Global Leaderboard 100 in view

Most Famous People from Iran

All 152,953
Iran 478
320 A Avicenna Avicenna Iranian Philosopher 980–1037
423 R Rumi Rumi Iranian Poet 1207–1273
677 H Herodotus Herodotus Iranian Historian -484–-425
855 RK Ruhollah Khomeini Ruhollah Khomeini Iranian Marja 1902–1989
1,034 MR Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Iranian Monarch 1919–1980
1,694 H Hafez Hafez Iranian Poet 1326–1389
1,807 Z Zoroaster Zoroaster Iranian Prophet d. 85
3,045 NG Nizami Ganjavi Nizami Ganjavi Iranian Poet 1141–1209
3,397 RS Reza Shah Reza Shah Iranian Militar 1878–1944
4,170 AK Ali Khamenei Ali Khamenei Iranian Head Of State b. 1939
4,286 MA Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Iranian Politician b. 1956
4,557 CT Cyrus the Great Cyrus the Great Iranian Sovereign -600–-530
4,615 AF Asghar Farhadi Asghar Farhadi Iranian Film b. 1972
4,764 JP Jafar Panahi Jafar Panahi Iranian Film b. 1960
5,168 MK Mohammad Khatami Mohammad Khatami Iranian Politician b. 1943
5,760 SE Shirin Ebadi Shirin Ebadi Iranian Judge b. 1947
7,430 HR Hassan Rouhani Hassan Rouhani Iranian Diplomat b. 1948
8,405 AH Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Iranian Politician 1934–2017
8,447 NA Naser al-Din Shah Qajar Naser al-Din Shah Qajar Iranian Amir 1831–1896
8,689 UB Ulugh Beg Ulugh Beg Iranian Astronomer 1394–1449
10,491 II Ismail I Ismail I Iranian Sovereign 1487–1524
11,766 NS Nader Shah Nader Shah Iranian Rebel 1688–1747
16,298 AS Ali Shariati Ali Shariati Iranian Sociologist 1933–1977
16,714 SE Shoghi Effendi Shoghi Effendi Iranian Religious 1897–1957
16,793 SA Shahab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi Shahab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi Iranian Philosopher 1155–1191
16,971 R Rudaki Rudaki Iranian Poet 859–941
18,663 IA Ibn al-Muqaffa' Iranian Writer 724–756
18,835 TI Tahmasp I Iranian Sovereign 1514–1576
19,538 SA Sardar Azmoun Sardar Azmoun Iranian Football b. 1995
19,661 SS Sohrab Sepehri Sohrab Sepehri Iranian Painter 1928–1980
20,781 M( Mani (prophet) Mani (prophet) Iranian Prophet 216–274
20,809 BG Bahman Ghobadi Bahman Ghobadi Iranian Film b. 1969
23,883 KK Karim Khan Zand Karim Khan Zand Iranian Ruling 1705–1779
24,470 KA Kader Abdolah Iranian Writer b. 1954
24,661 FS Fath-Ali Shah Qajar Fath-Ali Shah Qajar Iranian Politician 1772–1834
25,238 AM Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar Iranian King 1742–1797
27,474 AA Abu al-Wafa' Buzjani Abu al-Wafa' Buzjani Iranian Mathematician 940–998
30,280 QA Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi Iranian Mathematician 1236–1311
30,694 HM Hussein-Ali Montazeri Hussein-Ali Montazeri Iranian Theologian 1922–2009
31,158 NY Nima Yooshij Nima Yooshij Iranian Poet 1895–1960
33,314 MM Mir-Hossein Mousavi Mir-Hossein Mousavi Iranian Politician b. 1941
33,383 BA Bahāʾ al-dīn al-ʿĀmilī Bahāʾ al-dīn al-ʿĀmilī Iranian Mathematician 1547–1621
33,515 YI Yazdegerd III Iranian Sovereign 624–652
36,004 MD Mahmoud Dowlatabadi Mahmoud Dowlatabadi Iranian Writer b. 1940
37,755 IK Ibn Khordadbeh Ibn Khordadbeh Iranian Geographer 820–912
38,836 MO Muhammad of Ghor Muhammad of Ghor Iranian Monarch 1160–1206
43,776 A Al-Karaji Iranian Mathematician 953–1029
44,237 A( Abbas (photographer) Abbas (photographer) Iranian Photojournalist 1944–2018
46,692 AA Asadollah Alam Asadollah Alam Iranian Politician 1919–1978
46,726 A Aphrahat Aphrahat Iranian Writer 270–346
47,997 MK Mehran Karimi Nasseri Mehran Karimi Nasseri Iranian Published b. 1942
49,009 AH Abu Hanifa Dinawari Abu Hanifa Dinawari Iranian Astronomer 828–895
49,927 PP Parviz Parastui Parviz Parastui Iranian Singer b. 1955
52,340 MB Mohammad-Javad Bahonar Mohammad-Javad Bahonar Iranian Politician 1933–1981
52,777 MS Mahmoud Shabestari Iranian Poet 1288–1339
53,005 K Khaqani Khaqani Iranian Poet 1126–1199
54,530 SC Sadeq Chubak Sadeq Chubak Iranian Writer 1916–1998
56,017 SH Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi Iranian Theologian 1875–1961
56,109 AN Amir Naderi Iranian Film b. 1946
56,457 MH Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i Iranian Theologian 1892–1981
60,175 MR Massoud Rajavi Massoud Rajavi Iranian Politician 1948–2003
62,203 R( Raffi (novelist) Raffi (novelist) Iranian Poet 1835–1888
63,738 AQ Ahmad Qavam Ahmad Qavam Iranian Politician 1876–1955
63,761 MM Morteza Motahhari Morteza Motahhari Iranian Philosopher 1919–1979
63,866 HT Hedieh Tehrani Iranian Actor b. 1972
67,404 AB Alireza Beiranvand Alireza Beiranvand Iranian Football b. 1992
76,013 MS Mohammad-Reza Shafiei Kadkani Mohammad-Reza Shafiei Kadkani Iranian Writer b. 1939
76,955 AG Afshin Ghotbi Afshin Ghotbi Iranian Football b. 1964
77,488 YI Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar Iranian Brother 840–879
82,769 HM Hassan Modarres Hassan Modarres Iranian Politician 1870–1937
82,950 SF Sheikh Fazlollah Noori Sheikh Fazlollah Noori Iranian Politician 1843–1909
85,299 MR Mohammad Reza Khalatbari (born 1983) Mohammad Reza Khalatbari (born 1983) Iranian Football b. 1984
88,119 MP Morteza Pouraliganji Morteza Pouraliganji Iranian Football b. 1992
89,253 AD Abu-Mansur Daqiqi Abu-Mansur Daqiqi Iranian Poet 935–976
90,479 T Taftazani Iranian Theologian 1322–1390
93,351 MN Mohsen Namjoo Mohsen Namjoo Iranian Singer b. 1976
95,767 HH Hassan Hassanzadeh Amoli Hassan Hassanzadeh Amoli Iranian Philosopher b. 1928
96,290 AJ Abolfazl Jalili Abolfazl Jalili Iranian Film b. 1957
97,429 M Manuchehri Iranian Poet 1000–1040
102,411 HF Hossein Fatemi Hossein Fatemi Iranian Politician 1917–1954
102,675 FI Fakhr-al-Din Iraqi Iranian Poet 1213–1289
107,008 A Al-Nayrizi Iranian Mathematician 865–922
108,426 HM Houshang Moradi Kermani Houshang Moradi Kermani Iranian Writer b. 1944
109,524 C Cyaxares Cyaxares Iranian King d. -584
109,678 VA Vahid Amiri Vahid Amiri Iranian Football b. 1988
110,069 ME Manouchehr Eghbal Iranian Politician 1909–1977
112,376 AS Ali Sayad Shirazi Ali Sayad Shirazi Iranian Militar 1944–1999
113,236 OE Omid Ebrahimi Omid Ebrahimi Iranian Football b. 1987
114,290 GB Gholam-Hossein Banan Gholam-Hossein Banan Iranian Singer 1911–1986
114,935 YG Yahya Golmohammadi Yahya Golmohammadi Iranian Football b. 1971
118,129 SA Siah Armajani Iranian Artist 1939–2020
118,613 ST Shaykh Tabarsi Shaykh Tabarsi Iranian Faqih 1073–1153
119,094 A Al-Sijzi Al-Sijzi Iranian Astronomer 951–1024
120,003 AH Abdul-Karim Haeri Yazdi Iranian Lizenz 1859–1937
123,547 ZS Zabihollah Safa Zabihollah Safa Iranian Scholar 1911–1999
127,980 NS Navvab Safavi Navvab Safavi Iranian Cleric 1924–1955
129,933 AM Alqas Mirza Alqas Mirza Iranian Prince 1516–1550
130,463 HZ Hassan Zirak Hassan Zirak Iranian Artist 1921–1972
133,035 RR Ramin Rezaeian Ramin Rezaeian Iranian Football b. 1990
133,171 KK Khaz'al Khan al-Kaabi Khaz'al Khan al-Kaabi Iranian Politician 1863–1936
See all 152,953 rankings →

Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside Iran

478 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Centuries

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

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births in Iran peaked in the 1980s with 66 people.

What Iran Is Known For

Click any row to drill into that filter.

Sports is Iran's biggest group — 27% of all notables (131).

Iran under-produces film & tv — only 0.7× the global rate.

  1. Sports131
  2. Politics & Law95
  3. Writing82
  4. Other46
  5. Science26
  6. Film & TV23
  7. Music22
  8. Military20
  1. Film & TV230.7×
  2. Science260.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Other

Datelines

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