This is a list of famous Latvians

• Dace Akmentina (1858-1936) - actress
• Adolfs Alunans (1848-1912) - actor, playwright
• Edgars Andersons (Edgar Anderson) (1920-1989) - historian
• Vija Artmane (1929) - actress
• Gunars Astra (1931-1988) - dissident, fighter for human rights
• Helmuts Balderis (1952) - ice hockey player, forward
• Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948) - ballet-dancer
• Karlis Baumanis (1835-1905) - composer, author of the national anthem of the Republic of Latvia "Dievs, sveti Latviju!" (God bless Latvia!)
• Vizma Belsevica (1931) - author, candidate for Nobel Prize in Literature
• Eduards Berklavs (1914-2004) - politician, leader of Latvian national-communists
• Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) - philosopher
• Lilita Berzina (1903-1983) - actress
• Alfreds Bilmanis (1887-1948) - politician, diplomat, historian
• Gunars Birkerts (1925) - architect
• Rudolfs Blaumanis (1863-1908) - writer and playwright
• Arvids Blumentals - the prototype for the Paul Hogan film Crocodile Dundee
• Aleksandrs Caks (1901-1950) - poet
• Janis Cakste (1859-1927) - President
• Konstantins Cakste (1901-1945) - lawyer and politician
• Janis Cimze (1814-1881) - composer, pedagogue
• Emils Darzins (1875-1910) - composer
• Augusts Deglavs (1862-1922) - writer
• Anatols Dinbergs (1911-1993) - diplomat
• Edgars Dunsdorfs (1904-2002) - historian, publicist and economist
• Indulis Emsis (1952) - Prime Minister
• Andrievs (Andrew) Ezergailis (1930) - historian
• Julijs Feldmans (1889-1953) - diplomat
• Laila Freivalds (1942) - Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Lucija Garuta (1902-1977) - composer
• Aleksandrs Grins (1895-1941) - writer
• Juris Hartmanis (1928) - computer scientist, Turing Award winner
• Arturs Irbe (1967) - ice hockey player (NHL), goalkeeper
• Mariss Jansons (1943) - conductor
• Sandra Kalniete (1952) - politician, diplomat, former Latvia`s EU commissionner
• Alberts Kviesis (1881-1944) - president
• Gidon Kremer (1947) - violinist and conductor
• Maris Liepa (1936-1989) - ballet-dancer
• Edgars Liepins (1928-1995) - actor
• Peteris Lucis (1907-1991) - actor
• Janis Lusis (1939), the only athlete (javelin) in Latvia to have a complete Olympic medal set (gold, silver, bronze).
• Hermanis Matisons (1894-1932) - chess player
• Zenta Maurina (1897-1978) - writer, literary scholar, culture philosopher
• Janis Medins (1890-1966) - composer, conductor
• Haralds Mednis (1906-2000) - conductor
• Zigfrids Anna Meierovics (1887-1925) - first Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Marija Naumova (1973) - variety singer, winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 under her stage name Marie N.
• Sandis Ozolinsh (1972) - ice hockey player (NHL), defense
• Artis Pabriks (1966) - Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Raimonds Pauls (1936) - popular composer, best known in Russia
• Eduards Pavuls (1929) - actor
• Janis Peters (1939) - poet, politician, diplomat
• Andris Piebalgs (1957) - politician, diplomat, Latvia`s EU commissionner
• Juris Podnieks (1950-1992) - film director, producer
• Gunars Priede (1928-2000) - playwright
• Andrejs Pumpurs (1841-1901) - poet, author of Latvian national epos "Lacplesis"
• Elza Radzina (1917) - actress
• Rainis (real name: Janis Plieksans, 1865-1929), the most distinguished Latvian writer of all time who is the author of a number of poetry collections. Rainis is also acknowledged as the "Man of the 20th century of Latvia".
• Einars Repse (1961) - Prime Minister
• Mark Rothko (1903-1970) - a famous painter, expressionist
• Brunis Rubess (1926) - Businessman (see also) Alex Vanags-Baginskis
• Voldemars Salnais (1886-1948) - diplomat, statistician
• Karlis Sebris (1914) - actor
• Uljana Semjonova (1952), tallest female basketball player in the Olympic history, 3-time World Champion
• Karlis Skalbe (1879-1945) - poet
• Baiba Skride (1981) - Violinist
• Lauma Skride (1982) - Pianist
• Linda Skride (1978) - Viola player
• Vilis Skultans (1914-1990) - journalist, historian
• Eduards Smilgis (1886-1966) - theatre director, actor
• Konstantin Sokolsky (1904-1991) - romance and tango singer
• Arnolds Spekke (1887-1972) - historian, diplomat
• Elvis Stumbergs - law student
• Mikhail Tal (1936-1992) - the 8th World Chess Champion
• Guntis Ulmanis (1939) - President
• Karlis Ulmanis (1877-1942) - President
• Jukums Vacietis (1873-1938) - the first commander of Soviet Army
• Ojars Vacietis (1933-1983) - poet
• Krisjanis Valdemars (1825-1891) - public figure, writer, publicist and economist
• Evalds Valters (1894-1994) - actor
• Mikelis Valters (1874-1968) - state official, journalist, diplomat
• Alex Vanags-Baginskis - Aviation Author/Editor
• Peteris Vasks (1946) - contemporary composer
• Vaira Vike-Freiberga (1937) - President
• Jazeps Vitols (1863-1948) - composer
• Karlis Zale (1888-1942) - sculptor, author of the Freedom Monument in Riga
• Karlis Zarins (Charles Zarine) (1879-1963) - diplomat
• Karlis Zemdega (1894-1963) - sculptor
• Gustavs Zemgals (1871-1939) - President
• Imants Zemzaris (1951) - contemporary composer
• Sergei Zholtok (1972-2004) - ice hockey player (NHL), forward
• Alexei Shirov (1972) - one of the top chess grandmasters in the world today.

Numerous opera soloists, such as Inese Galante (soprano) and Egils Silins (bass)

See also: List of people by nationality, List of people by EU state