Global Leaderboard 100 in view

Most Famous People from Spain

All 152,953
Spain 5,183
19 PP Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso Spanish Painter 1881–1973
38 SD Salvador Dalí Salvador Dalí Spanish Painter 1904–1989
151 MD Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Spanish Novelist 1547–1616
185 FG Francisco Goya Francisco Goya Spanish Painter 1746–1828
218 FF Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Spanish Politician 1892–1975
300 AG Antoni Gaudí Antoni Gaudí Spanish Architect 1852–1926
344 MV Mario Vargas Llosa Mario Vargas Llosa Spanish Novelist b. 1936
356 PI Philip II of Spain Philip II of Spain Spanish Roi 1527–1598
367 DV Diego Velázquez Diego Velázquez Spanish Painter 1599–1660
393 HC Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés Spanish Explorer 1485–1547
409 FG Federico García Lorca Federico García Lorca Spanish Playwright 1898–1936
464 PC Penélope Cruz Penélope Cruz Spanish Actor b. 1974
505 JM Joan Miró Joan Miró Spanish Painter 1893–1983
530 II Isabella I of Castile Isabella I of Castile Spanish Queen 1451–1504
548 EG El Greco El Greco Spanish Painter 1541–1614
681 RN Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Spanish Player b. 1986
686 PA Pedro Almodóvar Pedro Almodóvar Spanish Film b. 1949
738 PA Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI Spanish Priest 1431–1503
830 EI Enrique Iglesias Enrique Iglesias Spanish Singer b. 1975
902 LB Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Spanish Film 1900–1983
953 TO Teresa of Ávila Teresa of Ávila Spanish Mystic 1515–1582
973 IO Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola Spanish Priest 1491–1556
986 RM Ricky Martin Ricky Martin Spanish Singer b. 1971
1,004 JB Javier Bardem Javier Bardem Spanish Actor b. 1969
1,236 FX Francis Xavier Francis Xavier Spanish Missionary 1506–1552
1,410 BD Benicio del Toro Benicio del Toro Spanish Actor b. 1967
1,433 FI Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II of Aragon Spanish King 1452–1516
1,529 PG Pep Guardiola Pep Guardiola Spanish Football b. 1971
1,805 JO Joanna of Castile Joanna of Castile Spanish Queen 1479–1555
1,809 SC Santiago Calatrava Santiago Calatrava Spanish Engineer b. 1951
1,912 MD Miguel de Unamuno Miguel de Unamuno Spanish Poet 1864–1936
2,057 IA Ibn Arabi Ibn Arabi Spanish Poet 1165–1240
2,085 SR Santiago Ramón y Cajal Santiago Ramón y Cajal Spanish Physician 1852–1934
2,109 JR Juan Ramón Jiménez Juan Ramón Jiménez Spanish Poet 1881–1958
2,183 JO John of the Cross John of the Cross Spanish Mystic 1542–1591
2,313 PD Paco de Lucía Paco de Lucía Spanish Guitar 1947–2014
2,317 RL Ramon Llull Ramon Llull Spanish Philosopher 1232–1316
2,367 AI Andrés Iniesta Andrés Iniesta Spanish Football b. 1984
2,500 AX Alfonso XIII of Spain Alfonso XIII of Spain Spanish Sovereign 1886–1941
2,533 CI Charles IV of Spain Charles IV of Spain Spanish Sovereign 1748–1819
2,687 FP Francisco Pizarro Francisco Pizarro Spanish Conquistador 1478–1541
2,782 PI Philip IV of Spain Philip IV of Spain Spanish Monarch 1605–1665
2,828 CJ Camilo José Cela Camilo José Cela Spanish Writer 1916–2002
2,864 EC El Cid El Cid Spanish Knight 1045–1099
2,938 IO Isidore of Seville Isidore of Seville Spanish Church 560–636
3,032 FT Fernando Torres Fernando Torres Spanish Football b. 1984
3,059 SD Saint Dominic Saint Dominic Spanish Priest 1170–1221
3,188 CF Cesc Fàbregas Cesc Fàbregas Spanish Football b. 1987
3,273 MS Michael Servetus Michael Servetus Spanish Physician 1509–1553
3,473 SR Sergio Ramos Sergio Ramos Spanish Football b. 1986
3,476 IC Iker Casillas Iker Casillas Spanish Football b. 1981
3,501 FV Ferdinand VII of Spain Ferdinand VII of Spain Spanish King 1784–1833
3,519 FA Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso Spanish Driver b. 1981
3,656 MV Manuel Valls Manuel Valls Spanish Politician b. 1962
3,704 JE Josemaría Escrivá Josemaría Escrivá Spanish Priest 1902–1975
3,733 GS George Santayana George Santayana Spanish Writer 1863–1952
3,810 VA Victoria Abril Victoria Abril Spanish Actor b. 1959
3,836 PC Pablo Casals Pablo Casals Spanish Cellist 1876–1973
3,847 RA Rafael Alberti Rafael Alberti Spanish Poet 1902–1999
4,063 DV David Villa David Villa Spanish Football b. 1981
4,182 MD Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla Spanish Composer 1876–1946
4,183 MR Mariano Rajoy Mariano Rajoy Spanish Politician b. 1955
4,236 FD Francisco de Zurbarán Francisco de Zurbarán Spanish Painter 1598–1664
4,363 DI Dolores Ibárruri Dolores Ibárruri Spanish Politician 1895–1989
4,539 X Xavi Xavi Spanish Football b. 1980
4,584 MH Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Spanish Priest 1753–1811
4,669 RD Ramón del Valle-Inclán Ramón del Valle-Inclán Spanish Poet 1866–1936
4,715 XA Xabi Alonso Xabi Alonso Spanish Football b. 1981
4,718 SB Seve Ballesteros Seve Ballesteros Spanish Golf 1957–2011
4,738 IA Isaac Albéniz Isaac Albéniz Spanish Pianist 1860–1909
4,884 RD Rosalía de Castro Rosalía de Castro Spanish Writer 1837–1885
4,908 JO John of Austria John of Austria Spanish Chamberlain 1547–1578
4,935 MP Miguel Primo de Rivera Miguel Primo de Rivera Spanish Politician 1870–1930
5,098 VV Víctor Valdés Víctor Valdés Spanish Football b. 1982
5,115 BO Blanche of Castile Blanche of Castile Spanish Regent 1188–1252
5,298 PO Peter of Castile Peter of Castile Spanish King 1334–1369
5,309 FÁ Fernando Álvarez de Toledo (3rd Duke of Alba) Fernando Álvarez de Toledo (3rd Duke of Alba) Spanish Noble 1507–1582
5,370 PB Pío Baroja Spanish Writer 1872–1956
5,383 VN Vasco Núñez de Balboa Vasco Núñez de Balboa Spanish Explorer 1475–1519
5,387 AS Andrés Segovia Andrés Segovia Spanish Guitar 1893–1987
5,505 CP Carles Puyol Carles Puyol Spanish Football b. 1978
5,534 HD Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto Spanish Explorer 1495–1542
5,590 CS Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Spanish Film b. 1932
5,597 JS Joaquín Sorolla Spanish Painter 1863–1923
5,667 PC Pope Callixtus III Pope Callixtus III Spanish Priest 1379–1458
5,705 SO Severo Ochoa Severo Ochoa Spanish Physician 1905–1993
5,718 FI Ferdinand III of Castile Ferdinand III of Castile Spanish King 1199–1252
5,783 LE Luis Enrique (footballer) Luis Enrique (footballer) Spanish Football b. 1970
6,054 MI Miguel Induráin Miguel Induráin Spanish Sport b. 1964
6,151 BG Baltasar Gracián Baltasar Gracián Spanish Writer 1601–1658
6,248 IG Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Spanish Writer 1539–1616
6,356 TD Tomás de Torquemada Tomás de Torquemada Spanish Inquisitor 1420–1498
6,391 MO Margaret of Austria (Duchess of Savoy) Margaret of Austria (Duchess of Savoy) Spanish Prince 1480–1530
6,417 EG Enrique Granados Enrique Granados Spanish Composer 1867–1916
6,424 JP Juan Ponce de León Juan Ponce de León Spanish Explorer 1474–1521
6,500 AL Antonio López de Santa Anna Antonio López de Santa Anna Spanish Politician 1794–1876
6,511 MC Manuel Castells Manuel Castells Spanish Sociologist b. 1942
6,523 JS Joaquín Sabina Joaquín Sabina Spanish Singer b. 1949
6,543 HI Henry IV of Castile Henry IV of Castile Spanish Noble 1425–1474
6,627 JR Joaquín Rodrigo Joaquín Rodrigo Spanish Composer 1901–1999
See all 152,953 rankings →

Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside Spain

5,183 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Centuries

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

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births in Spain peaked in the 1940s with 493 people.

What Spain Is Known For

Click any row to drill into that filter.

Sports is Spain's biggest group — 21% of all notables (1,077).

Spain over-indexes on exploration — 2.3× the global rate.

Spain under-produces film & tv — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Sports1,077
  2. Writing832
  3. Politics & Law753
  4. Religion551
  5. Other404
  6. Art & Design373
  7. Science346
  8. Music243
  1. Exploration612.3×
  2. Royalty952.0×
  3. Religion5512.0×
  1. Film & TV2180.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

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

Datelines

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