This is a list of notable 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 Arnor Sighvatsson, economist
Arts and culture
Architects Guðjón Samúelsson Guðmundur Jónsson Halldóra Briem Högna Sigurðardóttir
Authors
Arnaldur Indriðason, writer Davíð Stefánsson, poet Einar Benediktsson, writer, poet Einar Kárason, writer Einar Hjörleifsson Kvaran, editor, novelist, poet, dramatist Einar Már Guðmundsson, writer Guðmundur G. Hagalín, writer, poet Halldór Kiljan Laxness, writer, poet, Nobel Prize winner Hallgrímur Helgason, writer Jón Kalman Stefánsson, writer, poet Jón Thoroddsen, author Jónas Hallgrímsson, writer, poet Halldóra Bjarnadóttir, educator, author Jóhannes úr Kötlum, writer, poet Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir, writer Magnus Magnusson, television presenter, writer Nína Björk Árnadóttir, poet, novelist, playwright Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, writer Sjón, poet, writer, lyricist 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 Anita Briem, actress Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, best known as Silvía Nótt (Silvia Night), actress, singer, model, TV personality. Baltasar Kormákur, film actor and film director Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, film director Gunnar Hansen, film actor Hilmir Snær Guðnason, film actor Hrafn Gunnlaugsson, film director Karl Júlíusson, film production designer/costume designer Magnus Magnusson, 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 former director of RÚV Páll Magnússon, former director of RÚV, a member of the Icelandic parliament Ragnar Bragason, director Rósa Ingólfsdóttir, actress Stefán Karl Stefánsson, actor Tinna Gunnlaugsdóttir, actress and former Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Iceland Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson, actor Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, poet, writer, musician
Music Anna Mjöll, singer-songwriter Arndís Halla (born 1969), opera singer, songwriter and entertainer Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, more commonly known as Silvía Nótt, singer, actress, and TV personality Ásgeir Trausti, singer-songwriter Bára Gísladóttir (born 1989), musician and composer Björgvin Halldórsson, singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir, singer-songwriter more commonly known as Björk Bragi Ólafsson, musician Daði Freyr, musician Diddú (Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir), soprano and songwriter Emilíana Torrini, singer-songwriter Einar Örn Benediktsson, musician Eiríkur Hauksson, musician Eythor Arnalds, musician Gabríel Ólafs, composer Garðar Thór Cortes, tenor Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir, singer, violinist Gísli Magnússon, pianist Gunnsteinn Ólafsson, musician, composer Hafdís Bjarnadóttir (born 1977), composer and musician Hafdís Huld, singer Halldor Mar, songwriter and guitarist Haukur Tómasson, composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, musician and composer, first solo woman to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score Hallgrímur Helgason, composer, conductor, violinist, and musicologist Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, musician, art director, and chief goði of the Icelandic Ásatrú Association Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer, musician, producer Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson, (Jónsi) singer Jón Leifs, composer Jón Þór Birgisson, singer, guitarist Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, pop singer (Yohanna) Kjartan Ólafsson (born 1958), composer, professor Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir, musician Mugison, composer, musician Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, musician Ólafur Arnalds, composer, musician Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, poet, writer and musician Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson (Paul Oscar), pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey Ragnheiður Gröndal, musician Róbert Abraham Ottósson (born Robert Abraham). conductor, musicologist, and pianist Sigurður Bragason, baritone singer and composer Vladimir Ashkenazy, c pianist, chamber music performer, and conductor
Musical bands and groups
Agent Fresco Amiina Ampop Árstíðir Bang Gang Changer Cynic Guru Dikta FM Belfast GusGus Kaleo HAM Hatari Mammút Mezzoforte Mínus Mugison múm Nylon Of Monsters and Men Quarashi Samaris Seabear Sigur Rós Singapore Sling Skálmöld Ske Sólstafir The Sugarcubes Trúbrot Voces Thules VÆB
Painters and visual artists Kristleifur Björnsson Einar Hákonarson Erró Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval Sruli Recht
Photographers Ragnar Axelsson Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson
Sculptors Ásmundur Sveinsson Bertel Thorvaldsen Einar Jónsson Gunnfríður Jónsdóttir Nína Sæmundsson Olafur Eliasson Ríkarður Jónsson Steinunn Thorarinsdottir
Miss World Hólmfríður "Hófí" 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 Björn Sveinsson Björnsson, first born son of Sveinn Björnsson, and an Waffen-SS volunteer Egill Skallagrímsson, Viking skald Eiríkur rauði, (e. Eirík the Red, Old Norse. Eirīkr hinn rauði) named Greenland Freydís Eiríksdóttir Guðmundur Arason Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir, explorer Ingólfur Arnarson Ísleifur Gissurarson Kolbeinn Tumason Leifur Eiríksson (e. Leif Ericson, Old Norse Leifr Eiríksson), discovered America in the year 1000 and named it Vínland (Land of Wine) Loftur Sæmundsson, priest and chieftain at Oddi Solveig Guðmundsdóttir, heir and landlord Snorri Sturluson, historian, poet, knight, and politician Þorfinnur "Karlsefni" Þórðarson Þorleifur Skaftason, priest and Galdrmaster„Saga latínuskóla á Íslandi til 1846. Tímarit hins íslenzka bókmenntafélags 1893.“ Þorvaldur Eríksson Vilhjálmur Stefánsson, 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. Þóra Magnúsdóttir married an Icelander and moved to Iceland.
Politics
Albert Guðmundsson, former minister Árni Sigfússon, politician Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, former president Bergdis Ellertsdóttir, ambassador Birgitta Jónsdóttir, member of parliament 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 Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, former president Halla Tómasdóttir, current president Halldór Ásgrímsson, former prime minister Halldór Blöndal, former minister Hannes Hafstein, first prime minister Hannibal Valdimarsson, chairman of two parties and one electoral alliance Hulda Jakobsdóttir (1911–1998), Iceland's first woman mayor Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, former 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 Katrín Jakobsdóttir, former Prime minister Katrín Magnússon (1858–1932), early Reykjavik municipal councillor and women's rights activist Kristján Eldjárn, former president Markús Örn Antonsson, former mayor of Reykjavík and former director of RÚV Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former president Sæþór Benjamín Randalsson, party chairman Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, former prime minister 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, anthropologist Ari Brynjolfsson, physicist Ari Þorgilsson, documentarian, chronicler Ari Trausti Guðmundsson, geologist, explorer, documentarian Árni Magnússon, documentarian Ásgeir Helgason, psychologist, public health scientist Auður Eir Vilhjálmsdóttir, first female priest Eiríkur Magnússon, librarian and lecturer at Cambridge University, co-translator with William Morris Gisli Gudjonsson, professor of forensic psychology Gísli Pálsson, anthropologist Guðbrandur Vigfússon, lexicographer, editor, and lecturer at Oxford University Guðmundur Eiríksson, judge and law professor Hannes Hólmsteinn Gissurarson, political scientist Helgi Valdimarsson, immunologist Jón Steinsson, economist at University of California, Berkeley Hjörtur Þórðarson, inventor Kári Stefánsson, founder of deCODE genetics Leifur Magnusson, Icelandic-American economist, U.S. Representative to the International Labour Organization Magnús Eiríksson, theologian Marga Ingeborg Thome, nursing professor Margrét Hermanns-Auðardóttir, archaeologist Niels Finsen, physician, Nobel Prize winner (Icelandic parents) Ólafía Einarsdóttir, archaeologist Páll Skúlason, philosopher, former Rector of the University of Iceland Reynir Böðvarsson, seismologist Sigurdur Helgason, mathematician Sigurður Nordal, philosopher Sigurður Þórarinsson, geologist, volcanologist, professor Snorri Sturluson, documentarian, writer Stefán Einarsson, linguist and literary historian Vilhjálmur Árnason, philosopher Þór Whitehead, historian Þorsteinn Gylfason, philosopher
Sports and games
Football (soccer)
Rúrik Gíslason, former professional footballer Albert Guðmundsson, first Icelandic professional footballer, played for Valur, Rangers, A.C. Milan, Arsenal and FC Nancy. Arnór Guðjohnsen, former professional footballer, father of Eiður Guðjohnsen Aron Gunnarsson, professional footballer, currently at Al-Gharafa SC Ásgeir Sigurvinsson, former professional footballer Birkir Bjarnason, former professional footballer Eggert Jónsson, professional footballer, currently at Knattspyrnufélag Austfjarða Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen, professional footballer, former top scorer for Icelandic national team Emil Hallfreðsson, former professional footballer, Eyjólfur Héðinsson, professional footballer, currently at ÍR Guðni Bergsson, former professional footballer, played for teams such as Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and Bolton Wanderers Gylfi Sigurðsson, professional footballer, currently at Víkingur Reykjavík Heiðar Helguson, former professional footballer, Heimir Hallgrímsson, former manager of the Iceland national football team, also a football player and dentist Hermann Hreiðarsson, former professional footballer Ívar Ingimarsson, former professional footballer Jóhannes Karl Guðjónsson, former professional footballer Teitur Thordarson, former professional footballer Stefán Teitur Þórðarson, professional footballer, currently at Hannover 96 Sveindís Jónsdóttir, professional footballer, currently at Angel City FC
Chess Bobby Fischer, former world chess champion, granted Icelandic citizenship on 21 March 2005 Friðrik Ólafsson, chess grandmaster
Handball Arnór Atlason, former handball player Aron Pálmarsson, former handball player Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson, former handball player Ólafur Stefánsson, former handball player, Rhein-Neckar Löwen. Formerly of Wuppertal, Magdeburg and Ciudad Real. Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson, former handball player
Strongmen Benedikt Magnússon, Raw Deadlift world record holder Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, 2018 World's Strongest Man 3 x Arnold Strongman Classic Champion and Deadlift world record holder Jón Páll Sigmarsson, 4 x World's Strongest Man Magnús Magnússon, winner of Iceland's Strongest Man. Magnús Ver Magnússon, 4 x World's Strongest Man Stefán Sölvi Pétursson, World's Strongest Man Finalist
Others in sports