 HallgrÃÂmsson, manager of the Iceland national football team, also a football player and dentist
- Hermann Hreiðarsson, professional footballer, currently at ÃÂBV
- ÃÂvar Ingimarsson, former professional footballer
- Jóhannes Karl Guðjónsson, professional footballer, currently at Knattspyrnufélag ÃÂA
- Teitur Thordarson, former professional footballer
- Stefán Teitur ÃÂórðarson, professional footballer, currently at Preston North End F.C.
Chess
Handball
Strongmen
Others
- AnnÃÂe ÃÂórisdóttir, 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 (1936âÂÂ2013), first woman to become a judge of the Supreme Court of Iceland
- Gunnar Nelson, MMA fighter
- Halldór Helgason, snowboarder
- KatrÃÂn DavÃÂðsdóttir, back-to-back CrossFit Games winner (2015, 2016)
- Kristján Einar Kristjánsson, racing driver, currently racing in British formula 3
- Sara Sigmundsdóttir, CrossFit Games athlete
- SigurlÃÂna Ingvarsdóttir (born 1978), video games producer
- ÃÂórunn Jónassen (1850âÂÂ1922), first chair of Thorvaldsensfélagið and early Reykjavik city councillor
- Vala Flosadóttir, pole vaulter
- VilhelmÃÂna Lever (1802âÂÂ1879), shopkeeper who voted in municipal elections in 1863 and 1866 before women such as her were officially given voting rights
References