List of Norwegians
This is a list of notable people from Norway.
Art
- Ingvar Ambjørnsen, author
- Kjell Aukrust, author
- Olav Aukrust, poet
- Ari Behn, author, and husband of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway
- Svein Berge, musician (Röyksopp)
- Jens Bjørneboe, author
- Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, author
- Johan Borgen, author
- Torbjørn Brundtland, musician (Röyksopp)
- Ole Bull, violinist
- Ivo Caprino, animation film creator
- Lars Saabye Christensen, author
- J.C. Dahl, painter
- Olav Duun, author
- Harald Eia, comedian, actor
- Johan Falkberget, author
- Kjartan Fløgstad, author
- Erik Fosnes Hansen, author
- Jan Garbarek, musician
- Arne Garborg, author
- Hulda Garborg, author
- Edvard Grieg, composer
- Eivind Groven, composer
- Rolf Groven, painter
- Sigmund Groven, harmonica virtuoso, composer
- Hans Gude, painter
- Jostein Gaarder, novelist
- Kjell Hallbing, author
- Johan Halvorsen, composer
- Ian Haugland, drummer (Europe)
- Per Heimly, photographer, jester
- Hans Herbjørnsrud, author
- Knut Hamsun, author
- Ludvig Holberg, playwright
- Henrik Ibsen, playwright
- Sigurd Ibsen, author and politician
- Roy Jacobsen, author
- Otto Jespersen, comedian
- Dina Jewel, porn star
- Bård Tufte Johansen, comedian
- Alexander Kielland, author
- Jan Kjærstad, author
- Wilhelm Krag, author
- Christian Krohg, painter
- Sissel Kyrkjebø, singer
- Sondre Lerche, singer
- Jonas Lie, author
- Anni-Frid Lyngstad, singer (ABBA)
- Lene Marlin, musician
- Maria Mena, pop singer
- Arild Midthun, cartoonist
- Edvard Munch, painter
- Øyvind Mustaparta, musician (Dimmu Borgir)
- Lise Myhre, cartoonist
- Odd Nerdrum, painter
- Kurt Nilsen, pop singer ("World Idol" winner)
- Arne Nordheim, modernist composer
- Rikard Nordraak, composer
- John Norum, guitarist (Europe)
- Alf Prøysen, author and musician
- Kari Rueslåtten, singer
- Vebjørn Sand, painter
- Margit Sandemo, author
- Aksel Sandemose, author
- Gabriel Scott, author
- Marta Steinsvik, author
- Harald Sæverud, composer
- Stian Thoresen, musician (Dimmu Borgir)
- Adolph Tiedemand, painter
- Geirr Tveitt, composer
- Liv Ullmann, actress
- Sigrid Undset, author
- Tarjei Vesaas, author
- Gustav Vigeland, sculptor
- Aasmund Olavsson Vinje, author
- Jan Erik Vold, poet
- Herbjørg Wassmo, author
- Henrik Wergeland, author
- Johan Herman Wessel, poet
- Peter Wessel Zapffe, writer and philosopher
- Winta
- Harald Zwart, film director
- Frode Øverli, cartoonist
See also:
Exploration
- Roald Amundsen, polar explorer, first to reach the South Pole
- Bernt Balchen, general and polar aviation pioneer
- Samuel Balto, arctic explorer
- Tryggve Gran, aviator, made the first solo flight across the North Sea
- Thor Heyerdahl, explorer and anthropologist
- Helge Ingstad, explorer, first to prove ca. 1000 AD Viking settlements in America
- Hjalmar Johansen, polar explorer
- Erling Kagge, polar solo adventurer, climber
- Fridtjof Nansen, arctic explorer, scientist and international statesman
- Børge Ousland, polar solo adventurer
- Finn Rønne, Norwegian-American antarctic explorer
- Otto Sverdrup, arctic explorer
Politics
- Kjell Magne Bondevik
- Per Borten
- Gro Harlem Brundtland
- Torstein Dahle
- Kristin Krohn Devold
- Odd Einar Dørum
- Jan Egeland, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
- Jens Evensen
- Per-Kristian Foss
- Carl I. Hagen
- Kristin Halvorsen
- C. J. Hambro
- Valgerd Svarstad Haugland
- Marianne Heiberg
- Johan Jørgen Holst
- Sigurd Ibsen, author and politician
- Hilde Frafjord Johnson
- Mona Juul, diplomat
- Trygve Lie, first UN Secretary-General
- Christian Michelsen, nation builder
- Johan Nygaardsvold
- Jan Petersen
- Vidkun Quisling, quisling archetype
- Terje Rød-Larsen, diplomat
- Erna Solberg
- Lars Sponheim
- Jens Stoltenberg
- Thorvald Stoltenberg
- Kåre Willoch
Science and engineering
- Niels Henrik Abel, mathematician
- Harald Tveit Alvestrand, computer scientist
- Colin Archer, ship builder
- Kristian Birkeland, physicist and industrialist
- Vilhelm Bjerknes, meteorologist, father of modern weather forecasting
- Viggo Brun, mathematician
- Sophus Bugge, linguist
- Fredrik Rosing Bull, data processing pioneer
- Ole-Johan Dahl, computer scientist, Turing Award laureate
- Daniel Cornelius Danielssen, dermatologist
- Sam Eyde, inventor and industrialist
- Ragnar Frisch, economist, Nobel laureate
- Ivar Giaever, physicist, biologist, Nobel laureate
- Johan Ernst Gunnerus, naturalist, bishop of Trondheim
- Gerhard Armauer Hansen, discoverer of the leprosy bacterium
- Trygve Haavelmo, economist, Nobel laureate
- Christopher Hansteen, physicist and astronomer
- Anne Stine Ingstad, archaeologist
- Jon Johansen, computer programmer/hacker
- Jørgen Alexander Knudtzon, linguist
- Lars Monrad Krohn, engineer and entrepreneur
- Finn E. Kydland, economist, Nobel laureate
- Håkon Wium Lie, computer scientist
- Sophus Lie, mathematician
- Jan Mossin, financial economist
- P. A. Munch, historian
- Kristen Nygaard, computer scientist, Turing Award laureate
- Arne Næss, philosopher
- Lars Onsager, physical chemist, Nobel laureate
- Sverre Petterssen, meteorologist
- Trygve Reenskaug, computer science (model-view-controller)
- Erik S. Reinert, heterodox economist
- Erik Rotheim, inventor of the aerosol spray
- Atle Selberg, mathematician, Fields Medal laureate
- Hans Ström, zoologist
- Eilert Sundt, sociologist
- Georg Sverdrup, linguist
- Harald Sverdrup, oceanographer and meteorologist
- Ludwig Sylow, mathematician
- Vebjørn Tandberg, engineer and industrialist
- Niels Treschow, philosopher
- Johan Vaaler, inventor paper clip
- Caspar Wessel, mathematician
- Knut Yrvin, computer scientist, founder and main creator of Skolelinux
- Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard, astrophysicist
- Ivar Aasen, linguist
- Odd Stabbetorp- Botanist
Sports
Note that "football player" in the Norwegian context means "soccer player".
- Simen Agdestein, chess player
- Thomas Alsgaard, cross-country skier
- Hjalmar Andersen, speed skater
- Kurt-Asle Arvesen, cyclist
- Berit Aunli, cross-country skier
- Ivar Ballangrud, speed skater
- Ole Einar Bjørndalen, biathlete
- Eugen Bjørnstad (Björnstad), Grand Prix racecar driver
- Espen Bredesen, ski jumper
- Oddvar Brå, cross-country skier
- Kjersti Buaas, snowboarder
- John Carew, football player
- Magnus Carlsen, chess player
- Bjørn Dæhlie, cross-country skier
- Nils Arne Eggen, football coach
- Stein Eriksen, alpine skier
- Rolf Falk-Larssen, speed skater
- Tore André Flo, football player
- Dag Fornæss, speed skater
- Daniel Franck, snowboarder
- Ailo Gaup, pro FMX motorcyclist
- Linn Githmark, curler
- Stian Grimseth, weightlifter
- Øystein Grødum, speed skater
- Åge Hareide, football player and coach
- Trine Hattestad, javelin thrower
- Sonja Henie, figure skater and movie star
- Thor Hushovd, cyclist
- Nila Håkedal, beach volleyball player
- Terje Håkonsen, snowboarder
- Bjørg Eva Jensen, speed skater
- Knut Johannesen, speed skater
- Stine Brun Kjeldaas, snowboarder
- Lasse Kjus, alpine skier
- Knut Knudsen, cyclist
- Espen Knutsen, ice hockey player
- Johann Olav Koss, speed skater
- Ingrid Kristiansen, long distance runner
- Cecilie Leganger, handball keeper
- Roar Ljøkelsøy, ski jumper
- Fred Anton Maier, speed skater
- Oscar Mathisen, speed skater
- Per Ivar Moe, speed skater
- Sondre Norheim, pioneer skier
- Dordi Nordby, curler
- Egil "Drillo" Olsen, football player and coach
- Sigurd Pettersen, ski jumper
- Liv Grete Skjelbreid Poirée, biathlete
- John Arne Riise, football player
- Birger Ruud, ski jumper
- Jon Rønningen, wrestler
- Amund Sjøbrænd, speed skater
- Bente Skari, cross-country skier
- Kristen Skjeldal, cross-country skier
- Henning Solberg, rally driver
- Petter Solberg, rally driver
- Ole Gunnar Solskjær, football player
- Sten Stensen, speed skater
- Robert Sørlie, dogsled racer
- Stian Sørlie, racing driver
- Heidi Tjugum, handball keeper
- Kari Traa, freestyle skier
- Pål Trulsen, curler
- Ingrid Tørlen, beach volleyball player
- Pål Anders Ullevålseter, rally motorcyclist
- Vegard Ulvang, cross-country skier
- Grete Waitz, long distance runner
- Bjørn Wirkola, ski jumper
- Kjetil André Aamodt, alpine skier
Business
- Sigval Bergesen d.y., shipping magnate
- John Fredriksen, shipping magnate
- Stein Erik Hagen, businessman
- Anders Jahre, shipping magnate
- Arne Næss Jr., businessman and mountaineer
- Fred Olsen, shipping magnate
- Hilmar Reksten, shipping magnate
- Kjell Inge Røkke, businessman
World War II
- Leif Larsen aka "Shetland's Larsen", WWII naval officer
- Jens Christian Hauge, head of Milorg
- Martin Linge, commander of SOE Norwegian Independent Company 1
- Max Manus, WWII resistance fighter
- Vidkun Quisling, WWII 'prime minister' by coup d'etat
- Otto Ruge, WWII CinC
- Arvid Storsveen, WWII resistance, leader of XU
- Asbjørn Sunde, WWII resistance fighter
- Gunnar Sønsteby, WWII resistance fighter
Other
- Arne Arnardo, circus performer and proprietor
- Johannes Berg, central fandom figure
- Belle Gunness, serial killer
- Eva Joly, judge
- Christian Lous Lange, internationalist
- Eigil Nansen, humanist and architect
- Arnfinn Nesset, hospital serial killer
- Arne Rinnan, captain of MV Tampa
- Åsne Seierstad, journalist
- Arne Treholt, civil servant, spy for the KGB, convicted of treason
- Turi Widerøe, aviatrix