List of Romanians

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.

This is a list some of the most prominent Romanians. It contains historical people, and important contemporary figures (sports people, actors, directors etc).

Most of the people listed here are of Romanian ethnicity, and whose native tongue is Romanian. There are also a few mentioned who were born in Romania and who can speak Romanian, though not being of Romanian ethnicity.

Historical and political figures

Ancient and Medieval

Anthim the Iberian, Archbishop of Wallachia
Basarab I
Neagoe Basarab
Iancu de Hunedoara, voivod of Transylvania
Matthias Corvinus, king of Hungary; father was ethnically Romanian (Wallachian)
Mihai Viteazul
Mircea cel Bătrân
Ştefan cel Mare, voivod of Moldavia
Vlad Ţepeş, voivod, Dracula inspiration

Renaissance Age

Dimitrie Cantemir; ruler of Moldavia, historian, writer, and music composer
Antioch Kantemir; poet and Russian ambassador

Modern royalty

(Alexandru Ioan Cuza was prince of both Moldavia and Wallachian before they were formally united as the Kingdom of Romania; the others were Romanian royalty; none of these individuals were ethnically Romanian.)

Politicians

Ion Antonescu, prime minister and Conducător (Leader) during World War II
Alexandru Averescu, general and politician
Nicolae Bălcescu, historian, revolutionary
Traian Băsescu, the current president of Romania
Antoine Bibesco, diplomat, writer
Emil Boc, the current mayor of Cluj-Napoca and president of the Democratic Party (Romania)
Ion C. Brătianu, politician, one of the founders of the Liberal movement in Romania
Ion I. C. Brătianu
Gheorghe Funar, politician
Lascăr Catargiu
Elena Ceauşescu - deputy premier under her husband, pseudo-intellectual.
Nicolae Ceauşescu, the last Romanian Communist head of state
Victor Ciorbea, trade union leader, politician, former Prime minister National Peasants' Party
Gheorghe Ciuhandu, Mayor of Timişoara, National Peasants' Party
Emil Constantinescu, professor, politician, former President
Corneliu Coposu, politician, National Peasants' Party
Doina Cornea, noted dissident and intellectual, National Peasants' Party
Ion Duca, prime minister in interbellum Romania
Petre Dumitrescu, general
Mircea Geoană, former Foreign Minister, president of the Social Democratic Party
Avram Iancu, revolutionary
Ion Iliescu, politician, first post-Communist President
Mihail Lascăr, WWII general, Minister of Defense
Gheorghe Gaston Marin, (previously Grossmann) politician, vice-president of the Government under Gheorghiu Dej
Béla Markó, politician, Vice Premier and leader of the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
Mugur Isărescu, economist, former Prime Minister
Iuliu Maniu, politician, one of the creators of the National Peasants' Party
Mihail Manoilescu, economist and politician
Ion Mihalache, politician, National Peasants' Party
Adrian Năstase, politician, former Prime minister
Leonard Orban, Romanian European Commissioner, European Commissioner for Multilingualism
Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, prime minister, president of the National Liberal Party
Ion Raţiu, politician, National Peasants' Party
Nicolae Rădescu, prime minister during WWII
Petre Roman, politician, first post-Communist prime minister
Vasile Stoica, politician
Theodor Stolojan, economist and politician, former prime minister
Dimitrie Sturdza
Nicolae Titulescu, diplomat, politician National Peasants' Party
Corneliu Vadim Tudor, politician
Mihai-Răzvan Ungureanu, former Foreign Minister
Radu Vasile, economist and politician, former Prime Minister
Nicolae Văcăroiu, economist, former Prime Minister
Adriean Videanu, Mayor of Bucharest
Dan Voiculescu, Leader of the Conservative Party (PC), Media owner

Arts

Architecture

Marcel Iancu, Modernism
Alexandru Oraşcu, Neoclassicism

Choreography

Sergiu Anghel, choreographer, director, scenarist

Painting

Sculpture

Writing

Vasile Alecsandri, poet and playwright
Tudor Arghezi, poet
George Bacovia, poet
Ion Barbu, poet
Marthe Bibesco, writer
Lucian Blaga, philosopher, poet, playwright
Ion Luca Caragiale, playwright
Mateiu Caragiale, novelist
Mircea Cărtărescu, writer, essayist
Emil Cioran, essayist, philosopher
Ioan Mihai Cochinescu, writer, essayist
Andrei Codrescu, poet and essayist
George Coşbuc, poet
Ion Creangă, writer, especially of children's stories
Ioan Petru Culianu, historian of religion
Nichita Danilov,poet,essayist,novelist
Mircea Dinescu, poet, journalist
Mircea Eliade, historian of religion; also novelist
Mihai Eminescu, poet and journalist
Virgil Gheorghiu, novelist
Octavian Goga, poet and political figure
Radu Gyr, poet
Vintilă Horia, prominent writer
Eugène Ionesco, playwright
Nae Ionescu, philosopher, writer, logician
Nicolae Iorga, historian, politician
Isidore Isou, poet
Panait Istrati, novelist
Irving Layton , poet
Gabriel Liiceanu, writer, editor
Gherasim Luca, surrealist poet
Nicolae Milescu, writer, diplomat
Andrei Mureşanu, poet and revolutionary
Gellu Naum, poet
Virgil Nemoianu, essayist, literary critic, philosopher of culture
Constantin Noica, philosopher
Stéphane Lupasco, philosopher
Nicolae Olahus, writer, historian, Catholic Archbishop of Hungary
Horia-Roman Patapievici, writer, philosopher, essayist
Bogdan Petriceicu-Hasdeu, philologist, linguist
Ion Pillat, poet, publicist, academic
Andrei Pleşu, writer, philosopher, essayist, journalist
Marin Preda, novelist
Vasile Pogor, writer
Liviu Rebreanu, writer
Mihail Sadoveanu, novelist
Mihail Sebastian, writer, playwright
Ioan Slavici, writer
Marin Sorescu, poet, playwright
Nichita Stănescu, poet and playwright
Tristan Tzara, Dadaist poet and essayist
Vasile Voiculescu, poet, writer, playwright
Urmuz, writer
Paul Goma, writer

Literary critics

Historians

Journalists

Ion Cristoiu, former editor in chief of the daily Evenimentul Zilei
Leonard Miron, journalist and Romanian National TV presenter
Cornel Nistorescu, journalist
Cristian Tudor Popescu, editor in chief of the daily Gândul
Marius Tucă, TV talkshow host, editor in chief of the daily Jurnalul Naţional

Linguists

Music

See also Music of Romania, especially for contemporary pop musicians.

Composers

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
Dinu Lipatti, pianist, composer
Nonna Otescu, composer
Anton Pann, composer
Ciprian Porumbescu, composer
Cornel Trailescu, composer

Musicians

Nicoleta Alexandru, pop/techno singer
Dan Andrei Aldea, rock guitarist, composer, singer
Christian Badea, conductor
Alexander Bălănescu, violinist
Sergiu Celibidache, orchestra conductor
Marin Constantin, conductor of the Madrigal chamber choir
Ileana Cotrubaş, soprano
Nicu Covaci, rock guitarist, composer, vocalist
Michael Cretu, musician (Enigma)
Hariclea Darclée, soprano
Grigoraş Dinicu, violinist, composer
Angela Gheorghiu, soprano
Loredana Groza, pop singer
Clara Haskil, pianist
Hugo Jan Huss, orchestra conductor and violinist
Radu Lupu, pianist
Cristi Minculescu, rock singer
Mariana Nicolescu, soprano
Valentin Radu, conductor, Vox AmaDeus
Johnny Răducanu, jazz pianist
Constantin Silvestri, orchestra conductor and composer
Pavel Stratan, songwriter, singer
Maria Tănase, traditional music singer
Cristian Vasile, tango singer
Ion Voicu, violinist
Gheorghe Zamfir, panpipes player
Virginia Zeani, soprano

Movie and Theatre

List of Romanian Actors

Mircea Albulescu, actor
Ştefan Bănică, Jr., actor
Monica Bârlădeanu, actress
Radu Beligan, actor, director
Ion Luca Caragiale, playwright
Ion Caramitru, actor
Gheorghe Dinică, actor
Luminiţa Gheorghiu, actress
Marcel Iureş, actor
Alexandra Maria Lara
Nicolas Masson, director
Nicolae Massim, director
George Mihăiţă, actor
Maia Morgenstern, actress
Jean Negulescu, film director, Oscar nominee
Sergiu Nicolaescu, film director
Amza Pellea, actor
Florian Pittiş, actor
Elvira Popescu, actress
Victor Rebengiuc, actor
Edward G. Robinson, actor
Andrei Şerban, director of theatre and opera
Saviana Stănescu, playwright
Constantin Tănase, cabaretist
Grigore Vasiliu Birlic, actor
Tora Vasilescu, actress
Johnny Weissmuller, actor

Religion

Teoctist Arăpaşu, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Miron Cristea, first Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Iuliu Hossu, Greek-Catholic bishop of the Cluj-Gherla Diocese and later cardinal
Justinian Marina, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Iustin Moisescu, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Nicodim Munteanu, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Dumitru Stăniloae, priest, translated the Philokalia into Romanian
Vasile Suciu, Greek-Catholic Metropolitan bishop of the Archdiocese of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia
Alexandru Todea, Greek-Catholic Metropolitan bishop of the Archdiocese of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia and later cardinal
László Tőkés, former pastor (now bishop) in the Hungarian Reformed Church, whose stand against eviction in Timişoara helped to trigger the Romanian Revolution of 1989
Lucian Turcescu, Orthodox theologian teaching at Concordia University (Montreal, Canada), president of the Canadian Society of Patristic Studies, 2004-2008
Richard Wurmbrand, pastor, author of Tortured for Christ

Sports

Athletics

Basketball

Gheorghe Mureşan

Boxing

Chess

Football

Gymnastics

Simona Amânar
Oana Ban
Octavian Belu - former women's coach
Sabina Cojocar
Nadia Comăneci
Aurelia Dobre
Marian Drăgulescu
Alexandra Eremia
Gina Gogean
Sandra Izbasa
Béla Károlyi, gymnastics coach
Marta Károlyi, gymnastics coach
Alexandra Marinescu
Lavinia Miloşovici
Dominique Moceanu - Romanian-born, competed for U.S.
Aura Andreea Munteanu
Steliana Nistor
Maria Olaru
Cătălina Ponor
Claudia Presăcan
Andreea Răducan
Monica Roşu
Daniela Silivaş
Nicoleta Daniela Sofronie
Ioan Silviu Suciu
Corina Ungureanu
Teodora Ungureanu
Marius Urzică

Rowing

Tennis

Ilie Năstase
Andrei Pavel
Victor Hănescu
Magda Rurac
Virginia Ruzici 1978 French Open winner
Răzvan Sabău
Ion Ţiriac; also a very successful businessman

Other sports

Daniel Negreanu, Canadian poker player
Angelica Rozeanu, world table tennis champion

Science

Biology

Grigore Antipa, hydrobiologist
Ana Aslan, geriatrics researcher
Victor Babeş, biologist
Dimitrie Brândză, botanist
Carol Davila, physician
Ioan Cantacuzino, microbiologist
Iuliu Haţieganu, physician
Wilhelm Knechtel, botanist
Nicolae Leon, biologist
Gheorghe Marinescu, neurologist
Mina Minovici, forensic scientist
Constantin Parhon, endocrinologist
George Emil Palade, 1974 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine winner
Nicolae Paulescu, discovered insulin
Emil Racoviţă, biologist and speleologist

Chemistry

Ion Atanasiu, electrochemist
Lazăr Edeleanu, chemist
Henrick Kacser, physical chemist
Costin Neniţescu, founder of the Romanian school of Organic Chemistry

Engineering

Iustin Capra, inventor
Adrian Bejan, inventor of constructal theory
Elie Carafoli, engineer
Alexandru Ciurcu, inventor - invented with M.M. Just Buisson the first Reactive Engine
Henri Coandă, inventor of jet engine
George Constantinescu, inventor
Anastase Dragomir, inventor - parachute cell, predecessor of the ejection seat
Rodrig Goliescu, inventor - invented the first tubular airplane
Petrache Poenaru, inventor
Elie Radu, architect, engineer
Anghel Saligny, engineer
Nicolae Vasilescu-Karpen, engineer
Aurel Vlaicu, flight pioneer
Traian Vuia, flight pioneer

Mathematics

Physics

Emanoil Bacaloglu, physicist, chemist and mathematician
Alexandru Marin, physicist, professor
Mihai Nadin, computer scientist
Horaţiu Năstase

Others

Daniel O David, professor, psychologist, and psychotherapist
Dimitrie Gusti, sociologist
David Mitrany (1888–1975), political theorist
Ştefan Odobleja, scientist, precursor of cybernetics
George Pomutz (1818-1882), ethnic Romanian United States general in the Civil War, and a diplomat
Dumitru Prunariu, cosmonaut
Emil Racoviţă, polar explorer
Ion Vianu, psychiatrist
David Wechsler, psychologist

Polymaths

Matyla Ghyka, famous polymath, architect, mathematician and author
Mihail Kogălniceanu lawyer, historian, publicist, politician, cultural pacemaker

Business

Octav Botnar, Nissan UK chairman, billionaire
Iosif Constantin Drăgan, gas tycoon, billionaire and academic
Nicolae Malaxa, Romanian tycoon in the 1930s