List of Spaniards
This is a list, in alphabetical order within categories, of notable hispanic people of Spanish heritage and descent born and raised in Spain, or of direct Spanish descent.
Note: The same person may appear under several headings.
Actors
- Victoria Abril
- Elena Anaya
- Antonio Banderas
- Javier Bardem
- Pilar Bardem
- Claudia Bassols
- Ana Belén
- Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey
- Juan Diego Botto
- Mario Casas
- Diego Gilberte
- Mark Consuelos
- Penélope Cruz
- Gabino Diego
- Angelines Fernández
- Fernando Fernán Gómez
- Juan Luis Galiardo
- Sancho Gracia
- Alfredo Landa
- Sergi López
- Jordi Mollà
- Sara Montiel
- Paul Naschy
- Fernando Rey
- Fernando Sancho
- María Valverde
- Paz Vega
- Maribel Verdú
Artists
- David Aja, comics artist
- Juan Caro de Tavira, painter
- Charris, painter
- Chumy Chúmez, cartoonist
- Salvador Dalí, surrealist artist
- Óscar Domínguez, surrealist artist
- Pasqual Ferry, comics artist
- Francisco de Goya, painter and engraver
- El Greco, painter and sculptor
- Juan Gris, cubist painter
- Joan Miró, painter, sculptor and ceramist
- Joaquín Sorolla, painter
- Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, painter
- Carlos Pacheco, comics artist
- Pablo Picasso, painter and sculptor, co-founder of cubism
- Antoni Tàpies, abstract expressionist painter
- Diego Velázquez, painter
- Ignacio Zuloaga, painter
- Francisco de Zurbarán, painter
- Antoni Gaudí,architecture, design, sculpture
Explorers and conquerors
- Lope de Aguirre, soldier and adventurer, explored the Amazon River looking for El Dorado
- Diego de Almagro, explorer and conquistador, first European in Chile
- Luis de Moscoso Alvarado, explorer and conquistador.
- Juan Bautista de Anza, soldier and explorer, founded San Francisco, California
- Sebastián de Belalcázar, first explorer in search of El Dorado in 1535 and conqueror of Ecuador and southern Colombia, founded Quito 1534, Cali 1536, Pasto 1537, and Popayán 1537
- Fray Tomás de Berlanga, bishop of Panama, discovered the Galápagos Islands
- Juan Bermúdez, explorer and skier, discovered the Bermuda Islands
- Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, first European to explore the southwestern of what is now the United States, also explored South America
- Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, explorer, discovered California
- Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, explorer and one of the four last survivors of the Narváez expedition.
- Gabriel de Castilla, sailor; in 1603 he became probably the first man ever to sight Antarctica
- Cosme Damián Churruca, explorer, astronomer and naval officer, mapped the Strait of Magellan
- Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, explored New Mexico and other parts of the southwest of what is now the United States
- Hernán Cortés, conquistador of the Aztec Empire, explorer of Baja California Peninsula
- Juan Sebastián Elcano, explorer and sailor, first man to circumnavigate the world
- Gaspar de Espinosa, soldier and explorer, first European to reach the coast of Nicaragua, co-founder of Panama City
- Diego Duque de Estrada, soldier, explorer, writer
- Salvador Fidalgo, naval officer and cartographer, explored Alaska in 1790, he named Cordova, Port Gravina, and Valdez
- Miguel López de Legazpi, explored and conquered the Philippine Islands in 1565
- Vasco Núñez de Balboa, first European to sight the Pacific Ocean, founder of Darién
- Francisco de Orellana, first European to explore the Amazon River
- Pedrarias Dávila, conquistador, founder of Panama and governor of Nicaragua
- Francisco Pizarro, conqueror of the Inca Empire in Peru
- Juan Ponce de León, first European to explore Florida ; founded the first European settlement in Puerto Rico
- Alonso del Castillo Maldonado, explorer and one of the four last survivors of the Narváez expedition.
- Gaspar de Portolà, explorer, founder of Monterey, California
- Bartolomé Ruiz, first European to explore Ecuador; pilot for Pizarro and Columbus
- Hernando de Soto, explorer and conquistador, first European to explore the plains of eastern North America; discovered the Mississippi river and the Ohio river
- Pedro de Valdivia, conquistador of Chile, founder of Santiago, Concepción, and Valdivia
- Pedro de los Ríos y Gutiérrez de Aguayo, Royal Spanish governor of Castilla del Oro
- Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, explorer and sailor, first European to reach the coast of Brazil
- Amaro Rodríguez Felipe, pirate
- Isabel de Urquiola, explorer
Film directors
- Pedro Almodóvar
- Alejandro Amenábar
- Montxo Armendáriz
- Carlos Atanes
- Juanma Bajo Ulloa
- Jaume Balagueró
- Juan Antonio Bardem
- Juan Antonio Bayona
- Icíar Bollaín
- José Luis Borau
- Luis Buñuel
- Mario Camus
- Segundo de Chomón
- Isabel Coixet
- Agustín Díaz Yanes
- Víctor Erice
- Fernando Fernán Gómez
- Jesús Franco
- José Luis Garci
- Luis García Berlanga
- Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón
- Álex de la Iglesia
- Fernando León de Aranoa
- Bigas Luna
- Julio Médem
- Pilar Miró
- Paul Naschy
- Amando de Ossorio
- Ventura Pons
- José Luis Sáenz de Heredia
- Carlos Saura
- Santiago Segura
- David Trueba
- Fernando Trueba
- Agustí Villaronga
- Benito Zambrano
- Lydia Zimmermann
- Iván Zulueta
Leaders and politicians
Medieval ancestors
- Pelayo of Asturias, founding king of the Kingdom of Asturias
- Abd-ar-Rahman III, Emir and Caliph of Córdoba
- Al-Mansur, de facto ruler of Muslim Al-Andalus in late 10th and early 11th centuries
- Alfonso X of Castile
Modern
- Isabella of Castile, the Catholic, Queen of Castile and León
- Ferdinand II, the Catholic, King of Aragon, Castile and León, Sicily, Naples and Valencia
- Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, cardinal, statesman, and regent of Spain
- Juana of Castile, frequently called "the Mad", queen of Castile and León; daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand
- Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, ruler of the Burgundian territories, King of Spain, King of Naples and Sicily, Archduke of Austria, King of the Romans ; often referred to as "Carlos V", but he ruled officially as "Carlos I", hence "Charles I of Spain"
- Philip II, King of Spain
- Philip V, King of Spain
- Charles III, King of Spain
- Ferdinand VII, King of Spain
Contemporary
- Leopoldo O'Donnell, Duke of Tetuan, general and Prime Minister
- Juan Prim, general, liberal leader, revolutionary and statesman
- Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, Prime Minister
- Fernando de los Ríos Urruti was a Minister of Justice, Minister of State, and a Spanish Politician.
- 20th and 21st centuries:
- *Manuel Azaña, Premier and President during the Second Spanish Republic
- *José María Aznar, Prime Minister
- *Josep Borrell, President of the European Parliament
- *Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo, Prime Minister
- *Santiago Carrillo, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain from 1960 to 1982
- *Buenaventura Durruti, anarchist leader
- *Francisco Franco, Army general and dictator, ruled Spain for 36 years as "Caudillo"
- *María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, Spanish Socialist Workers' Party politician and the first female Vice President
- *Felipe González, Prime Minister
- *Dolores Ibárruri, known as "La Pasionaria", leader of the Spanish Civil War and communist politician
- *Eugenio Montero Ríos Spanish Prime Minister and President of the Senate of Spain.
- *Juan Carlos I, King of Spain
- *José Antonio Primo de Rivera
- *Mariano Rajoy, Prime Minister
- *Rodrigo Rato, managing director of the IMF since 2004
- *Adolfo Suárez, Prime Minister
- *Javier Solana, Secretary General of NATO and High Representative of the CFSP of the Council of the European Union
- *José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister
- *Felipe VI, King of Spain since 2014
Literature
A–D
- Rafael Alberti, poet, Cervantes Prize laureate
- Vicente Aleixandre, poet, Nobel Prize laureate
- Pío Baroja, novelist of the Generation of '98
- Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, romantic poet and tale writer
- Antonio Buero Vallejo, playwright of the Generation of '36
- Pedro Calderón de la Barca, playwright and poet of the Spanish Golden Age
- Rosalía de Castro, romanticist and poet
- Camilo José Cela, novelist, Nobel Prize laureate
- Miguel de Cervantes, novelist, poet and playwright, author of Don Quixote
- Miguel Delibes, novelist, Cervantes Prize laureate
E–L
- José Echegaray, dramatist, Nobel Prize laureate
- Federico García Lorca, poet and dramatist of the Generation of '27
- Luis de Góngora, lyric poet considered to be among the most prominent Spanish poets of all time
- Jorge Guillén, poet, Cervantes Prize laureate, four-time Nobel Prize nominee
- Juan Ramón Jiménez, poet, Nobel Prize laureate
- John of the Cross, mystic poet
- Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, main figure of the Spanish Age of Enlightenment, philosopher, statesman, poet and essayist
M–T
- Antonio Machado, leading poet of the Generation of '98
- Salvador de Madariaga, essayist and two-time Nobel Prize nominee
- Jorge Manrique, major Castilian poet
- Juan Marsé, novelist and Cervantes prize laureate
- Eduardo Mendoza, novelist and Cervantes prize laureate
- Emilia Pardo Bazán, writer of prose and poetry who introduced naturalism and feminist ideas to Spanish literature
- Benito Pérez Galdós, realist novelist considered by some to be second only to Cervantes in stature as a Spanish novelist
- Arturo Pérez-Reverte, best-selling novelist and journalist, member of the Royal Spanish Academy
- Francesc Pi i Margall, romanticist writer who was briefly president of the short-lived First Spanish Republic
- Francisco de Quevedo, novelist, essayist and poet, master of Conceptism
- Enrique Tierno Galván, essayist and lawyer who served as Mayor of Madrid from 1979 to 1986
U–Z
- Miguel de Unamuno, Basque essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, professor of Greek and Classics, and later rector at the University of Salamanca
- Ramón María del Valle-Inclán, radical dramatist, novelist and member of the Generation of '98
- Garcilaso de la Vega, Renaissance poet who was influential in introducing Italian Renaissance verse forms, poetic techniques, and themes to Spain
- "El Inca" Garcilaso de la Vega, first mestizo author in Spanish language, known for his chronicles of Inca history
- Félix Lope de Vega, one of the key literary figures of the Spanish Golden Age
- María de Zayas y Sotomayor, female novelist of the Spanish Golden Age, and one of the first Spanish feminist authors
Military
- 3rd Duke of Alba, general and governor of the Spanish Netherlands
- Diego de los Ríos Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines
- Don Juan de Austria, general and admiral; defeated Müezzinzade Ali Pasha in the Battle of Lepanto
- Blas de Lezo, admiral; leading 6 warships and 3.700 men, defeated a British invasion force of 28.000 troops and 186 warships, during the Siege of Cartagena in 1741
- Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, admiral
- Francisco Javier Castaños, 1st Duke of Bailén, general; he defeated Dupont in the Battle of Bailén
- El Cid, knight and hero
- Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, "El Gran Capitán", general and strategist of Early modern warfare
- Francisco Franco, general; from 1939 dictator and formal Head of State of Spain
- Manuel Alberto Freire de Andrade y Armijo, Spanish cavalry officer and general officer during the Peninsular War, and later Defense Minister
- Bernardo de Gálvez, Field Marshal and governor of Louisiana, Spanish hero of the American Revolution
- Juan Martín Díez, "El Empecinado", head of guerrilla bands promoted to Brigadier-General of cavalry during the Peninsular War
- Casto Méndez Núñez, admiral
- Pedro Navarro, Count of Oliveto, prominent general
- Álvaro de Navia Osorio y Vigil, Marqués de Santa Cruz de Marcenado,, general, author of the treatise Reflexiones Militares
- Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, Spanish general and military governor of the Spanish Netherlands
- Ambrosio Spinola, marqués de los Balbases, general
- Fernando Villaamil, naval officer, designer of the first destroyer
Models
- Esther Cañadas
- Jon Kortajarena
- Sheila Marquez
- Judit Mascó
- Marina Pérez
- Inés Sastre
Musicians
Classical
- Isaac Albéniz, composer
- Salvador Bacarisse, composer
- Pablo Casals, cello player and conductor
- Manuel de Falla, composer
- Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor
- Enrique Granados, composer
- Enrique Jordá, conductor, music director of the San Francisco Symphony
- Francisco Lara, composer and conductor
- Alicia de Larrocha, pianist
- Vicente Martín y Soler, composer
- Luis de Pablo, composer
- Blas de Laserna, composer
- Eugenia Osterberger, Galician pianist and composer
- Joaquín Rodrigo, composer and pianist, known for his Concierto de Aranjuez
- Gaspar Sanz, composer, dominate figure of Spanish baroque music
- Jordi Savall, early and baroque music conductor and viol player
- Andrés Segovia, classical guitarist
- Antonio Soler, composer, known for his harpsichord sonatas
- Francisco Tárrega, composer and classical guitarist
- Joaquín Turina, composer
- Tomás Luis de Victoria, the most famous composer of the 16th century in Spain
- Paco de Lucía, flamenco guitarist and composer; regarded as one of the finest guitarists in the world and the greatest living guitarist of the flamenco genre
Opera singers
- Victoria de los Ángeles, soprano
- Maite Arruabarrena, mezzo-soprano
- Teresa Berganza, mezzo-soprano
- Montserrat Caballé, soprano
- Nancy Fabiola Herrera, mezzo-soprano
- José Carreras, one of The Three Tenors
- Antonio Cortis, tenor
- Plácido Domingo, one of The Three Tenors
- Manuel del Pópulo Vicente García, tenor
- María Gay, mezzo-soprano
- Alfredo Kraus, tenor
- Hipólito Lázaro, tenor
- Carlos Marín, baritone, member of operatic quartet Il Divo
- María José Montiel, mezzo-soprano
- María Orán, soprano
- Adelina Patti, coloratura soprano
- Conchita Supervía, mezzo-soprano
- Francisco Viñas', tenor
Singers
- Alaska, pop-rock singer
- Pablo Alboran, singer
- Eva Amaral, pop and folk rock singer
- Ana Belén, singer and actress
- David Bisbal, Almeria singer-songwriter
- Miguel Bosé, pop singer
- Nino Bravo, singer
- Camarón de la Isla, flamenco singer, real name José Monje Cruz
- Luz Casal, pop singer
- Rocío Dúrcal, singer
- Manolo Escobar, singer
- Manolo García, singer-songwriter
- Enrique Iglesias, singer
- Julio Iglesias, pop singer
- Rocío Jurado, singer
- Lola Flores, singer and flamenco dancer
- Lolita Flores, singer and actress
- Víctor Manuel, singer
- Alba Molina, Flamenco singer
- Amaia Montero pop singer
- Carlos Núñez, bagpipes and Galician music performer
- Paloma San Basilio, singer
- Jordi Savall, film music composer
- José Luis Perales, singer
- Camilo Sesto, singer
- Isabel Pantoja, singer
- Niña Pastori,, flamenco singer
- José Luis Perales, singer
- Raphael, pop singer
- Joaquín Sabina, singer-songwriter
- Alejandro Sanz, pop singer
- Joan Manuel Serrat, Catalan singer-songwriter
- Ana Torroja, pop rock singer
- Enrique Urquijo, founder of the band Los Secretos with his brother Álvaro, lead voice and composer
Philosophers and humanists
- Alfonso X of Castile, "El Sabio"
- Francisco de Enzinas, humanist and translator of the New Testament
- Francisco Giner de los Ríos, philosopher, educator and one of the most influential Spanish intellectuals at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.
- Baltasar Gracián, author of El Criticón, influenced European philosophers such as Schopenhauer
- Bartolomé de Las Casas, humanist, advocate of the rights of Native Americans
- Salvador de Madariaga, humanist, co-founder of the College of Europe
- Gregorio Marañón, humanist and medical scientist, important intellectual of the 20th century in Spain
- Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo, philologist, historian and erudite
- Julián Marías, philosopher; wrote the History of Philosophy
- Ramón Menéndez Pidal, philologist, historian and erudite member of Generation of '98
- Antonio de Nebrija, scholar, published the first grammar of the Spanish language, which was the first grammar produced of any Romance language
- José Ortega y Gasset, philosopher, social and political thinker, author of The Revolt of the Masses
- Bernardino de Sahagún, Franciscan missionary, researched Nahua culture and Nahuatl language and compiled an unparalleled work in Spanish and Náhuatl
- George Santayana, philosopher, taught at Harvard, author of The Sense of Beauty and The Life of Reason
- Fernando Savater, philosopher and essayist, known for his writings on ethics
- Francisco Suárez, one of the most influential scholastics after Thomas Aquinas
- Miguel de Unamuno, existentialist writer and literary theoretician
- Juan Luis Vives, prominent figure of Renaissance humanism, taught at Leuven and Oxford
- Xavier Zubiri, philosopher, critic of classical metaphysics
Religion
- Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, religious reformer, bishop, cardinal and
- St Dominic of Guzmán, founder of the Order of Preachers
- St Isidore of Seville, bishop, humanist and doctor of the Church
- St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus
- St John of Avila, priest, preacher, theologian and mystic
- St John of the Cross, mystic and monastic reformer, doctor of the Church
- Saints Nunilo and Alodia, child martyrs
- Vicente Enrique y Tarancón, bishop, cardinal and president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference
- St Teresa of Avila, mystic and monastic reformer, doctor of the Church
- Tomás de Torquemada, Grand Inquisitor
- St Joaquina Vedruna, founder of the Carmelite Sisters of the Charity
- St Vincent Martyr, deacon martyr
- St Francis Xavier, missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus
- Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur, missionary in Guatemala
- José de Anchieta, missionary in Brazil; founder of city Sao Paulo and co-founder of city Rio de Janeiro
Science and technology
- José de Acosta, one of the first naturalists and anthropologists of the Americas
- Alex Aguilar, professor of Animal Biology at the University of Barcelona
- Susana Agustí, biological oceanographer, educator
- José María Algué, meteorologist, inventor of the barocyclometer, the nephoscope, and the microseismograph
- :es:Rafael Alvarado Ballester|Rafael Alvarado Ballester
- Jerónimo de Ayanz y Beaumont, registered design for steam-powered water pump for use in mines
- Ignacio Barraquer, leading ophthalmologist, pioneer of cataract surgery
- José Ignacio Barraquer, leading ophthalmologist, father of modern refractive surgery; invented the microkeratome and the cryolathe, developed the surgical procedures of keratomileusis and keratophakia
- Ángel Cabrera, naturalist, investigated South American fauna
- Nicolás Cabrera, physicist, did important work on the theories of crystal growth and the oxidisation of metals
- Santiago Calatrava, architect, sculptor and structural engineer
- Pedro Carlos Cavadas Rodríguez, pioneering surgeon
- Juan de la Cierva, aeronautical engineer, pioneer of rotary flight, inventor of the autogyro
- Juan Ignacio Cirac Sasturain, one of the pioneers of the field of quantum computing and quantum information theory
- Josep Comas i Solà, astronomer, discovered the periodic comet 32P/Comas Solá and 11 asteroids, and in 1907 observed limb darkening of Saturn's moon Titan
- Carmen Domínguez, glaciologist
- Pedro Duque, astronaut and veteran of two space missions
- Fausto de Elhúyar, chemist, joint discoverer of tungsten with his brother Juan José de Elhúyar in 1783
- Carlos Fernández Casado, civil engineer, designer and builder of bridges and viaducts
- Jaime Ferrán, doctor and researcher, discovered several vaccines
- Bernardo Hernández, entrepreneur, leading figure in technology
- Francisco Hernández, botanicist, carried out important research about the Mexican flora
- Manuel Jalón Corominas, inventor of the mop and a worldwide used "two-piece" disposable syringe
- Carlos Jiménez Díaz, doctor and researcher, leading figure in pathology
- Asunción Linares, paleontologist
- Gregorio Marañón, doctor and researcher, leading figure in endocrinology
- Narcís Monturiol, physicist and inventor, pioneer of underwater navigation and first machine powered submarine
- José Celestino Bruno Mutis, botanicist, doctor, philosopher and mathematician, carried out relevant research about the American flora, founded one of the first astronomic observatories in America
- Severo Ochoa, doctor and biochemist, achieved the synthesis of ribonucleic acid, Nobel prize laureate
- Mateu Orfila, doctor and chemist, father of modern toxicology, leading figure in forensic toxicology
- Joan Oró, biochemist, carried out important research about the origin of life, he worked with NASA on the Viking missions
- Julio Palacios Martínez, physicist and mathematician
- Isaac Peral, engineer and sailor, designer of the first fully operative military submarine
- Santiago Ramón y Cajal, father of Neuroscience, Nobel prize laureate
- Julio Rey Pastor, mathematician, leading figure in geometry
- Wifredo Ricart, engineer, designer and executive manager in the automotive industry
- Andrés Manuel del Río, geologist and chemist, discovered vanadium in 1801
- Pío del Río Hortega, neuroscientist, discoverer of the microglia or Hortega cell
- Josef de Mendoza y Ríos was a Spanish astronomer and mathematician of the 18th century, famous for his work on navigation.
- Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente, naturalist, leading figure in ornithology, ethology, ecology and science divulgation
- :es:Enrique Rojas|Enrique Rojas Montes
- Margarita Salas, biochemist, molecular geneticist and researcher
- Miguel Sarrias Domingo was Medical Director of the Institut Guttmann in Barcelona.
- Miguel Servet, scientist, surgeon and humanist; first European to describe pulmonary circulation
- María Dolores Soria, paleontologist, researcher, professor, and biologist
- Esteban Terradas i Illa, mathematician, physicist and engineer
- Leonardo Torres Quevedo, engineer and mathematician, pioneer of automated calculation machines, inventor of the automatic chess, pioneer of remote control, designer of the funicular over the Niagara Falls
- Eduardo Torroja, civil engineer, structural architect, world-famous specialist in concrete structures
- Josep Trueta, doctor, his new method for treatment of open wounds and fractures helped save many lives during World War II
- Antonio de Ulloa, scientist, soldier and author; joint discoverer of element platinum with Jorge Juan y Santacilia
- Arnold of Villanova, alchemist and physician, he discovered carbon monoxide and pure alcohol
Social scientists
- Martín de Azpilicueta, economist, member of the School of Salamanca, precursor of the quantitative theory of money
- Manuel Castells, sociologist, author of trilogy The Information Age
- María Ángeles Durán, sociologist and economist
- :es:Manuel Fernández López |Manuel Fernández López
- Salvador Giner, sociologist, he had researched on social theory, sociology of culture and modern industrial society
- Jesús Huerta de Soto, major Austrian School economist
- Juan José Linz, Sterling Professor of Political and Social Science at Yale; Prince of Asturias Award and Johan Skytte Prize laureate
- Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz, historian, prominent specialist in medieval Spanish history
- Joseph de la Vega, businessman, wrote Confusion of Confusions, first book on stock markets
- Francisco de Vitoria, member of the School of Salamanca, precursor of international law theory
Sports
Athletics
- Fermín Cacho Ruiz, 1500 metres gold and silver medalist
- Francisco Javier Gómez Noya, triathlon silver medalist; four times ITU Triathlon world champion
Basketball
- Antonio Díaz-Miguel, coach, enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997
- Pau Gasol, FC Barcelona and Los Angeles Lakers player, 2001–02 NBA Rookie of the Year Award winner; 2006 FIBA W.C. MVP
- Marc Gasol, player for Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors
- Fernando Martín, Estudiantes, Real Madrid and Portland Trail Blazers player
- Juan Carlos Navarro, FC Barcelona and Memphis Grizzlies player
Boxing
- Pedro Carrasco, 1967 European Lightweight Champion; 1971 WBC's World Lightweight Champion
- Javier Castillejo, two-time WBC World Jr. Middleweight Champion and one-time WBA Middleweight champion
Cycling
- Federico Martín Bahamontes, 1959 Tour de France winner
- Juan José Cobo, 2011 Vuelta a España winner
- Alberto Contador, three-time Tour de France, 2008 Giro d'Italia, 2008 Vuelta a España winner
- Pedro Delgado, 1988 Tour de France winner
- Óscar Freire, three-time World Cycling Champion
- José Manuel Fuente, twice Vuelta a España winner, second in Giro d'Italia, third in Tour de France
- Roberto Heras, three-time Vuelta a España winner
- Miguel Indurain, gold medalist, 1995 World Time-Trial Champion, World Hour recordman, five consecutive times Tour de France winner, twice Giro d'Italia winner
- Joan Llaneras, gold medalist, silver medalist, seven-time World Points race or Madison Track Cycling Champion
- Luis Ocaña, 1973 Tour de France winner
- Abraham Olano, 1995 World Cycling Champion and 1998 World Time-Trial Champion
- Óscar Pereiro, 2006 Tour de France winner
- Samuel Sánchez, Beijing 2008 Olympic Road Race Gold Medal
- Carlos Sastre, 2008 Tour de France winner
- Joane Somarriba, three-time Grande Boucle winner
- Guillermo Timoner, six-time World Motor paced Track Cycling Champion
Football (soccer)
- Iker Casillas, goalkeeper and Real Madrid; captain of Spain's team that won UEFA Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2012
- Francisco Gento, Real Madrid player; winner of six UEFA Champions League
- Raúl González, first player to reach 50 goals in UEFA Champions League
- Xavi Hernández, midfielder and FC Barcelona player; UEFA Euro 2008 MVP
- Andrés Iniesta, midfielder and FC Barcelona player; scored the winning goal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final; UEFA Euro 2012 MVP
- Fernando Torres, striker and Chelsea player; scored the winning goal at the Euro 2008 Final; winner of Golden Boot at Euro 2012
- David Villa, striker and FC Barcelona player; Spain's all-time top goalscorer
- Andoni Zubizarreta, Spanish international
- Gerard Pique, plays for the club FC Barcelona, and is a defender
Golf
- Seve Ballesteros, winner of five major championships
- Sergio García, winner of a major championship
- Miguel Ángel Jiménez, winner of 13 European Tour titles winner
- José María Olazábal, winner of two major championships
Motor sports
- Fernando Alonso, 2005 and 2006 Formula One World Champion
- Jaime Alguersuari, 2008 British Formula Three champion
- Álvaro Bautista, motorcycle racing raider, 125cc champion of the World in 2006
- Carlos Checa, GP motorcycle racing rider and Superbike World Champion in 2011
- Marc Coma, won the Dakar Rally in 2006
- Àlex Crivillé, 500cc GP motorcycle racing World Champion in 1999
- Marc Gené, Formula One driver
- Jorge Lorenzo, 2006 and 2007 GP motorcycle racing 250cc World Champion, 2010, 2012, and 2015 MotoGP World Champion
- Marc Márquez, Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, and is the 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017 Moto GP World Champion
- Jorge Martínez Aspar, GP motorcycle racing rider, four-time World Champion
- Pedro Martínez de la Rosa, Formula One driver
- Ángel Nieto, GP motorcycle racing rider, 12+1 times World Champion
- Daniel Pedrosa, youngest GP motorcycle racing World Champion of 125cc and 250cc
- Carlos Sainz, 1990 and 1992 World Rally Champion and 2010 Dakar Rally winner
- Carlos Sainz, Jr., Formula One driver
Rugby union
- Oriol Ripol, professional rugby union player for Worcester Warriors; considered the greatest Spaniard to ever play the game
- Cédric Garcia, professional rugby player for Aviron Bayonnais
Tennis
- Galo Blanco, professional tennis player
- Sergi Bruguera, 1993 and 1994 French Open Men's Singles Champion
- Àlex Corretja, 1998 ATP Tour World Champion
- Albert Costa, 2002 French Open Men's Singles Champion
- Juan Carlos Ferrero, 2003 French Open Men's Singles Champion
- Andrés Gimeno, 1972 French Open Men's Singles Champion
- Conchita Martínez, 1994 Wimbledon Women's Singles Champion
- Carlos Moyá, 1998 French Open Men's Singles Champion
- Garbiñe Muguruza, 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon Women's Singles Champion
- Rafael Nadal, former World Number 1, 2005 French Open, 2006 French Open, 2007 French Open, 2008 French Open, 2010 French Open, 2011 French Open, 2012 French Open 2013 French Open, 2014 French Open, 2017 French Open, 2008 Wimbledon, 2010 Wimbledon, 2009 Australian Open, 2010 US Open, 2013 US Open, 2017 US Open Men's Singles Champion, 2008 Olympics and 2016 Olympics gold medallist
- Manuel Orantes, 1975 U.S. Open Men's Singles Champion
- Virginia Ruano Pascual, eight Grand Slam Doubles titles winner
- Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, ten Grand Slam titles winner
- Emilio Sánchez Vicario, three Grand Slam Doubles titles winner
- Javier Sánchez Vicario, professional tennis player, brother of Aranxta
- Manuel Santana, 5 Grand Slam titles winner
- Fernando Verdasco Carmona, professional tennis player
Others
- Graciano Canteli, diplomat
- Pilar Civeira, professor of medicine in Pamplona
- Charo Sádaba, professor of advertising in Pamplona
- María Josefa Cerrato Rodríguez, first woman veterinarian
- José Andrés, chef
- Ferran Adrià, chef
- Joaquín Cortés, dancer
- Juan March Ordinas, politician and businessman
- Federica Montseny, anarchist, politician and writer
- Amancio Ortega Gaona, entrepreneur
- Pepita de Oliva, dancer
- Ana María Pérez del Campo, lawyer, feminist
- Juan Pujol, alias Garbo, double agent who played a key role in the success of D-Day towards the end of World War II
- Tamara Rojo, prima ballerina of the London's Royal Ballet ; Prince of Asturias Award of Arts laureate
- Diego Salcedo, first Spaniard killed by Puerto Rican Taínos
- Elbira Zipitria, Spanish-Basque educator, promoter of the Basque language