List of Icelanders

Part of a series of articles on
The people of Iceland
Icelanders
List of Icelanders
By topic Rulers of Iceland Viking Age Icelanders Heads of state of Iceland Icelandic writers (women) Lists of political office-holders in Iceland Icelandic visual artists (women) Painters from Iceland Icelandic composers Icelandic philosophers Icelandic-language poets Billionaires by net worth Olympic flag bearers People on postage stamps
Outline of Iceland
By topic Economic Military Nationality Prohibition Rulers Kingdom
Timeline of Icelandic history
By topic Settlement Commonwealth Christianisation Aristocracy Sturlung Era Reformation Danish trade monopoly Independence Movement Kingdom World War II Invasion Cold War Cod Wars 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis
Geography of Iceland
By topic Localities Climate Earthquakes Extremities Fjords Geology Glaciers Highlands Islands Lakes National parks Regions Rivers Valleys Volcanoes Waterfalls
Economy of Iceland
By topic Agriculture Banking Communications Króna (currency) Outvasion Energy Stock Exchange Taxation Tourism Transportation
Politics of Iceland
By topic Administrative divisions Cabinet Constitution Elections Foreign relations Human rights Law Law enforcement LGBT rights Military Parliament Political parties President Prime Minister Supreme Court
Culture of Iceland
By topic Demographics Education Healthcare Icelanders Languages Religion Anthem Architecture Art Chess Cinema Coat of arms Cuisine Flag Literature Media Music Names of Iceland Personal names National costume Public holidays Sport
Index • Portal • Category • Outline
v t e

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
• 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
• 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
• Diddú (Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir), soprano and songwriter
• Emilíana Torrini, singer-songwriter
• Einar Örn Benediktsson, musician
• Eiríkur Hauksson, 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
• Haukur Tómasson, composer
• Hildur Guðnadóttir, musician and composer, first solo woman to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
• 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
• Ólafur Arnalds, composer, musician
• Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson (Paul Oscar), pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey
• Ragnheiður Gröndal, musician
• Sigurður Bragason, baritone singer and composer
• Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, poet, writer and musician

Musical bands and groups

Painters and visual artists

• Kristleifur Björnsson
• Einar Hákonarson
• Erró
• Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval

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

Politics

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
• Gauti Eggertsson, economist at Brown University
• 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^[2]
• 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, professional footballer, currently at SV Sandhausen
• 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 Cardiff City FC
• Ásgeir Sigurvinsson, former professional footballer
• Birkir Bjarnason, professional footballer, currently at Aston Villa F.C.
• Eggert Jónsson, professional footballer, currently at Wolverhampton Wanderers
• Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen, professional footballer, top scorer for Icelandic national team
• Emil Hallfreðsson, professional footballer, currently at Udinese Calcio
• Eyjólfur Héðinsson, professional footballer, currently at SønderjyskE
• Guðni Bergsson, former professional footballer, played for teams such as Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and Bolton Wanderers
• Gylfi Sigurðsson, professional footballer, currently at Everton F.C.
• Heiðar Helguson, professional footballer, currently at Cardiff City FC
• Heimir Hallgrímsson, manager of the Iceland national football team, also a football player and dentist
• Hermann Hreiðarsson, professional footballer, currently at ÍBV
• Ívar Ingimarsson, former professional footballer
• Jóhannes Karl Guðjónsson, professional footballer, currently at Knattspyrnufélag ÍA
• Teitur Thordarson, former professional footballer

Chess

• Bobby Fischer, former world chess champion, granted Icelandic citizenship on 21 March 2005
• Friðrik Ólafsson, chess grandmaster

Handball

• Arnór Atlason, handball player who plays for FCK Håndbold in Denmark.
• Aron Pálmarsson, handball player who plays for FC Barcelona Handbol
• Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson, handball player who plays for Paris Saint-Germain Handball in Germany.
• Ólafur Stefánsson, handball player, Rhein-Neckar Löwen. Formerly of Wuppertal, Magdeburg and Ciudad Real.
• Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson, handball player who plays for Rhein-Neckar Löwen in Germany.

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
• Magnús Ver Magnússon, 4 x World's Strongest Man
• Stefán Sölvi Pétursson, World's Strongest Man Finalist

Others

• Anníe Þórisdóttir, back-to-back CrossFit Games winner (2011, 2012)
• Einar Ragnarsson Kvaran, engineer, teacher, genealogist and writer
• Fiann Paul, fastest ocean rower, most record breaking explorer, most Guinness World Records decorated athlete
• Guðrún Erlendsdóttir (1936–2013), first woman to become a judge of the Supreme Court of Iceland
• Gunnar Nelson, MMA fighter
• Halldór Helgason, snowboarder
• Katrín Davíðsdóttir, back-to-back CrossFit Games winner (2015, 2016)
• Kristján Einar Kristjánsson, racing driver, currently racing in British formula 3
• Sara Sigmundsdóttir, CrossFit Games athlete
• Sigurlína Ingvarsdóttir (born 1978), video games producer
• Þórunn Jónassen (1850–1922), first chair of Thorvaldsensfélagið and early Reykjavik city councillor
• Vala Flosadóttir, pole vaulter
• Vilhelmína Lever (1802–1879), shopkeeper who voted in municipal elections in 1863 and 1866 before women such as her were officially given voting rights

References