This is a list of some of the most prominent Romanians. It contains historical and important contemporary figures (athletes, actors, directors etc.).
Note: Names that cannot be confirmed in Wikipedia database nor through given sources are subject to removal. If you would like to add a new name please consider writing about the person first. If a notable Romanian is
missing and without article, please add your request for a new article
here. However, this is not a list of
all famous Romanians.
Most of the people listed here are of Romanian ethnicity, whose native tongue is Romanian. There are also a few mentioned who were born in Romania and can speak Romanian, though not of Romanian ethnicity.
Writing
- Vasile Alecsandri, poet and playwright
- Lucian Blaga, philosopher, poet, playwright
- Ion Luca Caragiale
- Andrei Codrescu, poet and essayist
- Nichita Danilov, poet, essayist, novelist
- Nae Ionescu, philosopher, writer, logician
- Virgil Nemoianu, essayist, literary critic, philosopher of culture
- Horia-Roman Patapievici, writer, philosopher, essayist
- Bogdan Petriceicu-Hasdeu, philologist, linguist
- Ion Pillat, poet, publicist, academic
- Andrei Pleșu, writer, philosopher, essayist, journalist
- Dumitru Radu Popescu, novelist, essayist, playwright
- Marin Sorescu, poet, playwright
- Nichita Stănescu, poet and playwright
- Petre Țuțea
- Vasile Voiculescu, poet, writer, playwright
Philosophers
- Petre Andrei, philosopher
- Lucian Blaga, philosopher, poet, playwright
- Emil Cioran, essayist, philosopher
- Vasile Conta, philosopher
- Mircea Eliade, philosopher
- Mircea Florian, philosopher
- Nae Ionescu, orthodox philosopher
- Stéphane Lupasco, philosopher
- Constantin Noica, philosopher
- Theodor Paleologu, politician, philosopher
- Camil Petrescu, essayist, philosopher, writer
- Dumitru D. Roșca, philosopher, professor
- Petre Țuțea, philosopher
- Tudor Vianu, philosopher of culture, critic, writer
Poets
- Vasile Alecsandri, playwright, poet and revolutionary
- Grigore Alexandrescu, poet
- Ioan Alexandru, poet and political figure
- Bartolomeu Anania, poet and clerical figure
- Dimitrie Anghel, poet and playwright
- Tudor Arghezi, poet, journalist
- Céline Arnauld, poet (French language)
- Anatol E. Baconsky, poet
- George Bacovia, poet
- Vasile Baghiu, novelist and poet
- Cezar Baltag, poet and essayist
- Ion Barbu, poet and mathematician
- Mihai Beniuc, poet and Communist Party figure
- Lucian Blaga, poet, philosopher, playwright, translator
- Ana Blandiana, poet, journalist
- Eta Boeriu, poet, literary critic, translator
- Geo Bogza, poet, journalist
- Dimitrie Bolintineanu, novelist, poet, and revolutionary
- Cezar Bolliac, poet and revolutionary
- Emil Botta, actor, poet
- Emil Brumaru, poet
- Scarlat Cantacuzino, poet, essayist and diplomat
- Ion Caraion, poet
- Vasile Cârlova, poet
- Magda Cârneci, poet, art critic and historian
- Mircea Cărtărescu, poet, essayist
- Nina Cassian, poet, translator (+English language)
- Paul Celan,[3] poet (German language)
- George Coșbuc, poet, translator
- Traian T. Coșovei, poet
- Aron Cotruș, poet
- Nichifor Crainic, essayist, poet, journalist, theologian, and political figure
- Nichita Danilov, poet
- Leonid Dimov, poet
- Mircea Dinescu, poet, journalist
- Ștefan Augustin Doinaș, poet, translator and political figure
- Geo Dumitrescu, poet
- Mihai Eminescu, poet, essayist, journalist
- Șerban Foarță, poet, essayist, translator
- Benjamin Fondane, poet, essayist (+French language)
- Emilian Galaicu-Păun, poet, essayist and novelist
- Octavian Goga, poet and political figure
- Radu Gyr, poet
- Iulia Hasdeu, poet
- Ion Heliade-Rădulescu, poet and revolutionary
- Ștefan Octavian Iosif, poet, translator
- Isidore Isou, poet
- Nora Iuga, poet
- Mircea Ivănescu, poet and translator
- Eugen Jebeleanu, poet
- Claudiu Komartin, poet and translator
- Nicolae Labiș, poet
- Leonida Lari, poet and political figure
- Irving Layton, poet
- Gherasim Luca, poet
- Alexandru Macedonski, poet
- Adrian Maniu, poet
- Angela Marinescu, poet
- Dumitru Matcovschi, poet
- Virgil Mazilescu, poet
- Ion Minulescu, poet and novelist
- Andrei Mureșanu, poet and revolutionary
- Alexandru Mușina, poet, essayist and translator
- Gellu Naum, poet, playwright and translator
- Sașa Pană, poet
- Oskar Pastior, poet (German language)
- Adrian Păunescu, poet and political figure
- Cristian Popescu, poet
- Marin Sorescu, poet and novelist
- Radu Stanca, director, playwright, poet and essayist
- Nichita Stănescu, poet, essayist, translator
- Valeriu Sterian, singer-songwriter
- Constant Tonegaru, poet
- George Topîrceanu, poet
- Tristan Tzara, poet (+French language)
- Grigore Vieru, poet
- Ion Vinea, poet
- Matei Vișniec, playwright and poet (+French language)
- Gelu Vlașin, poet
- Vasile Voiculescu, poet
- Ilarie Voronca, poet (+French language)
Writers
- Gabriela Adameșteanu
- Radu Aldulescu
- George Bălăiță
- Eugen Barbu
- Marthe Bibesco, writer (+French language)
- Nicolae Breban
- Augustin Buzura
- Ion Luca Caragiale, playwright
- Mateiu Caragiale, novelist
- Mircea Cărtărescu, writer, essayist
- Pavel Chihaia
- George Coandă, writer, historian, novelist and poet
- Ioan Mihai Cochinescu, writer, essayist
- Gheorghe Crăciun
- Ion Creangă, writer, especially of children's stories
- Ioan Petru Culianu, historian of religion
- Petru Dumitriu
- Mircea Eliade, historian of religion; also novelist
- Mihail Fărcășanu, writer, novelist
- Nicolae Filimon
- Filip Florian
- Virgil Gheorghiu, novelist
- Paul Goma, writer
- Anton Holban
- Vintilă Horia, prominent writer( +French language)
- Eugène Ionesco, playwright (+French language)
- Petre Ispirescu, writer
- Panait Istrati, novelist (+French language)
- Claudiu Komartin
- Gabriel Liiceanu, writer, publi
- Herta Müller, writer (German language), 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature
- Mircea Nedelciu
- Bujor Nedelcovici
- Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu
- Camil Petrescu
- Cezar Petrescu
- Radu Petrescu
- Vasile Pogor, writer
- Marin Preda, novelist
- Doina Ruști, novelist
- Liviu Rebreanu, writer
- Mihail Sadoveanu, novelist
- Dinu Săraru
- Mihail Sebastian, writer, playwright
- Ioan Slavici
- Bogdan Suceavă
- Lucian Dan Teodorovici
- Dumitru Țepeneag, novelist (+French language)
- Nicolae Iorga, historian, politician
- Nicolae Milescu, writer, diplomat
- Urmuz, writer
- Richard Wagner, writer
- Elie Wiesel, Romanian-born American writer, professor, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor
Music
See also Music of Romania, especially for contemporary pop musicians.
Composers
- Ana-Maria Avram, composer
- Pascal Bentoiu, composer
- Tiberiu Brediceanu, composer and conductor
- Nicolae Bretan, opera composer
- Eduard Caudella, composer
- Paul Constantinescu, composer
- Dimitrie Cuclin, composer
- Constantin Dimitrescu, composer, cellist
- Sabin Dragoi, composer
- Iancu Dumitrescu, composer, conductor, musicologist
- George Enescu, composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, teacher
- Iosif Ivanovici
- Dinu Lipatti
- Liviu Marinescu, composer
- Octavian Nemescu, composer
- Ștefan Niculescu, composer
- Nonna Otescu, composer
- Anton Pann, composer
- Ciprian Porumbescu, composer
- Horațiu Rădulescu, composer
- Octave Octavian Teodorescu, composer
- Cornel Trailescu, composer
- Iannis Xenakis, composer born in Romania
Musicians
- Dan Andrei Aldea, rock guitarist, composer, singer
- Christian Badea, conductor
- Lucian Ban, jazz composer & pianist
- Carla's Dreams, singer-, musician
- Sergiu Celibidache, orchestra conductor
- Nicole Cherry, singer
- Connect-R, rapper
- Marius Constant, originator of the Twilight Zone theme
- Marin Constantin, conductor
- Nicu Covaci, rock guitarist, composer, vocalist
- Michael Cretu, musician founder of (Enigma)
- Grigoraș Dinicu, violinist, composer
- Adrian Erlandsson, drummer (At the Gates), Swedish with Romanian background
- Daniel Erlandsson, drummer (Arch Enemy), Swedish with Romanian background
- George Georgescu, orchestra conductor
- Valeriu Găină, guitarist
- Tudor Gheorghe, musician, composer and singer
- Nicolae Guță, singer
- Clara Haskil, pianist
- Hugo Jan Huss, orchestra conductor and violinist
- Antonia Iacobescu, singer
- Inna, singer-songwriter, dancer
- Ovidiu Lipan, drummer (Phoenix)
- Dinu Lipatti, pianist, composer
- Radu Lupu, pianist
- Ion Marin, conductor
- Cristi Minculescu, rock singer and composer
- Anca Parghel, jazz singer and composer
- Jonel (Ionel) Perlea, conductor
- Valentin Radu, conductor
- Florin Salam, singer
- Constantin Silvestri, orchestra conductor and composer
- Alexandra Stan, singer, musician, entertainer, model, dancer
- Laura Stoica, pop-rock singer and composer
- Octave Octavian Teodorescu, composer, vanguard rock musician, multi-instrumentist (guitars, keyboards, programmable instruments)
- Cristian Vasile, tango singer
- Dorin Liviu Zaharia, composer and singer
- Gheorghe Zamfir, pan flute musician
Classic
- Zeno Costa, tenor
- Ileana Cotrubaș, soprano
- Hariclea Darclée, soprano
- Angela Gheorghiu, soprano
- Dinu Lipatti, pianist and composer
- Radu Lupu, pianist
- Nelly Miricioiu, soprano
- Mariana Nicolescu, soprano
- Mihaela Ursuleasa, pianist
- Leontina Vaduva, soprano
- Virginia Zeani, soprano
This is a list of Romanians who were born outside present-day Romania.
Ukraine
- Alexandru Averescu, prime minister of Romania (1918, 1920–1921, 1926–1927)
- Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu, philologist, writer
- Lucian Pintilie, film director, screenwriter
- Sofia Rotaru, singer
- Nicolae Văcăroiu, prime minister of Romania (1992–1996)
- Sofia Vicoveanca, singer