This is a list of notable people from Estonia, or of Estonian ancestry.
Architects
Andres Alver (born 1953) Dmitri Bruns (1929–2020) Karl Burman (1882–1965) Eugen Habermann (1884–1944) Georg Hellat (1870–1943) Otto Pius Hippius (1826–1883) Erich Jacoby (1885–1941) Herbert Johanson (1884–1964) Peep Jänes (born 1936) Louis I. Kahn (1901–1974) (USA) Raine Karp (born 1939) Alar Kotli (1904–1963) Edgar-Johan Kuusik (1888–1974) Ernst Gustav Kühnert (1885–1961) Vilen Künnapu (born 1948) Elmar Lohk (1901–1963) Ülar Mark (born 1968) Margit Mutso (born 1966) Robert Natus (1890–1950) Uno Prii (1924–2000) Raivo Puusepp (born 1960) Jacques Rosenbaum (1878–1944) Eugen Sacharias (1906–2002) Olev Siinmaa (1881–1948) Elmar Tampõld (1920–2013)
Business and politics Hardo Aasmäe (1951–2014), geographer, politician, encyclopedist Friedrich Akel (1871–1941), politician, former head of state Andrus Ansip (born 1956), politician, former prime minister Jaan Anvelt (1884–1937), politician Ado Birk (1883–1942), politician Kaarel Eenpalu (Karl Einbund, 1888–1942), politician, former head of state Ene Ergma (born 1944), politician Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie (1622–1686), politician (Sweden) Karoli Hindriks (born 1983), entrepreneur Toomas Hendrik Ilves (born 1953), journalist, politician, former president Ernst Jaakson (1905–1998), diplomat Jüri Jaakson (1870–1942), politician, former head of state Steve Jurvetson (born 1967), businessman (United States) Kaja Kallas (born 1977), politician, former prime minister Siim Kallas (born 1948), politician, former prime minister Carmen Kass (born 1978), supermodel, businesswoman, and politician Tunne Kelam (born 1936), politician Tõnis Kint (1896–1991), politician, prime minister in exile August Koern (1900–1989), diplomat, foreign minister in exile Juhan Kukk (1885–1942), politician, former head of state Mart Laar (born 1960), historian, politician, former prime minister Rein Lang (born 1957), journalist, businessman, politician Robert Lepikson (1952–2006), businessman, politician Elmar Lipping (1906–1994), politician, foreign minister in exile Hjalmar Mäe (1901–1978), politician, head of self-administration during German occupation Tiit Made (born 1940), journalist, politician Linnart Mäll (1938–2010), orientalist, politician Harry Männil (1920–2010), businessman, art collector Heinrich Mark (1911–2004), politician, former prime minister in exile Jaan Manitski (born 1942), businessman, politician, former foreign minister Lennart Meri (1929–2006), writer, filmmaker, foreign minister, president Jüri Mõis (born 1956), businessman, politician Ülo Nugis (1944–2011), politician, economist Kristiina Ojuland (born 1966), politician, former foreign minister Lembit Öpik (born 1965), politician (United Kingdom) Rein Otsason (1931–2004), economist, businessman Siiri Oviir (born 1947), politician Ivari Padar (born 1965), politician Tõnis Palts (born 1953), politician, businessman Sir Arvi Parbo (1926–2019), businessman (Australia) Juhan Parts (born 1966), politician, former prime minister Leida Peips (born 1937), milker and political figure Ants Piip (1885-1942), politician, former head of state Jüri Pihl (1954-2019), politician Konstantin Päts (1874–1956), journalist, politician, first president of Estonia Jaan Poska (1866–1920), diplomat, politician Jüri Ratas (born 1978), politician, former prime minister August Rei (1886–1963), diplomat, politician, former head of state, prime minister in exile Alfred Rosenberg (1893–1946), politician, ideologist, war criminal (Nazi Germany) Arnold Rüütel (born 1928), agricultural manager, politician, former president Edgar Savisaar (born 1950), politician, former prime minister Mart Siimann (born 1946), politician, former prime minister Johannes Sikkar (1897–1960), politician Artur Sirk (1900–1937), officer, lawyer, politician Otto Strandman (1875–1941), politician, former head of state Rein Taagepera (born 1933), political scientist, politician Jaak Tamm (1950–1999), politician Andres Tarand (born 1940), politician, former prime minister Indrek Tarand (born 1964), politician, journalist Enn Tarto (1938–2021), anti-Soviet dissident, politician Otto Tief (1889–1976), military officer, politician Jaan Tõnisson (1868–1941?), journalist, politician Anton Uesson (1879–1942), politician, engineer Jüri Uluots (1890–1945), lawyer, politician Priit Willbach (born 1953), businessman, politician Jüri Vilms (1889–1918), lawyer, politician, first deputy prime minister Tiit Vähi (born 1947), businessman, politician, former prime minister Aleksander Warma (1890–1970), navy officer, diplomat, prime minister in exile
Education and science
Julius Aamisepp (1883–1950), agricultural scientist Johannes Aavik (1880–1973), linguist Jüri Allik (born 1949), psychologist Paul Ariste (1905–1990), linguist Karl Ernst von Baer (1792–1876), biologist Girsh Blumberg (born 1959), American - Estonian experimental physicist Karl Ernst Claus (1796–1864), chemist Georg Dehio (1850–1932), art historian Jaan Einasto (born 1929), astrophysicist Johann Friedrich Eschscholtz (1793–1831), entomologist Bengt Gottfried Forselius (c. 1660–1688), founder of public education Johannes Hint (1914–1985), physicist, inventor Jakob Hurt (1839–1906), linguist, collector of folklore Paul Kogerman (1891–1951), chemist Wolfgang Köhler (1887–1967), psychologist Nikolai Köstner (1889–1959), economist, politician Eerik Kumari (1912–1984), ornithologist Helga Kurm (1920–2011), dean of the Tartu State University Pedagogical Division Heinrich Lenz (1804–1865), physicist Elmar Leppik (1898–1978), biologist Otto Liiv (1905–1942), historian, archivist Endel Lippmaa (1930–2015), chemist, physicist, politician Mihhail Lotman (born 1952), semiotician Juri Lotman (1922–1993), semiotician Richard Karlovich Maack (1825–1886), geographer, botanist, Siberian explorer, educator Friedrich Martens (1845–1909), diplomat, international lawyer Viktor Masing (1925–2001), ecologist Harri Moora (1900–1968), archaeologist Ragnar Nurkse (1907–1959), economist Ernst Öpik (1893–1985), astronomer Jaak Panksepp (1943–2017), psychobiologist, neuroscientist (USA) Erast Parmasto (1928–2012), mycologist Georg Friedrich Parrot (1767–1852) Johann Friedrich Parrot (1791–1841), physician, explorer Jaan Puhvel (born 1932), linguist (USA) Ludvig Puusepp (1875–1942), medical scientist, neurosurgeon Riinu Rannap (born 1966), zoologist Georg Wilhelm Richmann (1711–1753), physicist Hillar M. Rootare (1928–2008), chemist Mart Saarma (born 1949), molecular biologist Thomas Seebeck (1770–1831), physicist Otto Wilhelm von Struve (1819–1905), astronomer Svante Pääbo (born 1955), paleogeneticist (Sweden) Eduard von Toll (1858–1902?), geologist, Arctic explorer Endel Tulving (born 1927), psychologist (Canada) Jakob von Uexküll (1864–1944), biologist, semiotician Lauri Vaska (1925–2015), chemist (USA) Mihkel Veske (1843–1890), linguist, poet Gustav Vilbaste (1885–1967), botanist Edgar de Wahl (1867–1948), mathematician, creator of Interlingue
Literature and journalism Artur Adson (1889–1977), poet Artur Alliksaar (1923–1966), poet Betti Alver (1906–1989), poet Elise Aun (1863–1932), poet Johannes Barbarus (1890–1946), poet Nikolai Baturin (1936–2019), writer Aimée Beekman (born 1933), writer Vladimir Beekman (1929–2009), poet, novelist, translator Eduard Bornhöhe (1862–1923), writer Ernst Enno (1875–1934), poet Friedrich Robert Faehlmann (1798–1850), writer, physician August Gailit (1891–1960), writer Ado Grenzstein (1849–1916), journalist Lehte Hainsalu (born 1938), poet, novelist, children's author Indrek Hargla (born 1970), writer, screenwriter Peeter Helme (born 1978), writer, journalist Sass Henno (born 1982), writer Helen Hindpere, writer August Wilhelm Hupel (1737–1819), ecclesiastic writer, ethnologist Ivar Ivask (1927–1992), literary scholar, critic, poet Carl Robert Jakobson (1841–1882), journalist, political activist Johann Voldemar Jannsen (1819–1890), journalist, political activist Lydia Jannsen ("Koidula", 1843–1886), poet Fred Jüssi (born 1935–2024), nature writer, photographer Ain Kaalep (1926–2020), poet Bernard Kangro (1910–1994), poet, writer, journalist Jaan Kaplinski (1941–2021), writer, journalist, politician Doris Kareva (born 1958), poet Urve Karuks (1936–2015), Canadian-Estonian poet and translator Kaur Kender (born 1971), writer August Kitzberg (1855–1927), writer Albert Kivikas (1898–1978), writer Andrus Kivirähk (born 1970), writer Madis Kõiv (1929–2014), author, physicist and philosopher Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (1803–1882), writer, author of national epic, physician Jaan Kross (1920–2007), writer Kalle Kurg (born 1942), poet, writer, critic, translator Paul Kuusberg (1916–2003), writer Kalle Lasn (born 1942), magazine editor, film maker, activist (Canada) Kalju Lepik (1920–1999), poet Juhan Liiv (1864–1913), poet, writer Martin Lipp (1854–1923), poet Viivi Luik (born 1946), poet Oskar Luts (1887–1953), writer Iko Maran (1915–1999), writer Otto Wilhelm Masing (1763–1862), pastor, philologist, journalist Uku Masing (1909–1985), poet, theologian, ethnologist Lennart Meri (1929–2006), writer, politician Kersti Merilaas (1913–1986), poet, playwright Mait Metsanurk (1879–1957), writer Mihkel Mutt (born 1953), writer, critic August Mälk (1900–1987), writer Ellen Niit (1928–2016), children's writer, poet and translator Minni Nurme (1917–1994), writer and poet Tõnu Õnnepalu ("Emil Tode", born 1962), writer Ants Oras (1900–1982), writer and translator Eeva Park (born 1950), writer and poet Aino Pervik (1932–2025), children's writer and translator Kristjan Jaak Peterson (1801–1822), poet Lilli Promet (1922–2007), writer Eno Raud (1928–1996), children's book author Mart Raud (1903–1980), writer Hugo Raudsepp (1883–1952), playwright Karl Ristikivi (1912–1977), writer, poet Aarne Ruben (born 1971), writer Paul-Eerik Rummo (born 1942), poet, politician Balthasar Russow (c. 1536–1600), chronicler Peeter Sauter (born 1962), writer Johannes Semper (1892–1970), writer, poet Juhan Smuul (1922–1971), writer, poet Gustav Suits (1883–1956), poet Heiti Talvik (1904–1947), poet Harald Tammer (1899–1942), journalist A. H. Tammsaare (1878–1940), writer Mats Traat (born 1936), author, poet Tõnu Trubetsky (born 1963), writer, musician, film director Friedebert Tuglas (1886–1971), writer, critic, literary scholar Marie Under (1883–1980), poet Mati Unt (1944–2005), writer, stage director Jaak Urmet ("Wimberg"; born 1979), journalist, poet Edgar Valter (1929–2006), writer, artist Arvo Valton (born 1935), writer Priit Vesilind (born 1943), journalist, photographer, author (United States) Enn Vetemaa (born 1936), writer Juhan Viiding ("Jüri Üdi", 1948–1995), poet, actor Paul Viiding (1904–1962), poet Eduard Vilde (1865–1933), writer, journalist Heiki Vilep (born 1960), writer Henrik Visnapuu (1890–1951), poet, journalist Gero von Wilpert (1933–2009), writer Hella Wuolijoki (1886–1954), writer, politician (Finland)
Military and seafaring Avdy Andresson (1899–1990), minister of war in exile Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen (1778–1852), geographer, navigator, admiral Alexander von Benckendorff (1783–1844), general, politician Konstantin von Benckendorff (1785–1828), general, diplomat Herbert Brede (1888–1942), general Aleksander Einseln (1931–2017), general, commander of defence forces Jacob De la Gardie (1583–1652), officer, statesman Otto Heinze (1877–1968), general Nikolai Helk (1885–1942), general Aleksander Jaakson (1892–1942), general, statesman Martin Jervan (1891–1942), general Otto von Kotzebue (1787–1846), geographer, navigator Tarmo Kõuts (born 1953), admiral, politician Adam Johann von Krusenstern (1770–1846), geographer, navigator Julius Kuperjanov (1894–1919), officer Ants Laaneots (born 1948), general Johan Laidoner (1884–1953), general, politician Andres Larka (1879–1942), general, politician Hans Leesment (1873–1944), general