This list of prominent Latvians includes: people who were born in the historical territory of what is now Latvia, regardless of ethnicity, citizenship, or time period; and people of Latvian descent regardless of their place of birth or citizenship.
A Valerians Abakovskis (1895–1921) – inventor of a propeller-powered railcar, the aerowagon Rutanya Alda (Rutanya Alda Skrastiņa, born 1942) – actress (Mommie Dearest, The Deer Hunter) Lidiia Alekseeva (1909–1989), Latvian poet and writer of short stories 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, pseudonym of Miķelis Krogzemis (1850–1879) – poet, author and translator of German poets
B Ainars Bagatskis (born 1967) – basketball player Helmuts Balderis (born 1952) – ice hockey player, forward Jānis Balodis (1881–1965) – army officer and politician 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 Lilita Bērziņa (1903–1983) – actress Eduards Bērziņš (1894–1938) – soldier in the Red Army, later head of Dalstroy, the Kolyma forced-labour camps in North-Eastern Siberia Yan Karlovich Berzin (1889–1938) – Soviet military intelligence officer Kaspars Bērziņš (born 1985) – basketball player Kārlis Bētiņš (1867–1943) – chess player Andris Biedriņš (born 1986) – basketball player Gunārs Birkerts (1925–2017) – 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 Mairis Briedis (born 1985) – world boxing champion Baiba Broka (born 1973) – actress Baiba Broka (born 1975) – lawyer and politician Ingūna Butāne (born 1986) – fashion model
C Frīdrihs Canders (1887–1933) – pioneer of rocketry and spaceflight 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 Tanhum Cohen-Mintz (1939–2014) – Latvian-born Israeli basketball player
Č Māris Čaklais (1940–2003) – poet Aleksandrs Čaks (1901–1950) – poet Jānis Čakste (1859–1927) – first President of Latvia
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 Elīna Dikaioulaku (born 1989) – basketball player for Israeli team Elitzur Ramla Leor Dimant (born 1972) – DJ for the rap metal group Limp Bizkit Anatols Dinbergs (1911–1993) – diplomat Aleksis Dreimanis (1914–2011) – geologist Inga Drozdova (born 1975) – model and actress Domenique Dumont – music producer 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) – composer Andrievs Ezergailis (1930–2022) – 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 Pāvels Gumennikovs (born 1986) – Latvian film director, actor, writer, and producer
Ģ Uldis Ģērmanis (1915–1997) – historian; under the alias of Ulafs Jāņsons, a social commentator Aivars Ģipslis (1937–2000) – chess player
H Moriss Halle (1923–2018) – linguist Filips Halsmans (1906–1979) – Latvian-American photographer Juris Hartmanis (1928–2022) – computer scientist; Turing Award winner Uvis Helmanis (born 1972) – basketball player
I Artūrs Irbe (born 1967) – ice hockey player, goalkeeper Kārlis Irbītis (1904–1997) – aviation inventor, engineer, designer
J Gatis Jahovičs (born 1984) – basketball player Mariss Jansons (1943–2019) – conductor Inese Jaunzeme (1932–2011) – 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 Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš (born 1964) – politician; Prime Minister of Latvia Mārtiņš Karsums (born 1986) – ice hockey player Reinis Kaudzīte (1839–1920) – writer and journalist Renārs Kaupers (born 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 (1942–2021) – 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 Vilis Lācis (1904–1966) – author and politician Aleksandrs Laime (1911–1994) – explorer Ginta Lapiņa (born 1989) – fashion model Yan Larri (1900–1977) Soviet children's and utopian fiction writer Natālija Lašenova (born 1973) – gymnastics Olympic champion (team) 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 Vita Liberte (living) – lawyer, art collector, patron and entrepreneur Māris Liepa (1936–1989) – ballet dancer Peggy Lipton (1946–2019) – Latvian-American actress Nikolajs Loskis (1870–1965) – philosopher Jānis Lūsis (1939–2020) – 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 (born 1961) – singer Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics (1887–1925) – first Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mareks Mejeris (born 1991) – basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League Alan Melikdjanian (born 1980) – independent filmmaker, YouTuber Leo Mihelsons (1887–1978) – artist Arnolds Mikelsons (1922–1984) – artist Mikhail Tal (1936–1992) – chess player Grandmaster (GM) Jevgēņijs Millers (1867–1938) – tsarist 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) Jeļena Ostapenko (born 1997) – tennis player (Grand Slam champion) (no Latvian ethnicity) 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 Auseklis Ozols (1941–2025) – artist
P Artis Pabriks (born 1966) – Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007–2007) Ināra Petrusēviča (born 1969) – artist 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 Konstantīns Pēkšēns (1859–1928) – Art nouveau architect Jēkabs Peterss (1886–1938) – revolutionary and Soviet Cheka leader 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, Boston Celtics Rosa von Praunheim (1942–2025) – German film director, author, painter and gay rights activist Sandis Prūsis (born 1965) – athlete, bobsleigh Uldis Pūcītis (1937–2000) – actor, director Boris Pugo (1937–1991) – Soviet communist politician Jānis Pujats (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 Dan Rapoport (born 1970) – American financier and philanthropist Laura Rizzotto (born 1994) – Latvian-Brazilian singer Lauris Reiniks (born 1979) – singer-songwriter, actor and television personality