This is a list of Spaniards that are famous or notable.
(In alphabetical order within categories.)
Actors
Architects
Authors
- Mateo Alemán (1547–c. 1609)
- Vicente Aleixandre (1888–1984), poet, Nobel prize 1977
- Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1836–1870), poet
- Jacinto Benavente (1866–1954), dramatist, Nobel prize 1922
- Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600–1681), playwright and poet
- Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885), poet
- Camilo José Cela (1916–2002), novelist, Nobel prize 1989
- Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), author and soldier, writer of El Quijote, or Don Quixote
- Miguel Delibes (born 1920), novelist
- José Echegaray (1832–1916), dramatist, Nobel prize 1904
- Leandro Fernández de Moratín (1760–1828), dramatist and neoclassical poet
- Antonio Gala
- Benito Pérez Galdós
- Federico García Lorca (1898–1936), poet and playwright
- Luis de Góngora, poet and priest
- Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881–1958), poet, Nobel prize 1956
- Jon Juaristi
- Mariano José de Larra (1809–1837), journalist
- Antonio Machado (1875–1939), poet
- Salvador de Madariaga
- Javier Marías (born 1951), novelist and translator
- Juan Marsé (born 1933), novelist
- Joanot Martorell
- Tirso de Molina (1571–1648), playwright
- Agustín Moreto y Cavana, playwright
- Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos (1744–1811), statesman and author
- José Ortega y Gasset (1883–1955), author
- Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851–1921), author
- Arturo Pérez-Reverte (born 1951), novelist and war reporter
- Francisco de Quevedo (1580–1645)
- Fernando de Rojas
- Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla, playwright
- José Martínez Ruiz (1863–1967), journalis, poet, political radical, writer
- Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, playwright
- Pedro Salinas, (1891–1951), poet
- Ramón J. Sender (1901–1982), novelist, journalist and anarchist
- Torcuato Luca de Tena (1923–1999), novelist, journalist and lawyer
- Miguel Unamuno (1864–1931), existentialist author
- Ramón María del Valle-Inclán (1866–1936), author
- Garcilaso de la Vega (1501–1586), poet
- Félix Lope de Vega (1562–1635), poet and playwright
- Cristóbal Zaragoza (1923–1999), novelist and philosopher
- María de Zayas y Sotomayor
- José Zorrilla y Moral, poet and playwright
Explorers
- Cosme Damián Churruca (1761–1805), explorer, astronomer and naval officer, mapped the Straight of Magallanes (1788–1789)
- Hernán Cortés (1485–1547), conquistador of old Mexico
- Lope de Aguirre (1511–1561), soldier, adventurer, killer and traitor, explored the Amazonas looking for El Dorado
- Diego de Almagro (1475–1538), explorer and conquistador, first European arriving Chile
- Juan Bautista de Anza (1736–1788), soldier and explorer, founded San Francisco, California
- Pedro Arias de Ávila, Pedrarias Dávila (1440–1531), conquistador, founder of Panama and governor of Nicaragua
- Fray Tomás de Berlanga (1487–1551), bishop of Panama, discovered the Galápagos Islands
- Gaspar de Espinosa (1467/77?–1537), soldier and explorer, first European reaching the coast of Nicaragua, co-founder of Panama City
- Hernando de Soto (1500–1542), explorer and conquistador, first European exploring Florida and the plains of eastern North America, discovered the Mississippi river and the Ohio river
- Juan Sebastián Elcano (1476–1526), explorer and sailor, first man circumnavigating the World
- Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475–1519), first to sight the Pacific Ocean, founding Darién
- Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca first European exploring southwestern United States, 1527–1536, also explored South America, 1540–1542.
- Francisco de Orellana, first European exploring the Amazonas river.
- Francisco Pizarro (1471–1541), conqueror of the Inca Empire in Peru
- Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo (1499–1543), explorer, founded the city of San Diego, California
Film directors
Leaders
- Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, Duke of Alba (1507–1582)
- José María Aznar (born 1953), former President
- Juan Carlos de Borbón (born 1938)
- Josep Borrell (born 1947), President of the European Parliament
- José Antonio Cánovas del Castillo President and historian
- Rodrigo 'Ruy' Díaz de Vivar, El Cid (c. 1045–1099), Spanish knight and hero
- Buenaventura Durruti (1896–1936)
- Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, El Gran Capitán, (1453–1515)
- Francisco Franco (1892–1975)
- Felipe González (born 1942), former President
- Queen Isabella I, Queen of Spain (1451–1504)
- Hadrian (A.D. 117–138), Roman Emperor Under his orders "Hadrian Wall" was built in the UK.
- Casto Méndez Núñez (1830–1880), naval officer
- Marcus Aurelius (r. 161–80), Roman Emperor
- Leopoldo O'Donnell Y Jorris (1809–1861), former President and military Spanish
- Rodrigo Rato (born 1949) Director of the IMF
- Javier Solana (born 1942), ex Secrtetary General of NATO, EU foreign policy chief
- Trajan (53–117), Roman Emperor, 98–117
- José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (born 1960), President
Musicians
Singers
- Victoria de los Ángeles (born 1923), soprano
- David Bisbal (born 1979)
- Miguel Bosé
- Nino Bravo (1944–1973)
- Montserrat Caballé (born 1933), soprano
- José Carreras (born 1946), tenor
- Charo
- Plácido Domingo (born 1941), tenor
- Enrique Iglesias (born 1975), pop singer
- Julio Iglesias (born 1943), pop singer
- Julio José Iglesias (born 1973), pop singer
- Alfredo Kraus (1927–1999), tenor
- La Pandilla teen group, all members are from Spain
- Raphael
- Los del Río
- Enrique Urquijo (1960–1999), New Wave musician
Painters
Philosophers
Scientists
- Algafequi, glasses inventor (Cordoba)
- José María Algué (1856–1930), Meteorologist, inventor of the barocyclometer, the nephoscope, and the microseismograph
- Martín de Azpilicueta (1492–1586), economist, theologist and philosopher
- Ángel Cabrera (1879–1960), naturalist, investigated the South-American fauna
- José Celestino Bruno Mutis (1732–1808), botanicist, doctor, philosopher and mathematician, carried out relevant research about the American flora, founded one of the first astronomic observatories in America (1762)
- Mateo José Buenaventura Orfila (1787–1853), doctor and chemist, father of modern toxicology, leading figure in forensic toxicology.
- Juan de la Cierva y Codorníu (1895–1936), aeronautical engineer pioneer of rotary flight inventor of the autogyro
- Jaime Ferrán (1852–1929), doctor and researcher, discovered several vaccines
- Francisco Hernández (1517–1587), botanicist, carried out important research about the Mexican flora
- Manuel Jalón Corominas (born 1925), aeronautical engineer, inventor, and officer of the Spanish Air Force
- Carlos Jiménez Díaz (1898–1967), doctor and researcher, leading figure in pathology
- Gregorio Marañón (1887–1960), doctor and researcher, leading figure in endocrinology
- Narcís Monturiol (1818–1885), physicist and inventor, pioneer of underwater navigation
- Severo Ochoa de Albornoz (1905–1993), doctor and biochemist, achieved the synthesis of ribonucleic acid (RNA), Nobel prize in 1959
- Joan Oró (born 1923), biochemist, carried out important research about the origin of life
- Julio Palacios Martínez (1891–1970), physicist and mathematician
- Isaac Peral y Caballero (1851–1895), engineer and sailor, designer of the first operative submarine
- Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934), father of Neuroscience, Nobel prize in 1906
- Julio Rey Pastor (1888–1962), mathematician, leading figure in geometry
- Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente (1928–1980), naturalist, leading figure in ornithology, ethology, ecology and science divulgation
- Miguel Servet (1511–1553), scientist, surgeon, geographer, linguist, helenist, humanist, and philosopher
- Leonardo Torres y Quevedo (1852–1936), engineer and mathematician, pioneer of automatic calculation machines, inventor of the automatic chess, pioneer of remote control, designer of the funicular over the Niagara Falls
- Antonio de Ulloa (1716–1795), scientist, soldier and author
Sports
- Fernando Alonso (born 1981), Formula One driver
- Severiano Ballesteros, golfer
- Galo Blanco, tennis player
- Fermin Cacho Ruiz, athlete, Olympic 1,500 Gold Medalist
- Pedro Carrasco, world champion boxer
- Javier Castillejo, world champion boxer
- Juan Carlos Ferrero, tennis player, French Open champion
- Sergio García, golfer
- Pau Gasol, NBA basketball player
- Miguel Induráin, Tour de France champion cyclist
- Carlos Moyà, tennis player
- Ángel Nieto, motorbikes pilot, 12+1 times champion of the world
- José María Olazábal, golfer
- Manuel Orantes (born 1949), champion tennis player
- Raúl, football player
- Carlos Sainz, rally driver
- Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, tennis player, French Open champion
- Javier Sánchez, tennis player, brother of Arantxa
- Manuel Santana (born 1938), champion tennis player
Others
- Ferrán Adriá, cook
- Karlos Arguiñano, cook and entertainer
- Carlos D. Cidon, chef
- Joaquín Cortés, dancer
- Luis Miguel González Lucas, better known as Luis Miguel Dominguín, bullfighter, father of Miguel Bosé
- Chabeli Iglesias, reporter, daughter of Julio Iglesias
- Federica Montseny, anarchist, politician, writer
- Diego Salcedo, priest, first Spaniard killed by Puerto Rican Taínos
- Juan Sánchez Vidal, renowned collector
- Pedro Subijana, cook
- Cristina Sánchez, bullfighter
- Aguas Santas Ocaña Navarro, first lady of Honduras
- Torquemada, inquisitor
- Joan March Ordinas, political and businesmen.
See also: List of people by nationality, List of Catalans, list of Spanish language poets, List of Spanish monarchs
ja:スペイン人の一覧
zh:西班牙人列表
pt:Lista de espanhóis
