Most Famous People from Spain

100 Spanish people in view out of 5,141

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

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.

15001550160016501700175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Writing
  • Politics & Law
  • Religion
  • Art & Design
  • Science
  • Other

Top Cities

Biggest birthplaces in this slice — click any to explore.