List of Icelanders

This is a list of famous people from Iceland, arranged in categories and ordered alphabetically by first name, following the usual naming conventions of Iceland.

Business

Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson, billionaire entrepreneur
Björgólfur Guðmundsson, former billionaire entrepreneur, father of Thor Björgólfsson (above)
Eggert Magnússon, businessman and former chairman of the English Premiership football club West Ham United
Hreiðar Már Sigurðsson, businessman
Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson, billionaire and founder of the Bónus supermarket and the Baugur Group
Magnús Þorsteinsson, businessman
Þorsteinn M. Jónsson, banker

Arts and culture

Architects

Authors

Arnaldur Indriðason, writer
Davíð Stefánsson, poet
Einar Kárason, writer
Einar Már Guðmundsson, writer
Einar Benediktsson, writer, poet
Einar Hjörleifsson Kvaran editor, novelist, poet, dramatist
Guðmundur G. Hagalín, writer, poet
Halldór Kiljan Laxness, writer, poet, Nobel Prize winner
Hallgrímur Helgason, writer
Jón Kalman Stefánsson, writer, poet
Jón Thoroddsen, writer and/or poet
Jónas Hallgrímsson, writer, poet
Jóhannes úr Kötlum, writer, poet
Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir, writer
Magnús Magnússon, television presenter, writer
Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, writer
Sjón, poet
Snorri Hjartarson, poet
Snorri Sturluson, historian, poet
Steinunn Sigurðardóttir, writer, poet
Stephan G. Stephansson, Western Icelander, poet
Tómas Guðmundsson, poet
Vigdís Grímsdóttir, writer
Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson, writer
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, writer
Þórarinn Eldjárn, writer, poet
Þórbergur Þórðarson, writer, poet

Film, Radio, and TV

Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, best known as Silvía Nótt (Silvia Night), actress, singer, model, TV personality.
Anita Briem, actress
Baltasar Kormákur, film actor and film director
Bjarni Gautur, filmmaker
Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, film director
Hilmir Snær Guðnason, film actor
Hrafn Gunnlaugsson, film director
Karl Júlíusson, film production designer/costume designer
Magnús Magnússon, television presenter, writer
Magnús Scheving, writer, actor, athlete, creator of LazyTown
Margrét Vilhjálmsdóttir, actress
Marinó Sigurðsson, actor
Markús Örn Antonsson, former mayor of Reykjavík and director of RÚV
Ólafur Hannesson, Icelandic television personality
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, radio announcer, actor
Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, poet, writer, musician
Ragnar Bragason, director
Tinna Gunnlaugsdóttir, actress and head of Reykjavík City Theater

Music

Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, more commonly known as Silvía Nótt, singer, actress, and TV personalty
Anna Mjöll singer and songwriter
Björgvin Halldórsson, singer
Björk Guðmundsdóttir, singer and songwriter more commonly known as Björk.
Bragi Ólafsson, musician
Diddú (Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir), soprano and songwriter
Eggert Pálsson, percussionist, founder of the music group Voces Thules
Emilíana Torrini, singer and songwriter
Einar Örn Benediktsson, musician
Eiríkur Hauksson, musician
Garðar Thór Cortes, tenor
Hafdís Huld, singer
Haukur Tómasson, composer
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson,musician, art director, and chief goði of the Icelandic Ásatrú Association.
Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer, musician, producer
Jón Leifs, composer
Jón Þór Birgisson, singer, guitarist
Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, pop singer (Yohanna)
Kjartan Ólafsson, composer, professor
Mugison, composer, musician
Ólafur Arnalds, composer, musician
Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, poet, writer, musician
Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson (Paul Oscar), pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey
Ragnheiður Gröndal, musician
Sigurður Bragason, bariton singer and composer

Musical bands and groups

Painters

Photographers

Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson

Sculptors

Miss World

Hofi Karlsdottir, (Hólmfríður Karlsdóttir), Miss World 1985
Linda Pétursdóttir, Miss World 1988
Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir, Miss World 2005

Historical figures of Iceland

Ari Þorgilsson, priest and author of Íslendingabók, a historical work
Egill Skallagrímsson, Viking skald
Eirík the Red, (Eiríkr rauði) Named Greenland
Freydís Eiríksdóttir
Guðmundur Arason
Guðríðr Þorbjarnardóttir, explorer
Ingólfur Arnarson
Ísleifur Gissurarson
Kolbeinn Tumason
Leifr Eiríksson (Leifur Eiríksson), discovered America in the year 1000 and named it Vínland (Land of Wine)
Loftur Sæmundsson, priest and chieftain at Oddi
Snorri Sturluson
Þorfinnr Karlsefni
Þorvaldr Eríksson
Vilhjalmur Stefansson, Western Icelander, Arctic explorer
Þóra Magnúsdóttir, born 1100 in Norway, daughter of Magnus III of Norway, a direct descendant of Harald Fairhair the first Norwegian King. Þora Magnusdottir married an Icelander and moved to Iceland.

Politics

See also: List of Presidents of Iceland, List of Prime Ministers of Iceland and List of Icelandic rulers

Albert Guðmundsson, former minister
Árni Sigfússon, politician
Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, former president
Birgitta Jónsdóttir, minister
Björn Bjarnason, minister of justice and ecclesiastical affairs
Davíð Oddsson, former prime minister and former mayor of Reykjavík
Geir H. Haarde, former prime minister, former foreign minister
Halldór Ásgrímsson, former prime minister
Halldór Blöndal, former minister
Hannes Hafstein, first prime minister
Hannibal Valdimarsson, chairman of two parties and one electoral alliance,
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, current 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
Kristján Eldjárn, former president
Markús Örn Antonsson, former mayor of Reykjavík and director of RÚV
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, current president
Steingrímur Hermannsson, former prime minister
Sveinn Björnsson, first president
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former president, first elected female head of state
Þorsteinn Pálsson, former prime minister

Scholarship and academia

Agnar Helgason, PhD, anthropologist
Ari Þorgilsson, documentarian, chronicler
Árni Magnússon, documentarian
Ásgeir Helgason, PhD, psychologist, public health scientist
Eiríkr Magnússon, librarian and lecturer at Cambridge University, co-translator with William Morris
Gisli Gudjonsson, Professor of Forensic Psychology
Gísli Pálsson, PhD, anthropologist
Guðbrandur Vigfússon, lexicographer, editor, and lecturer at Oxford University
Hannes Hólmsteinn Gissurarson, PhD, political scientist
Helgi Valdimarsson, MD, immunologist
Hjörtur Þórðarson, inventor
Kári Stefánsson, MD, founder of deCODE genetics
Magnús Eiríksson, theologian
Margrét Hermanns Auðardóttir, PhD, archaeologist
Niels Finsen, physician, Nobel Prize winner (Icelandic parents)
Páll Skúlason, PhD, philosopher, former Rector of the University of Iceland
Reynir Bödvarsson, PhD, seismologist
Sigurdur Helgason, mathematician
Sigurður Nordal, PhD, philosopher
Sigurður Þórarinsson, PhD, geologist, volcanologist, professor
Snorri Sturluson, documentarian, writer
Vilhjálmur Árnason, PhD, philosopher
Þór Whitehead, historian
Þorsteinn Gylfason, philosopher

Sports and games

Football (Soccer) Players

Albert Guðmundsson, first Icelandic professional footballer, played for Valur, Rangers, AC Milan, Arsenal and FC Nancy.
Arnór Guðjohnsen, former professional footballer
Aron Gunnarsson, professional footballer, currently at Cardiff City FC
Ásgeir Sigurvinsson, former professional footballer
Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen, professional footballer, currently at AEK Athens F.C.
Guðni Bergsson, former professional footballer, played for teams like Tottenham Hotspur FC and Bolton Wanderers
Teitur Thordarson, former professional footballer
Heiðar Helguson, professional footballer, currently at Q.P.R.
Hermann Hreiðarsson, professional footballer, currently at Portsmouth
Ívar Ingimarsson, professional footballer, currently at Ipswich Town F.C.
Jóhannes Karl Guðjónsson, Professional footballer, currently at Knattspyrnufélag ÍA
Gylfi Sigurðsson, Professional footballer, currently at Tottenham Hotspurs F.C.

Chess Champions

Bobby Fischer, former world chess champion, granted Icelandic citizenship on 21 March 2005
Friðrik Ólafsson, chess Grandmaster

Handball

Arnór Atlason, handball player who playes for FCK Håndbold in Denmark.
Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson, handball player who plays for Rhein-Neckar Löwen in Germany.
Ólafur Stefánsson, handball player, Rhein-Neckar Löwen. Formerly of Wuppertal, Magdeburg and Ciudad Real.
Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson, handball player who plays for Rhein-Neckar Löwen in Germany.

Stanford University Students

Bragi Sveinsson

Strongmen

Benedikt Magnússon, current deadlift world record holder
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson, four-time winner of World's Strongest Man
Magnús Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon, four-time winner of World's Strongest Man
Stefán Sölvi Pétursson

Others

Kristján Einar Kristjánsson, racing driver, currently racing in British formula 3
Gunnar Nelson, MMA fighter
Halldór Helgason, Snowboarder
Magnús Scheving, writer, actor, athlete, creator of LazyTown
Vala Flosadóttir, pole vaulter