This is a list of famous Galician people.
Arts Delmi Álvarez, photographer Maruja Mallo (1902–1995), painter Mariano Grueiro (born 1975), activist, writer, photographer, filmmaker, artist Francisco Calvelo (born 1982), filmmaker Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor y Zaragoza (1875–1960), painter Gregorio Fernández (1576–1636), Baroque sculptor Victor Moscoso (born 1936), Spanish-American artist Luís Seoane (1910–1979), lithographer and artist Isaac Díaz Pardo (1920–2012), artist and businessman Actors María Casares (1922–1996) José Garcia (actor) (born 1966) Nancho Novo (born 1958) La Belle Otero (1868–1965), dancer, actress, and courtesan Fernando Rey (1917–1994) Martin Sheen a.k.a. Ramon Estevez (born 1940) (part Irish, part Galician) Charlie Sheen a.k.a. Carlos Estevez (born 1965) (father part Galician) Emilio Estevez (born 1962) (father part Galician) Luis Tosar (born 1971) Jesús Vázquez (born 1965) Paula Vázquez (born 1974) Pedro Alonso (born 1971) Dafne Keen (born 2005) (mother Galician)
Musicians
Bernal de Bonaval (13th century), troubadour Avelino Cachafeiro (1899–1972), bagpiper Luz Casal (born 1958), singer Manu Chao (born 1961) (father from Vilalba), singer Martín Codax (fl. 13th and 14th centuries), medieval composer and performer Iván Ferreiro (born 1970), singer Fuxan Os Ventos, folk music group Jerry Garcia (1942–1995) (part Galician, part Irish and Swedish), founding member of American rock group The Grateful Dead Isabel Granada (born 1976) (mother from Ferrol), singer Enrique Iglesias (born 1975) (grandfather from Ourense), singer Julio Iglesias (born 1943) (father from Ourense), singer Carlos Leal (born 1969), Swiss rapper and actor born to Galician immigrants Xoel López, singer Anxo Lorenzo (born 1974), bagpiper Luar na Lubre, Celtic music group Mendinho (fl. 13th century), medieval troubadour Milladoiro, Celtic music group Carlos Núñez (born 1971), musician and bagpiper Natalia Oreiro (born 1977), singer Cristina Pato (born 1970), bagpiper Manuel Ramil (born 1978), power metal keyboardist Rosalía (born 1992), (father part Galician), singer Paulina Rubio (born 1971) (father from A Coruña), singer Marta Sánchez (born 1966) (both parents from A Coruña), singer Susana Seivane (born 1976), bagpiper C. Tangana (born 1990), (father from Vigo), rapper Siniestro Total, punk rock group Los Suaves, hard rock band Octavio Vázquez (born 1972), composer Oscar Rilo (born 1981), heavy metal singer
Writers
Marilar Aleixandre (born 1947) Concepción Arenal (1820–1893), writer and feminist Xela Arias (1962–2003) Eduardo Blanco Amor (1897–1979), writer and journalist Carmen Blanco (born 1954) Xurxo Borrazás (born 1963) Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (born 1962), linguist Ricardo Carvalho Calero (1910–1990) Yolanda Castaño (born 1977), poet Castelao (1886–1950), writer, politician, and painter Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885), writer Camilo José Cela (1916–2002), writer, Nobel Prize in Literature Ramón Chao (1935–2018) Álvaro Cunqueiro (1911–1981), writer and journalist Manuel Curros Enríquez (1851–1908), writer María Magdalena Domínguez (1922-2021), poet Estíbaliz Espinosa Río (born 1974), science poet and singer Benito Jerónimo Feijóo y Montenegro (1676–1764) Wenceslao Fernández Flórez (1885–1964) Agustín Fernández Mallo (born 1967) Celso Emilio Ferreiro (1912–1979) Xesús Ferro Ruibal (born 1944) Ricardo Flores Peres (1903–2002) Suso de Toro (born 1956), writer Béa González, (born 1962), writer Beremundo González Rodríguez (1909–1986) Juana Teresa Juega López (1885-1979), poet María López Sández (born 1973), philologist and essayist Salvador de Madariaga (1886–1978), diplomat, writer, historian, and pacifist Luis Mariñas (1947–2010), journalist María Mariño (1907–1967) Xosé Luís Méndez Ferrín (born 1938), writer, proposed for the Nobel Prize José María Merino (born 1941) Manuel Murguía (1833–1923) Xosé Neira Vilas (1928–2015) Olga Novo (born 1975) Albino Núñez Domínguez (1901–1974) Pilar Pallarés (born 1957), poet Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851–1921), writer and feminist Chus Pato (born 1955) Otero Pedrayo (1888–1976) Emma Pedreira (born 1978), writer Ánxeles Penas (born 1943), poet Eduardo Pondal (1835–1917) José María Posada (1817–1886) Luz Pozo Garza (1922-2020), poet Ignacio Ramonet (born 1943) Ismael Ramos (born 1994), writer Jacinto Rey (born 1972) Ofelia Rey Castelao (born 1956) Vicente Risco (1884–1963), writer and politician Manuel Rivas (born 1957), writer Juan Rodríguez de la Cámara (1390–1450) Claudio Rodriguez Fer (born 1956) Fátima Rodríguez (b. 1961), writer, translator, professor Luís Seoane (1910–1979) Gonzalo Torrente Ballester (1910–1999), writer Ramón del Valle-Inclán (1866–1936), writer Lorenzo Varela (1917–1978) Eva Veiga(born 1961), poet and journalist Martin Veiga (born 1970) Benito Vicetto Pérez (1824–1878) Darío Villanueva (born 1950), literary theorist and critic, director of the Real Academia Española Miguel Ángel Villar Pinto (born 1977) Antón Vilar Ponte (1881–1936) Luísa Villalta (1957-2004), writer
Business José María Castellano Ríos (born 1947) is the former CEO and Deputy Chairman of the Inditex Group, which includes brand stores such as Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Bershka. Carmela Arias y Díaz de Rábago (1920–2009), first woman president of a bank in Spain Adolfo Dominguez Rosalia Mera, co-founder of the Inditex Group Amancio Ortega founder of global fashion manufacturing and retail chain Inditex Antonio M. Pérez (born 1947), Spanish-American businessman
Exploration Pedro Madruga (fl. 1434–1506), navigator and explorer Juan de Betanzos, historical source on the Incan civilization João da Nova (1460-1509) navigator and explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, (1475–1519) (Galician noble from Balboa), explorer and conquistador, discoverer of the Pacific Ocean Luís Vaz de Torres (1565–1607), navigator and explorer, first European who saw Australia Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira (1542–1595), navigator and explorer, discoverer of Marquesas Islands and Salomon Islands Isabel Barreto (1567–1612), navigator and explorer, first female Admiral in history Rodrigo de Quiroga, conquistador, Royal Governor of Chile Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, explorer and historian Benito de Soto (1805-1830), pirate
Military Ángel Castro y Argiz (1875–1956), father of Fidel and Raúl Castro Juan de Lángara (1736–1806), naval officer and Minister of Marine Pedro Mariño de Lobera (1528–1594), soldier and chronicler of the Arauco War Casto Méndez Núñez (1824–1869), admiral Patricio Montojo, naval commander at the Battle of Manila Bay Alonso Pita da Veiga (fl. 1513–1529), military officer Maria Pita, soldier Marshall de Marzo, general soldier, conquistador
Nobility Manuel de Godoy y Álvarez de Faria Ríos (1767-1851) Prince of Spain, 1st Duke of Alcudia, 1st Duke of Sueca, 1st Secretary of State, 1st Baron of Mascalbo. Alfonso VII of León and Castile (1105–1157), King of Galicia, León, and Castile Alfonso X of Castile (1221–1284), King of Galicia and Castile Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, 1st Count of Gondomar (1567–1626), Spanish ambassador to England Fernán Pérez de Andrade (fl. 1356–1397), Galician knight Fernando de Andrade de las Mariñas (1477–1540), First Count of Andrade and Second of Vilalba, Lord of Pontedeume and Ferrol Fernando Pérez de Traba (1090–1155), count of the Crown of León Fernando Ruiz de Castro (fl. 1354–1377), nobleman of the House of Castro Fernando Ruiz de Castro Andrade y Portugal (1548–1601), nobleman, Viceroy of Naples Gaspar de Zúñiga, 5th Count of Monterrey (1560–1606), nobleman, Viceroy of New Spain Inês de Castro (1325–1355), noblewoman, consort of King Peter I of Portugal Manuel de Acevedo y Zúñiga (fl. 1628–1637), Viceroy of Naples Menendo González (fl. 997–1008), Duke of Galicia and Count of Portugal Pedro Fernández de Castro y Andrade (1560–1622), nobleman, Viceroy of Naples Sueiro Gomes de Soutomaior (1417–1490), aristocrat in the kingdom of Galicia Vímara Peres (820–873), first ruler of the County of Portugal
Politics
Santiago Iglesias, labor leader & organizer in Cuba & Puerto Rico born in A Coruña. First Spaniard elected in 1932 & 1936 to the U. S. Congress as Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico Nadia Calviño Fidel Castro (both parents from Galicia), former president of Cuba Raúl Castro (both parents from Galicia), former president of Cuba, incumbent first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Pablo Iglesias, founder of the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in 1879 and the Spanish General Workers' Union (UGT) in 1888 Tabaré Vázquez (of Galician ancestry), president of Uruguay Francisco Franco, leader and later formal head of state of Spain from October 1936, and of all of Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975 Manuel Fraga Iribarne, President of the Xunta of Galicia from 1990 to 2005 and founder of the People's Alliance (Spain) (Alianza Popular - AP), later refounded as the People's Party (Spain) (Partido Popular - PP). Anxo Quintana, politician, former leader of the Galician Nationalist Block (Bloque Nacionalista Galego), the main Galician Nationalist party Adolfo Suárez González (his father was from La Coruña), Spain's first democratically elected prime minister after the end of Francoist Spain Xosé Manuel Beiras, politician, economist, writer and intellectual Benigno Álvares, leader and founder of Galician Communist Party Alexandre Bóveda Yolanda Díaz Elena Espinosa, Minister of the Environment and currently represents Ourense in the Spanish Congress Amada Garcia, Communist activist Francisco Caamaño Domínguez (born 1963) Rosario Hernández Diéguez, newspaper hawker and trade unionist affiliated with UGT and PSOE José Patiño (1666–1736), secretary of state Ricardo Mella, writer, intellectual and libertarian activist Alberto Núñez Feijóo Emilio Pérez Touriño, politician and economist Mariano Rajoy, leader of the conservative People's Party (PP) and prime minister of Spain until a vote of no confidence ousted his government Alfonso Daniel Rodríguez Castelao, writer, politician and one of the main symbols of Galician nationalism Elena Salgado, former Second Vice President and Minister of Economy and Finance in Spain Juan Niño de Tabora, former governor of the Philippines. Ramón Franco, pioneer of aviation, a political figure and brother of later caudillo Francisco Franco Juan Camilo Mouriño, politician Manolo Sánchez personal valet to the 37th president of the United States Richard Nixon. Enrique Líster Forján, a communist politician and military, serving as a general in the armies of the Spanish Republic, the Soviet Red Army and the Yugoslav People's Army José Calvo Sotelo (1893–1936), leader of the opposition, his assassination by Socialists agents marked the outbreak of the Spanish civil war Eugenio Montero Ríos (1832–1914), prime minister of Spain (19th century) José Canalejas (1854- 1912), prime minister of Spain (20th century) Manuel Portela Valladares (1868–1952) prime minister of Spain (20th century) Eduardo Dato e Iradier (1856–1921), prime minister of Spain (20th century, 3 times) Santiago Casares Quiroga, Prime Minister of Spain when Spanish civil war broke out
Religion Alonso III Fonseca (1475–1534), Catholic archbishop and politician Antonio María Rouco Varela (born 1936), Catholic prelate Benito Jerónimo Feijoo e Montenegro, neoclassical monk and scholar Diego Gelmírez (1069–1149), Catholic archbishop Hydatius (400–469), Catholic bishop Marina of Aguas Santas (119–139), Portuguese Catholic saint Pope Damasus I (305–384) Rudesind (907–977), Catholic bishop and abbot Senorina (fl. 982), Catholic abbess Theodemar of Iria (fl. 818–847), Catholic bishop
Sportspeople
Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro (born 2002), tennis player David Cal (born 1982), flatwater canoer Támara Echegoyen (born 1984), sailor Beatriz Gómez Cortés (born 1994), Olympic swimmer Francisco Javier Gómez Noya (born 1983), triathlete Juan López Mella (1965–1995), motorcycle racer Ana Peleteiro (born 1995), triple jumper, 2020 Olympic bronze medallist