Famous People from Spain

97 notable historical figures from Spain, including leaders, artists, scientists, and other influential people.

Pablo Picasso

1881 – 1973

Spanish painter and sculptor (1881–1973)

Born October 25

Salvador Dalí

1904 – 1989

Spanish artist (1904–1989)

Born May 11

Lionel Messi

1987 – Present

Argentine association football player (born 1987)

Born June 24

Francisco Goya

1746 – 1828

Spanish painter and printmaker (1746–1828)

Born March 30

Simón Bolívar

1783 – 1830

Venezuelan statesman and military officer (1783–1830)

Born July 24

Diego Velázquez

1599 – 1660

Spanish painter (1599-1660)

Born June 6

Shakira

1977 – Present

Colombian singer, songwriter and actress

Born February 2

Rafael Nadal

1986 – Present

Spanish tennis player (born 1986)

Born June 3

Federico García Lorca

1898 – 1936

Spanish poet, dramatist and prose writer (1898–1936)

Born June 5

Francisco Franco

1892 – 1975

Spanish general and dictator (1892-1975)

Born December 4

Antoni Gaudí

1852 – 1926

Catalan architect (1852–1926)

Born June 25

Mario Vargas Llosa

1936 – 2025

Peruvian, Spanish and Dominican novelist and writer (1936–2025)

Born March 28

Juan Carlos I of Spain

1938 – Present

King of Spain from 1975 to 2014

Born January 5

Willy Brandt

1913 – 1992

German politician (SPD), chancellor of West Germany (1969–1974) and Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Born December 18

Lope de Vega

1562 – 1635

Spanish playwright and poet (1562-1635)

Born December 5

Fernando Alonso

1981 – Present

Spanish racing driver

Born July 29

Ronaldinho

1980 – Present

Brazilian associaton fooball player (born 1980)

Born March 21

Mariano Rajoy

1955 – Present

Spanish politician (born 1955)

Born March 27

Philip II of Spain

1527 – 1598

King of Spain, Portugal, Naples and Sicily; King consort of England, lived 1527-1598

Born May 31

Andrés Iniesta

1984 – Present

Spanish association football player

Born May 11

Ignatius of Loyola

1491 – 1556

Spanish Catholic priest and theologian (1491–1556)

Born January 1

Teresa of Ávila

1515 – 1582

Roman Catholic saint (1515-1582)

Born April 7

Joan Miró

1893 – 1983

Spanish painter, sculptor, and ceramicist

Born April 20

Pedro Calderón de la Barca

1600 – 1681

Spanish dramatist (1600-1681)

Born January 17

Jacinto Benavente

1866 – 1954

Spanish writer (1866-1954)

Born August 12

Iker Casillas

1981 – Present

Spanish association football player

Born May 20

Pedro Sánchez

1972 – Present

Prime Minister of Spain since 2018

Born February 29

Natalia Oreiro

1977 – Present

Uruguayan actress, singer, host, and model

Born May 19

José Martí

1853 – 1895

Cuban poet, philosopher and nationalist (1853-1895)

Born January 28

Camilo José Cela

1916 – 2002

Spanish writer (1916–2002)

Born May 11

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

1960 – Present

Spanish politician

Born August 4

Enrique Iglesias

1975 – Present

Spanish singer, songwriter and producer

Born May 8

Xavi Hernández

1980 – Present

Spanish association football player and manager

Born January 25

Ferenc Puskás

1927 – 2006

Hungarian association football player (1927–2006)

Born April 1

Luis Buñuel

1900 – 1983

Spanish-Mexican filmmaker (1900–1983)

Born February 22

Gerard Piqué

1987 – Present

Spanish association football player

Born February 2

Santiago Ramón y Cajal

1852 – 1934

Spanish scientist (1852-1934)

Born May 1

Pep Guardiola

1971 – Present

Spanish association football player and manager (born 1971)

Born January 18

Fernando Torres

1984 – Present

Spanish association football manager (born 1984)

Born March 20

Samuel Eto'o

1981 – Present

Cameroonian association football player

Born March 10

Francisco Pizarro

1478 – 1541

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire

Born March 16

Alfredo Di Stéfano

1926 – 2014

Argentine-Spanish association football player (1926–2014)

Born July 4

Sergio Ramos

1986 – Present

Spanish association football player and singer

Born March 30

José Echegaray

1832 – 1916

Spanish playwright (1832-1916)

Born April 19

James Rodríguez

1991 – Present

Colombian association football player

Born July 12

Diego Forlán

1979 – Present

Uruguayan association football player and manager (born 1979)

Born May 19

Montserrat Caballé

1933 – 2018

Spanish operatic soprano (1933–2018)

Born April 12

David Villa

1981 – Present

Spanish association football player

Born December 3

Vicente Aleixandre

1898 – 1984

Spanish poet (1898–1984)

Born April 26

Cesc Fàbregas

1987 – Present

Spanish professional footballer player and manager

Born May 4

José Ortega y Gasset

1883 – 1955

Spanish liberal philosopher and essayist (1883-1955)

Born May 9

Daniel Alves

1983 – Present

Brazilian footballer

Born May 6

Raúl

1977 – Present

Spanish association football player

Born June 27

Catherine of Aragon

1485 – 1536

first wife of Henry VIII of England (1485–1536)

Born December 16

Charles II of Spain

1661 – 1700

king of Spain, lived (1661-1700)

Born November 6

Sergio Busquets

1988 – Present

Spanish association football player (born 1988)

Born July 16

Charles X of France

1757 – 1836

King of France and of Navarre from 1824 to 1830 (1757–1836)

Born October 9

Alfonso XIII

1886 – 1941

King of Spain from 1886 to 1931 (1886–1941)

Born May 17

David de Gea

1990 – Present

Spanish association football player

Born November 7

Francisco de Zurbarán

1598 – 1664

Spanish painter (1598–1664)

Born November 7

Marcelo Vieira

1988 – Present

Brazilian association football player

Born May 12

Philip IV of Spain

1605 – 1665

King of Spain and Portugal (1605-1665)

Born April 8

Carles Puyol

1978 – Present

Spanish association football player

Born April 13

Jordi Alba

1989 – Present

Spanish association football player

Born March 21

Plácido Domingo

1941 – Present

Spanish tenor and conductor (born 1941)

Born January 21

Manuel Valls

1962 – Present

French and Spanish politician

Born August 13

Isabella II of Spain

1830 – 1904

Queen of Spain from 1833 to 1868

Born October 10

Rivaldo

1972 – Present

Brazilian association football player

Born April 19

Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor

1685 – 1740

18th century Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor

Born October 1

Ana Mena

1997 – Present

Spanish singer-songwriter, actress and model

Born February 25

Philip III of Spain

1578 – 1621

King of Castilla and León and King of Aragon and Portugal

Born April 24

David Silva

1986 – Present

Spanish association football player

Born January 8

Isabel Martínez de Perón

1931 – Present

first female president of Argentina from 1974 to 1976

Born February 4

Vinícius Júnior

2000 – Present

Brazilian association football player (born 2000)

Born July 12

Pepe Reina

1982 – Present

Spanish association football player

Born August 31

Ferdinand VII of Spain

1784 – 1833

King of Spain (1784–1833) (r. 1808; 1813–1833)

Born October 14

Philippe Coutinho

1992 – Present

Brazilian association football player

Born June 12

Charles III of Spain

1716 – 1788

King of Spain from 1759 to 1788

Born January 20