List of Kurds

This is a list of well known Kurdish people. The most influential of all may have been Saladin, who became the first Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt and Syria in the Middle Ages.

Filmmakers

• Ghotbeddin Sadeghi — Iranian director.
• Behrouz Gharibpour — Iranian director.
• Bahman Ghobadi — Iranian director.
• Jamil Rostami — Iranian director.

Music

• Shahram Nazeri — Iranian vocalist and musician.
• Susan (singer) — Iranian singer.
• Kamkars — Iranian music family
• Saeed Farajpouri, Iranian kamancheh player
• Azad (rapper), German rapper
• Rojan (musician) Iranian singer
• Ghader Abdollahzadeh - Kurdish flute player
• Mohammad Mamle, Kurdish singer.
• Hassan Zirak — Kurdish singer.
• Ali Akbar Moradi - Iranian musician
• Sohrab Pournazeri - Iranian musician
• Roknoddin Mokhtari — Iranian violin player
• Kayhan Kalhor — Iranian kamancheh player.

Authors, poets, journalists and scholars

• Nezami Ganjavi - Persian poet, Persian father and Kurdish mother, born in the Republic of Azerbaijan
• Sharafkhan Bidlisi - Historian, author of Sharafnama in Persian.
• Mastoura Ardalan, Kurdish poet and historiographer.
• Alaaddin Sajadi - Kurdish writer
• Abdol-Hamid Heyrat Sajjadi - Iranian writer
• Bakhtiar Sajjadi - Iranian writer
• Mohammad Ghazi — Iranian translator.
• Ahmad Ghazi — Kurdish translator.
• Karim Hisami — Kurdish author .
• Hossein Khalighi — Kurdish author
• Hamid Hassani — Iranian author
• Savareh Ilkhanizadeh — Kurdish poet.
• Misbaholdiwan Adab — Kurdish poet
• Wafaei, Kurdish poet.
• Hemin Mukriyani — Kurdish poet.
• Hejar — Kurdish poet.
• Amir Hassanpour - Kurdish scholar and researcher
• Abbas Vali - political scientist.
• Hashim Ahmadzadeh - Kurdish writer and translator
• Mozaffar Partowmah, Iranian Kurdish author and scholar of Islam and Nuclear physics.
• Erfan Ghaneifard — Iranian author.
• Ata Nahai — Kurdish author
• Parviz Jahani - Kurdish author
• Mustafa Besarani — Kurdish poet
• Khana Qubadi, Kurdish poet

Sports

• Mohammad Oraz — Iranian mountain climber.
• Aram Khalili — Norwegian second league football player.
• Ziaeddin Niknafs — Iranian football player
• Bijan Zolfagharnasab — Former Iranian football player and current coach.

Political activists

• Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou — former leader of PDKI.
• Simko Shikak — Kurdish revolutionary.
• Ghazi Mohammad — Former leader of PDKI
• Sadegh Sharafkandi — Leader of PDKI
• Bahaedin Adab - Political activist
• Ahmad Moftizadeh Sunni Islamic Kurdish leader in Iran.
• Foad Mostafa Soltani — Former leader of Komaleh.
• Mohammad Seddigh Kaboudvand, Human rights activist
• Sedigh Kamangar — Political activist
• Farzad Kamangar — Political activist.
• Soraya Serajeddini, Human rights activist
• Roya Toloui - Kurdish journalist
• Amineh Kakabaveh, member of the Swedish Parliament.

Religious figures

• Hajj Nematollah (1871–1919), mystic and poet.
• Nur Ali Elahi (1895–1974), Spiritual leader of the Ahl-e Haqq religion.

Others

• Mirza Mohammad Reza Kalhor - Iranian calligraphist

Iraq

Poets, writers and journalists

• Nali, Kurdish poet.
• Mahwi, Kurdish poet and sufi.
• Mawlawi Tawagozi, Kurdish poet and sufi.
• Abdulla Goran, Kurdish poet.
• Haji Qadir Koyi, Kurdish poet.
• Dildar, Kurdish poet
• Sheikh Reza Talabani, Kurdish poet
• Piramerd, Kurdish poet, writer, novelist and journalist.
• Muhamed Amin Zaki, writer, historian and politician.
• Muhamad Salih Dilan, One of the founders of modern Kurdish poetry.
• Taufiq Wahby, writer and linguist.
• Nuri Barzinji, Kurdish journalist and poet
• Rafiq Hilmi, Kurdish writer, literary analyst and politician.
• Ibrahim Ahmad, Kurdish writer, novelist and translator.
• Husein Muhammed, Kurdish writer.
• Ahmad Hardi, Kurdish poet.
• Maruf Khaznadar, academic and researcher.
• Abdulla Pashew, contemporary Kurdish poet.
• Farhad Pirbal, Kurdish writer and academic.
• Jamal Nebez, writer, linguist and researcher.
• Sherko Bekas, Kurdish poet.
• Rauf Hassan, Kurdish writer and journalist.
• Latif Halmat, Kurdish poet.
• Mahabad Qaradaghi, Kurdish writer, poet and translator.
• Rafiq Sabir, Kurdish poet.
• Farhad Shakely, poet, writer and academic.
• Khalil Duhoki, Kurdish writer.
• Khalil Rashow, Kurdish writer and academic.
• Jalal Barzanji, writer, poet and journalist.
• Fawaz Hussain, writer and translator.
• Zeynelabidin Zinar, Kurdish writer, researcher and specialist in Kurdish folklore.
• Najiba Ahmad, Kurdish writer and poet.
• Nazand Begikhani, Kurdish writer, poet and researcher.
• Kajal Ahmad , Kurdish poet, writer and journalist.
• Choman Hardi, Kurdish poet, researcher and painter.
• Jalal Dabagh, Kurdish writer and journalist.
• Lezgin Chali, Kurdish physician, administrator, writer.
• Sardasht Osman, Kurdish Journalist

Academics and Researchers

• Saad Eskander, academic and researcher, director of the Iraq National Library and Archive.
• Yona Sabar, Kurdish-Jewish scholar and linguist.
• Mulla Effendi , Islamic philosopher, scholar, astronomer, politician.
• Ibn Khallikan, Muslim judge and author of a classic Arabic
• Hadhrat Mawlânâ Khâlid-i Baghdâdî, founder of a significant branch of the Naqshbandi Sufi order - named Khalidiyya after him

Musicians

• Ali Merdan, singer.
• Tahir Tewfiq, musician and singer.
• Tara Jaff, musician and singer.
• Dilshad Said, musician and composer.
• Adnan Karim, singer
• Chopy Fatah, singer
• Darin Zanyar, Swedish pop singer.

Politicians and political activists

• Saladin, Founder of Ayyubid dynasty and the great Muslim leader who defeated crusaders in Battle of Hattin conquered Jerusalem.
• Sulaiman Shah, Commander in chief of the Caliphate army, Governor of Kurdistan
• Shaikh Mahmood Barzenji, First King of Kurdistan and leader of the Kurdish nationalist movement in Iraq.
• Mustafa Barzani, Kurdish leader and founder of KDP
• Idris Barzani, former Prime Minister of the Kurdish Autonomous Region
• Massoud Barzani, is the President of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq and leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
• Nechervan Idris Barzani, former Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraqi Kurdistan.
• Jalal Talabani, Kurdish politician, current President of Iraq and secretary general of PUK.
• Abdul Karim Qassim, (Half Kurdish) first President of Iraq.
• Mahmoud Othman , Founder and former Secretary General of the Kurdish Socialist Party.
• Nawshirwan Mustafa, politician, writer and diarist. Former Deputy Secretary General of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.
• Latif Rashid, Kurdish Politician, Iraqi Minister of Water.
• Barham Salih, Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq. Also a senior member of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.
• Shahab Sheikh Nuri, founder of the Komalay Ranjdaran Party.
• Leyla Qasim, Kurdish politician and Peshmerga.
• Nadhim Zahawi, British Conservative politician and current MP for Stratford-on-Avon.
• Widad Akrawi, activist and Chair of Defend International
• Herro Mustafa, diplomat, Senior Advisor on the Middle East to Vice President Biden, US.
• Houzan Mahmoud, women rights and anti-war activist.
• Rowsch Shaways, former vice president of Iraq in the interim government of 2004 and Parliament speaker in the KRG.
• Dlawer Ala'Aldeen, Kurdish academic, physician, lobbyist, political writer.

Film directors and actors

• Hiner Saleem, Film director.
• Hisham Zaman, Film director.
• Shero Rauf, Actor

Sports people

• Hawar Mulla Mohammed, Iraqi football player
• Halgurd Mulla Mohammed, Iraqi football player

Others

• Rizgar Mohammed Amin , Chief Judge of the Iraqi Special Tribunal setup to judge Saddam Hussein.

Turkey

Poets and writers

• Ali Hariri, Kurdish poet.
• Mahmud Bayazidi, Kurdish writer, translator and historian.
• Ahmad Khani, Kurdish poet and a Muslim scholar, author of Mem û Zîn.
• Malaye Jaziri, Kurdish poet and sufi.
• Faqi Tayran, poet
• Ahmade Bate, Kurdish poet and Muslim cleric.
• Ali Taramakhi, linguist and writer.
• Arab Shamilov, Kurdish writer and novelist.
• Osman Sabri, Kurdish poet, writer and journalist.
• Jaladat Ali Badirkhan, linguist, journalist and politician, founder of the Latin-based Kurdish alphabet.
• Cigerxwîn, Kurdish poet and writer.
• Qedrîcan, Kurdish poet and writer.
• Emînê Evdal, Kurdish writer and linguist.
• Hecîyê Cindî, Kurdish writer, linguist and researcher.
• Qanate Kurdo, Kurdish writer, linguist and academic.
• Mehmed Emin Bozarslan, Kurdish writer.
• Mehmed Uzun, writer and novelist
• Mahmud Baksi, Kurdish writer and journalist.
• Rojen Barnas, Kurdish poet and writer.
• Reşo Zîlan, Kurdish writer, translator and linguist.
• Zeynelabidin Zinar , Kurdish writer, researcher and specialist in Kurdish folklore.
• Yekta Uzunoglu, Kurdish writer, translator and entrepreneur.
• Hesenê Metê, Kurdish writer, novelist and translator.
• Mustafa Aydogan, Writer, novelist and translator.
• Firat Cewerî, Kurdish writer, translator and journalist.
• Serdar Roşan, writer, poet and translator.
• Yaşar Kemal, Turkish writer and novelist.
• Evdile Koçer, Kurdish writer.
• Azad Zal, Kurdish poet, writer, journalist, translator and linguist.

Academics and Researchers

• Edip Yuksel, Kurdish/American writer and activist.

Musicians

• Şivan Perwer, Kurdish singer.
• Nizamettin Arıç, singer, composer and director.
• Şehrîbana Kurdî, singer.
• Rojhan Beken, singer and composer of Rock music.
• Aynur Doğan, singer.
• Rojda Aykoç, singer and dengbêj.
• Ibrahim Tatlıses, Turkish singer and TV personality (Arab father and Kurdish mother)
• Ahmet Kaya, Turkish musician of partial Kurdish origin.

Film directors and actors

• Yilmaz Güney, Turkish film director.(Of partial Kurdish origin)

Religious figures

• Ali ibn al-Athir, Islamic historian.
• Said Nursi, Islamic thinker.

Politicians and political activists

• İsmet İnönü,, Second President of Turkey (of Kurdish origin).
• Turgut Özal, former Prime Minister and the 8th President of Turkey.(Partial Kurdish origin)
• Medet Serhat, Kurdish lawyer and politician.
• Ahmet Türk, Chairman of the Democratic Society Party in Turkey
• Abdullah Öcalan, one of the founders of PKK.
• Murat Karayilan, acting leader of the PKK.
• Selim Sadak, Kurdish politician, MP in Turkey and Mayor of Şırnak.
• Osman Öcalan, one of the founders of PKK.
• Leyla Zana, human-rights activist and the first Kurdish woman MP in Turkey.
• Aysel Tuğluk, Kurdish rights activist and MP in Turkey from 2007 to 2009.
• Nalin Pekgul, former member of Swedish Parliament.
• Osman Baydemir, current mayor of Diyarbakır, Turkey.
• Nurettin Demirtaş, member of the DTP and MP in Turkey.
• Sebahat Tuncel, Member of the Turkish National Assembly.
• Feleknas Uca, Yazidi-Kurd and MEP for the left German Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS).

Syria

• Zaradachet Hajo, Kurdish linguist and academic.
• Şahînê Bekirê Soreklî, Kurdish writer, poet and translator.
• Cankurd, Kurdish writer and poet.
• Keça Kurd, poet, writer and linguist.

Azerbaijan

• Shamil Asgarov, poet, researcher on the history and culture of the Kurds in Azerbaijan, translator.

Armenia

• Ordikhan Jalil, academic and linguist
• Jalile Jalil, Historian and Kurdologist.
• Eskerê Boyîk, Kurdish poet.
• Tosine Rashid, Kurdish writer.
• Tamure Khalil, translator and journalist.