This is a list of famous Galician people.

Arts

• Delmi Álvarez, photographer
• Maruja Mallo (1902–1995), painter
• Mariano Grueiro (born 1975), activist, writer, photographer, filmmaker, artist
• Francisco Calvelo (born 1982), filmmaker
• Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor y Zaragoza (1875–1960), painter
• Gregorio Fernández (1576–1636), Baroque sculptor
• Victor Moscoso (born 1936), Spanish-American artist
• Luís Seoane (1910–1979), lithographer and artist
• Isaac Díaz Pardo (1920–2012), artist and businessman

Actors

• María Casares (1922–1996)
• José Garcia (actor) (born 1966)
• Nancho Novo (born 1958)
• La Belle Otero (1868–1965), dancer, actress, and courtesan
• Fernando Rey (1917–1994)
• Martin Sheen a.k.a. Ramon Estevez (born 1940) (part Irish, part Galician)
• Charlie Sheen a.k.a. Carlos Estevez (born 1965) (father part Galician)
• Emilio Estevez (born 1962) (father part Galician)
• Luis Tosar (born 1971)
• Jesús Vázquez (born 1965)
• Paula Vázquez (born 1974)
• Pedro Alonso (born 1971)
• Dafne Keen (born 2005) (mother Galician)

Musicians

• Bernal de Bonaval (13th century), troubadour
• Avelino Cachafeiro (1899–1972), bagpiper
• Luz Casal (born 1958), singer
• Manu Chao (born 1961) (father from Vilalba), singer
• Martín Codax (fl. 13th and 14th centuries), medieval composer and performer
• Iván Ferreiro (born 1970), singer
• Fuxan Os Ventos, folk music group
• Jerry Garcia (1942–1995) (part Galician, part Irish and Swedish), founding member of American rock group The Grateful Dead
• Isabel Granada (born 1976) (mother from Ferrol), singer
• Enrique Iglesias (born 1975) (grandfather from Ourense), singer
• Julio Iglesias (born 1943) (father from Ourense), singer
• Carlos Leal (born 1969), Swiss rapper and actor born to Galician immigrants
• Xoel López, singer
• Anxo Lorenzo (born 1974), bagpiper
• Luar na Lubre, Celtic music group
• Mendinho (fl. 13th century), medieval troubadour
• Milladoiro, Celtic music group
• Carlos Núñez (born 1971), musician and bagpiper
• Natalia Oreiro (born 1977), singer
• Cristina Pato (born 1970), bagpiper
• Manuel Ramil (born 1978), power metal keyboardist
• Rosalía (born 1992), (father part Galician), singer
• Paulina Rubio (born 1971) (father from A Coruña), singer
• Marta Sánchez (born 1966) (both parents from A Coruña), singer
• Susana Seivane (born 1976), bagpiper
• C. Tangana (born 1990), (father from Vigo), rapper
• Siniestro Total, punk rock group
• Los Suaves, hard rock band
• Octavio Vázquez (born 1972), composer

Writers

• Marilar Aleixandre (born 1947)
• Concepción Arenal (1820–1893), writer and feminist
• Xela Arias (1962–2003)
• Eduardo Blanco Amor (1897–1979), writer and journalist
• Carmen Blanco (born 1954)
• Xurxo Borrazás (born 1963)
• Castelao (1886–1950), writer, politician, and painter
• Ricardo Carvalho Calero (1910–1990)
• Yolanda Castaño (born 1977), poet
• Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885), writer
• Camilo José Cela (1916–2002), writer, Nobel Prize in Literature
• Ramón Chao (1935–2018)
• Álvaro Cunqueiro (1911–1981), writer and journalist
• Manuel Curros Enríquez (1851–1908), writer
• María Magdalena Domínguez (1922-2021), poet
• Benito Jerónimo Feijóo y Montenegro (1676–1764)
• Wenceslao Fernández Flórez (1885–1964)
• Agustín Fernández Mallo (born 1967)
• Celso Emilio Ferreiro (1912–1979)
• Xesús Ferro Ruibal (born 1944)
• Ricardo Flores Peres (1903–2002)
• Suso de Toro (born 1956), writer
• Béa González, (born 1962), writer
• Beremundo González Rodríguez (1909–1986)
• Juana Teresa Juega López (1885-1979), poet
• Salvador de Madariaga (1886–1978), diplomat, writer, historian, and pacifist
• Luis Mariñas (1947–2010), journalist
• María Mariño (1907–1967)
• Xosé Luís Méndez Ferrín (born 1938), writer, proposed for the Nobel Prize
• José María Merino (born 1941)
• Manuel Murguía (1833–1923)
• Xosé Neira Vilas (1928–2015)
• Olga Novo (born 1975)
• Albino Núñez Domínguez (1901–1974)
• Pilar Pallarés (born 1957), poet
• Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851–1921), writer and feminist
• Chus Pato (born 1955)
• Otero Pedrayo (1888–1976)
• Ánxeles Penas (born 1943), poet
• Eduardo Pondal (1835–1917)
• José María Posada (1817–1886)
• Luz Pozo Garza (1922-2020), poet
• Ignacio Ramonet (born 1943)
• Jacinto Rey (born 1972)
• Ofelia Rey Castelao (born 1956)
• Vicente Risco (1884–1963), writer and politician
• Manuel Rivas (born 1957), writer
• Juan Rodríguez de la Cámara (1390–1450)
• Claudio Rodriguez Fer (born 1956)
• Fátima Rodríguez (b. 1961), writer, translator, professor
• Luís Seoane (1910–1979)
• Gonzalo Torrente Ballester (1910–1999), writer
• Ramón del Valle-Inclán (1866–1936), writer
• Lorenzo Varela (1917–1978)
• Martin Veiga (born 1970)
• Benito Vicetto Pérez (1824–1878)
• Darío Villanueva (born 1950), literary theorist and critic, director of the Real Academia Española
• Miguel Ángel Villar Pinto (born 1977)
• Antón Vilar Ponte (1881–1936)

Business

• Carmela Arias y Díaz de Rábago (1920–2009), first woman president of a bank in Spain
• Adolfo Dominguez
• Rosalia Mera, co-founder of the Inditex Group
• Amancio Ortega founder of global fashion manufacturing and retail chain Inditex
• Antonio M. Pérez (born 1947), Spanish-American businessman

Exploration

• Pedro Madruga (fl. 1434–1506), navigator and explorer
• Juan de Betanzos, historical source on the Incan civilization
• João da Nova (1460-1509) navigator and explorer
• Vasco Núñez de Balboa, (1475–1519) (Galician noble from Balboa), explorer and conquistador, discoverer of the Pacific Ocean
• Luís Vaz de Torres (1565–1607), navigator and explorer, first European who saw Australia
• Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira (1542–1595), navigator and explorer, discoverer of Marquesas Islands and Salomon Islands
• Isabel Barreto (1567–1612), navigator and explorer, first female Admiral in history
• Rodrigo de Quiroga, conquistador, Royal Governor of Chile
• Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, explorer and historian
• Benito de Soto (1805-1830), pirate

Military

• Ángel Castro y Argiz (1875–1956), father of Fidel and Raúl Castro
• Juan de Lángara (1736–1806), naval officer and Minister of Marine
• Pedro Mariño de Lobera (1528–1594), soldier and chronicler of the Arauco War
• Casto Méndez Núñez (1824–1869), admiral
• Patricio Montojo, naval commander at the Battle of Manila Bay
• Alonso Pita da Veiga (fl. 1513–1529), military officer
• Maria Pita, soldier

Nobility

• Alfonso VII of León and Castile (1105–1157), King of Galicia, León, and Castile
• Alfonso X of Castile (1221–1284), King of Galicia and Castile
• Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, 1st Count of Gondomar (1567–1626), Spanish ambassador to England
• Fernán Pérez de Andrade (fl. 1356–1397), Galician knight
• Fernando de Andrade de las Mariñas (1477–1540), First Count of Andrade and Second of Vilalba, Lord of Pontedeume and Ferrol
• Fernando Pérez de Traba (1090–1155), count of the Crown of León
• Fernando Ruiz de Castro (fl. 1354–1377), nobleman of the House of Castro
• Fernando Ruiz de Castro Andrade y Portugal (1548–1601), nobleman, Viceroy of Naples
• Gaspar de Zúñiga, 5th Count of Monterrey (1560–1606), nobleman, Viceroy of New Spain
• Inês de Castro (1325–1355), noblewoman, consort of King Peter I of Portugal
• Manuel de Acevedo y Zúñiga (fl. 1628–1637), Viceroy of Naples
• Menendo González (fl. 997–1008), Duke of Galicia and Count of Portugal
• Pedro Fernández de Castro y Andrade (1560–1622), nobleman, Viceroy of Naples
• Sueiro Gomes de Soutomaior (1417–1490), aristocrat in the kingdom of Galicia
• Vímara Peres (820–873), first ruler of the County of Portugal

Politics

• Santiago Iglesias, labor leader & organizer in Cuba & Puerto Rico born in A Coruña. First Spaniard elected in 1932 & 1936 to the U. S. Congress as Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico
• Nadia Calviño
• Fidel Castro (both parents from Galicia), former president of Cuba
• Raúl Castro (both parents from Galicia), former president of Cuba, incumbent first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
• Pablo Iglesias, founder of the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in 1879 and the Spanish General Workers' Union (UGT) in 1888
• Tabaré Vázquez (of Galician ancestry), president of Uruguay
• Francisco Franco, leader and later formal head of state of Spain from October 1936, and of all of Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975
• Manuel Fraga Iribarne, President of the Xunta of Galicia from 1990 to 2005 and founder of the People's Alliance (Spain) (Alianza Popular - AP), later refounded as the People's Party (Spain) (Partido Popular - PP).
• Anxo Quintana, politician, former leader of the Galician Nationalist Block (Bloque Nacionalista Galego), the main Galician Nationalist party
• Adolfo Suárez González (his father was from La Coruña), Spain's first democratically elected prime minister after the end of Francoist Spain
• Xosé Manuel Beiras, politician, economist, writer and intellectual
• Benigno Álvares, leader and founder of Galician Communist Party
• Alexandre Bóveda
• Yolanda Díaz
• Elena Espinosa, Minister of the Environment and currently represents Ourense in the Spanish Congress
• Amada Garcia, Communist activist
• Francisco Caamaño Domínguez (born 1963)
• Rosario Hernández Diéguez, newspaper hawker and trade unionist affiliated with UGT and PSOE
• José Patiño (1666–1736), secretary of state
• Ricardo Mella, writer, intellectual and libertarian activist
• Alberto Núñez Feijóo
• Emilio Pérez Touriño, politician and economist
• Mariano Rajoy, leader of the conservative People's Party (PP) and prime minister of Spain until a vote of no confidence ousted his government
• Alfonso Daniel Rodríguez Castelao, writer, politician and one of the main symbols of Galician nationalism
• Elena Salgado, former Second Vice President and Minister of Economy and Finance in Spain
• Juan Niño de Tabora, former governor of the Philippines.
• Ramón Franco, pioneer of aviation, a political figure and brother of later caudillo Francisco Franco
• Juan Camilo Mouriño, politician
• Enrique Líster Forján, a communist politician and military, serving as a general in the armies of the Spanish Republic, the Soviet Red Army and the Yugoslav People's Army
• José Calvo Sotelo (1893–1936), leader of the opposition, his assassination by Socialists agents marked the outbreak of the Spanish civil war
• Eugenio Montero Ríos (1832–1914), prime minister of Spain (19th century)
• José Canalejas (1854- 1912), prime minister of Spain (20th century)
• Manuel Portela Valladares (1868–1952) prime minister of Spain (20th century)
• Eduardo Dato e Iradier (1856–1921), prime minister of Spain (20th century, 3 times)
• Santiago Casares Quiroga, Prime Minister of Spain when Spanish civil war broke out

Religion

• Alonso III Fonseca (1475–1534), Catholic archbishop and politician
• Antonio María Rouco Varela (born 1936), Catholic prelate
• Benito Jerónimo Feijoo e Montenegro, neoclassical monk and scholar
• Diego Gelmírez (1069–1149), Catholic archbishop
• Hydatius (400–469), Catholic bishop
• Marina of Aguas Santas (119–139), Portuguese Catholic saint
• Pope Damasus I (305–384)
• Rudesind (907–977), Catholic bishop and abbot
• Senorina (fl. 982), Catholic abbess
• Theodemar of Iria (fl. 818–847), Catholic bishop

Sportspeople

• Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro (born 2002), tennis player
• David Cal (born 1982), flatwater canoer
• Támara Echegoyen (born 1984), sailor
• Beatriz Gómez Cortés (born 1994), Olympic swimmer
• Francisco Javier Gómez Noya (born 1983), triathlete
• Juan López Mella (1965–1995), motorcycle racer
• Ana Peleteiro (born 1995), triple jumper, 2020 Olympic bronze medallist
• Carlos Pérez (born 1979), flatwater canoer
• Iván Raña (born 1979), triathlete
• Fran Vázquez (born 1983), basketball player

Cycling

• Gustavo César (born 1980)
• David García Dapena (born 1977)
• Vicente López Carril (born 1942)
• Ezequiel Mosquera (born 1975)
• Óscar Pereiro (born 1977), winner of the 2006 Tour de France
• Álvaro Pino (born 1956)
• Gonzalo Rabuñal (born 1984)
• Delio Rodríguez (1916–1994), winner of the 1945 Vuelta a España
• Emilio Rodríguez (1923–1984), winner of the 1950 Vuelta a España

Football

• Amancio Amaro (born 1939), former Spanish international, 1964 European Championship winner
• Iago Aspas (born 1987), Spanish international
• Verónica Boquete (born 1987), Spanish women's international
• Paco Buyo (born 1958), former Spanish international
• Ricardo Cabanas (born 1979), former Swiss international
• Fran (born 1969), former Spanish international
• Jorge Otero (born 1969), former Spanish international
• Joselu (born 1990), Spanish international
• Pahiño (born 1923), former Spanish international
• Míchel Salgado (born 1975), former Spanish international
• Luis Suárez (born 1935), former Spanish international, 1964 European Championship winner, Ballon d'Or winner
• Lucas Vázquez (born 1991), Spanish international

Others

• Ana Romero Masiá, Galician historian
• Benito de Soto (1805–1830), pirate
• Ramón Menéndez Pidal (1869–1968), philologist and historian
• Antonio Palacios (1872–1945), architect
• Domingo de Andrade (1639–1712), Baroque architect
• Simón Rodríguez (1769–1854), philosopher and educator