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

Arts and culture

Arnaldur Gylfason, runner
Arnaldur Indriðason, writer
Ásmundur Sveinsson, sculptor
Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, actress, singer, her alter ego is Silvía Nótt (Silvia Night), model, singer and TV person
Baltasar Kormákur, film actor and film director
Björgvin Halldórsson, singer
Björk Guðmundsdóttir, singer and songwriter
Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, actor
Bragi Ólafsson, musician
Davíð Stefánsson, poet
Diddú (Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir), soprano and songwriter
Eggert Pálsson, percussionist, founder of the music group Voces Thules
Emilíana Torrini, singer and songwriter
Einar Bárðarson, songwriter, entrepreneur
Einar Benediktsson, writer, poet
Einar Hákonarson, painter
Einar Hjörleifsson Kvaran editor, novelist, poet, dramatist
Einar Jónsson, sculptor
Einar Kárason, writer
Einar Már Guðmundsson, writer
Einar Örn Benediktsson, musician
Eiríkur Hauksson, musician
Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, film director
Garðar Thór Cortes, tenor
Gísli Örn Garðarsson, actor, director
Guðmundur G. Hagalín, writer, poet
Guðrún Kristín Magnúsdóttir, writer, goði
Gunnfríður Jónsdóttir, sculptor
Hafdís Huld, singer
Halldór Kiljan Laxness, writer, poet, Nobel Prize winner
Hallgrímur Helgason, writer
Haukur Tómasson, composer
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson ,musician, art director, and chief goði of the Icelandic Ásatrú Association.
Hilmir Snær Guðnason, film actor
Hofi Karlsdottir, (Hólmfríður Karlsdóttir), Miss World 1985
Hrafn Gunnlaugsson, film director
Jón Kalman Stefánsson, writer, poet
Jón Leifs, composer
Jón Thoroddsen, writer and/or poet
Jón Þórarinsson, composer
Jónas Hallgrímsson, writer, poet
Jóhannes úr Kötlum, writer, poet
Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir, writer
Kjartan Ólafsson, composer, professor
Linda Pétursdóttir, Miss World 1988
Magnús Magnússon, television presenter, writer
Magnús Scheving, writer, actor, athlete, creator of LazyTown
Margrét Vilhjálmsdóttir, actress
Markús Örn Antonsson, director general of the National Broadcasting Service
Mugison, composer, musician
Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir, actress
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, radio announcer, actor
Ólafur Egill Ólafsson, actor, acrobat
Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, writer
Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, poet, writer, musician
Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson (Paul Oscar), pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey
Ragnar Bjarnason, musician
Ragnar Bragason, director
Ragnheiður Gröndal, musician
Runólfur Hilmarsson, musician
Sigurður Bragason, bariton singer and composer
Sjón, poet
Snorri Hjartarson, poet
Snorri Sturluson, historian, poet
Steinunn Sigurðardóttir, writer, poet
Stephan G. Stephansson, Western Icelander, poet
Thorkell Atlason, composer
Tinna Gunnlaugsdóttir, actress and head of Reykjavík City Theater
Tómas Guðmundsson, poet
Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir, Miss World 2005
Vigdís Grímsdóttir, writer
Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson, writer
Þórarinn Eldjárn, writer, poet
Þórbergur Þórðarson, writer, poet

Musical bands and groups

History of Iceland

Ari Þorgilsson, priest and author of Íslendingabók, a historical work
Eirík the Red, (Eiríkr rauði) Named Greenland
Freydís Eiríksdóttir
Guðmundur Arason
Guðríðr Þorbjarnardóttir, explorer
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
Björn Bjarnason, minister of justice and ecclesiastical affairs
Davíð Oddsson, former prime minister and former mayor of Reykjavík
Geir H. Haarde, current 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,
Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson, former foreign minister, ambassador
Jón Loftsson, chieftain and politician
Jón Sigurðsson, independence leader
Kristján Eldjárn, former president
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
Gisli Gudjonsson, Professor of Forensic Psychology
Gísli Pálsson, PhD, anthropologist
Hannes Hólmsteinn Gissurarson, PhD, political scientist
Helgi Valdimarsson, MD, immunologist
Hjörtur Þórðarson, inventor
Kári Stefánsson, MD, founder of deCODE genetics
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,
Snorri Sturluson, documentarian, writer
Sigurður Helgason, PhD, mathematician
Sigurður Nordal, PhD, philosopher
Sigurður Þórarinsson, PhD, geologist, volcanologist, professor
Vilhjálmur Árnason, PhD, philosopher
Þór Whitehead, historian
Þorsteinn Gylfason, philosopher
Magnús Eiríksson, theologian
Ingvar Bjarnason, MD, gastroenterologist

Sports and games

Albert Guðmundsson, first professional footballer
Ásgeir Sigurvinsson, former professional footballer
Bobby Fischer, former world chess champion, granted Icelandic citizenship on 21 March 2005
Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen, professional footballer, currently at Barcelona
Friðrik Ólafsson, chess Grandmaster
Heiðar Helguson, professional footballer, currently at Bolton
Hermann Hreiðarsson, professional footballer, currently at Portsmouth
Ívar Ingimarsson, professional footballer, currently at Reading
Jóhannes Karl Guðjónsson, Professional footballer, currently at Burnley FC
Jón Páll Sigmarsson, four-time winner of World's Strongest Man
Magnús Ver Magnússon, four-time winner of World's Strongest Man
Vala Flosadottir, pole vaulter