22.9085° S, 43.1965° W

RIO DE JANEIRO

Most Famous People Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Notable people
5,466
Peak decade
1980s
Median birth year
1956
Most distinctive
Martial Art 13.2×

The capital that wasn't, but acted like one. Rio's most distinctive profession is martial arts at more than thirteen times the global rate — the home of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the Gracie family — alongside the composers, singers, and music players of bossa nova and samba and a deep diplomatic-and-journalistic bench from its century as the seat of the Portuguese and then Brazilian empires. Footballers and actors are tied at almost exactly the same share, a balance that you don't see in any other Brazilian city.

Standouts

What Rio de Janeiro Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Football is Rio de Janeiro's biggest profession — 16% of all notables (898).

Rio de Janeiro over-indexes on martial art 13.2× the global rate.

Rio de Janeiro under-produces painter — only 0.5× the global rate.

  1. Football 898 1.5×
  2. Actor 896 3.1×
  3. Politician 372 0.6×
  4. Singer 309 2.7×
  5. Composer 270 3.7×
  6. Writer 216 1.2×
  7. Music 213 2.7×
  8. Journalist 168 1.9×
  1. Martial Art 74 13.2×
  2. Composer 270 3.7×
  3. Actor 896 3.1×
  4. Music 213 2.7×
  5. Singer 309 2.7×
  6. Diplomat 73 2.3×
  7. Swimmer 55 2.1×
  8. Journalist 168 1.9×
  1. Painter 74 0.5×
  2. Politician 372 0.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Rio de Janeiro's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

1800 1850 1900 1950 2000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Art & Design
  • Other
All5,466
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Showing 5 of 5,466 notable people

1482 POLITICIAN

Mariano José Pereira da Fonseca

1773 - 1848

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2452 COMPOSER

João Antônio Rodrigues de Carvalho

1770 - 1840

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3249 POLITICIAN

Paulo José da Silva Gama

1779 - 1826

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4457 MATEMÁTIC

José Antônio Lisboa

1777 - 1850

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5140 POLITICIAN

José Joaquim de Carvalho

1775 - 1837

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