Global Leaderboard 100 in view

Most Famous People from Belgium

All 152,953
Belgium 1,246
429 PP Peter Paul Rubens Peter Paul Rubens Belgian Artist 1577–1640
855 PB Pieter Bruegel the Elder Pieter Bruegel the Elder Belgian Painter 1525–1569
866 JB Jacques Brel Jacques Brel Belgian Actor 1929–1978
920 JV Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Van Damme Belgian Actor b. 1960
1,015 RM René Magritte René Magritte Belgian Painter 1898–1967
1,353 JV Jan van Eyck Belgian Painter 1390–1441
1,475 DR Django Reinhardt Django Reinhardt Belgian Guitar 1910–1953
1,531 H Hergé Hergé Belgian Cartoonist 1907–1983
2,569 LI Leopold I of Belgium Leopold I of Belgium Belgian Prince 1790–1865
2,783 GM Gerardus Mercator Gerardus Mercator Belgian Mathematician 1512–1594
2,817 GL Georges Lemaître Georges Lemaître Belgian Astronomer 1894–1966
3,005 AN Amélie Nothomb Belgian Writer b. 1966
3,283 BO Baudouin of Belgium Belgian Sovereign 1930–1993
3,304 MS Mobutu Sese Seko Mobutu Sese Seko Belgian Politician 1930–1997
3,886 EM Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx Belgian Sport b. 1945
4,476 EH Eden Hazard Eden Hazard Belgian Football b. 1991
4,691 GV Guy Verhofstadt Guy Verhofstadt Belgian Politician b. 1953
4,853 KD Kevin De Bruyne Kevin De Bruyne Belgian Football b. 1991
5,801 FD Father Damien Father Damien Belgian Missionary 1840–1889
5,933 LD Léon Degrelle Léon Degrelle Belgian Politician 1906–1994
6,553 AS Adolphe Sax Adolphe Sax Belgian Music 1814–1894
6,864 CD Cécile de France Cécile de France Belgian Actor b. 1975
7,364 JE James Ensor Belgian Painter 1860–1949
7,872 TT Toots Thielemans Toots Thielemans Belgian Composer 1922–2016
8,193 KC Kim Clijsters Kim Clijsters Belgian Player b. 1983
9,229 VK Vincent Kompany Vincent Kompany Belgian Football b. 1986
10,452 MO Margaret of Parma Margaret of Parma Belgian Aristocrat 1522–1586
11,412 JV Jan Vertonghen Jan Vertonghen Belgian Football b. 1987
11,628 PD Paul Delvaux Paul Delvaux Belgian Painter 1897–1994
11,736 ÉV Émile Verhaeren Émile Verhaeren Belgian Writer 1855–1916
12,171 TB Tom Boonen Tom Boonen Belgian Sport b. 1980
12,223 DF Déborah François Belgian Actor b. 1987
12,361 CD Christian de Duve Christian de Duve Belgian Biologist 1917–2013
12,826 HP Henri Pirenne Belgian Medievalist 1862–1935
12,962 ED Elio Di Rupo Elio Di Rupo Belgian Politician b. 1951
13,210 TA Toby Alderweireld Toby Alderweireld Belgian Football b. 1989
14,029 M( Morris (cartoonist) Belgian Artist 1923–2001
14,049 SM Simon Mignolet Simon Mignolet Belgian Football b. 1988
14,612 JO Johannes Ockeghem Johannes Ockeghem Belgian Composer 1410–1497
14,881 EO Elisabeth of Bavaria (Queen of Belgium) Elisabeth of Bavaria (Queen of Belgium) Belgian Sovereign 1876–1965
15,206 ÉD Émilie Dequenne Émilie Dequenne Belgian Actor b. 1981
15,786 KR Kate Ryan Kate Ryan Belgian Singer b. 1980
16,526 SD Steven Defour Steven Defour Belgian Football b. 1988
16,882 JL Justus Lipsius Justus Lipsius Belgian Grammarian 1547–1606
17,424 PC Petrus Christus Petrus Christus Belgian Painter 1410–1475
18,432 DV Daniel Van Buyten Daniel Van Buyten Belgian Football b. 1978
19,194 YL Yves Leterme Yves Leterme Belgian Politician b. 1960
19,405 AR Axelle Red Belgian Singer b. 1968
19,655 GO Gertrude of Nivelles Gertrude of Nivelles Belgian Nun 626–659
19,697 JP Jean-Marie Pfaff Jean-Marie Pfaff Belgian Football b. 1953
19,760 JB Jules Bordet Jules Bordet Belgian Biologist 1870–1961
19,937 PC Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine Belgian Soldier 1712–1780
20,382 ES Ernest Solvay Ernest Solvay Belgian Chemist 1838–1922
20,424 WM Wilfried Martens Wilfried Martens Belgian Politician 1936–2013
20,434 MP Michel Preud'homme Michel Preud'homme Belgian Football b. 1959
20,811 OD Ovide Decroly Ovide Decroly Belgian Education 1871–1932
20,964 LC Laurent Ciman Laurent Ciman Belgian Football b. 1985
21,820 PR Pierre-Joseph Redouté Pierre-Joseph Redouté Belgian Painter 1759–1840
21,824 TM Thomas Meunier Thomas Meunier Belgian Football b. 1991
22,131 AW Adrian Willaert Adrian Willaert Belgian Composer 1490–1562
22,137 WM Wim Mertens Belgian Composer b. 1953
23,163 DP Dominique Pire Dominique Pire Belgian Friar 1910–1969
23,240 TS Timmy Simons Timmy Simons Belgian Football b. 1976
23,516 MW Marc Wilmots Marc Wilmots Belgian Football b. 1969
23,764 GD Godfried Danneels Godfried Danneels Belgian Cardinal 1933–2019
23,988 RC Robert Cailliau Robert Cailliau Belgian Engineer b. 1947
24,369 FV Frank Vandenbroucke (cyclist) Frank Vandenbroucke (cyclist) Belgian Sport 1974–2009
24,928 FM Frans Masereel Frans Masereel Belgian Printmaker 1889–1972
25,741 AV Anthony Vanden Borre Anthony Vanden Borre Belgian Football b. 1987
25,779 HI Heinrich Isaac Heinrich Isaac Belgian Composer 1450–1517
26,416 LT Leo Tindemans Leo Tindemans Belgian Politician 1922–2014
26,697 AC Albert Claude Albert Claude Belgian Biologist 1898–1983
27,991 YT Youri Tielemans Youri Tielemans Belgian Football b. 1997
28,117 AB Anna Boch Anna Boch Belgian Painter 1848–1936
28,241 SP Sébastien Pocognoli Sébastien Pocognoli Belgian Football b. 1987
28,404 N( Netsky (musician) Netsky (musician) Belgian Producer b. 1989
28,497 VB Veerle Baetens Veerle Baetens Belgian Actor b. 1978
28,591 BD Bart De Wever Bart De Wever Belgian Politician b. 1970
28,838 FM Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens Belgian Sport b. 1952
28,863 GV Greg Van Avermaet Greg Van Avermaet Belgian Sport b. 1985
28,872 AG Arthur Grumiaux Arthur Grumiaux Belgian Pianist 1921–1986
29,649 M Milow Milow Belgian Singer b. 1981
29,743 JD Jan Decleir Jan Decleir Belgian Actor b. 1946
29,881 ÉL Étienne Lenoir Étienne Lenoir Belgian Inventor 1822–1900
29,981 PO Philippe of Belgium Philippe of Belgium Belgian King b. 1960
30,101 MB Marcel Broodthaers Marcel Broodthaers Belgian Poet 1924–1976
30,244 SK Sandra Kim Sandra Kim Belgian Singer b. 1972
30,956 GE Gaston Eyskens Belgian Politician 1905–1988
31,159 JB Johan Bruyneel Johan Bruyneel Belgian Sport b. 1964
31,726 BS Bobbejaan Schoepen Bobbejaan Schoepen Belgian Actor 1925–2010
32,332 RD Roger De Vlaeminck Roger De Vlaeminck Belgian Cyclist b. 1947
32,428 BL Bouli Lanners Bouli Lanners Belgian Actor b. 1965
32,581 DM Désiré-Joseph Mercier Désiré-Joseph Mercier Belgian Cardinal 1851–1926
32,693 MI Margaret III (Countess of Flanders) Margaret III (Countess of Flanders) Belgian Countess 1350–1405
33,174 ZG Zénobe Gramme Zénobe Gramme Belgian Engineer 1826–1901
33,586 LM Louis Michel Louis Michel Belgian Politician b. 1947
33,825 JO John of Ruusbroec John of Ruusbroec Belgian Priest 1293–1381
34,818 JD Jason Denayer Jason Denayer Belgian Football b. 1995
35,092 RV Rik Van Looy Rik Van Looy Belgian Sport b. 1933
37,400 CK Christian Kabasele Belgian Football b. 1991
See all 152,953 rankings →

Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside Belgium

1,246 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Centuries

One face per century — the most globally famous figure born in Belgium during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births in Belgium peaked in the 1940s with 149 people.

What Belgium Is Known For

Click any row to drill into that filter.

Sports is Belgium's biggest group — 31% of all notables (383).

Belgium over-indexes on art & design — 1.9× the global rate.

Belgium under-produces other — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Sports383
  2. Politics & Law230
  3. Art & Design138
  4. Writing129
  5. Science81
  6. Music75
  7. Religion72
  8. Film & TV50
  1. Art & Design1381.9×
  1. Other500.6×
  2. Film & TV500.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Art & Design
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Music
  • Other

Datelines

The biggest birthplaces of fame — every city is a doorway.