List of Frisians

This is a list of famous or notable persons considered Frisians by citizenship, ethnicity or nationality.

Statue of Frisian priest Prof. Dr. Titus Brandsma, O.Carm. in Nijmegen.

A

• Bernard Accama (1697–1756), 18th century painter from Friesland
• Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836–1912), Dutch painter from Dronrijp
• Stine Andresen (1849–1927), poet from Föhr who also wrote in Fering. Befriended poet Friedrich Hebbel.
• Wibren Altena (1917–1987), writer and performer of satirical and more serious poems and ballads

B

• Nicolaas Baur (1736–1817), portrait painter from Harlingen
• Eggerik Beninga (1490–1562), East Frisian chronicler
• William Bergsma, (1921–1994), American composer of Frisian descent.
• Shawn Boonstra, (born 1969) author and host of the Voice of Prophecy, son of Frisian immigrant to Canada.
• Titus Brandsma (1881–1942), Carmelite priest of the Roman Catholic Church, anti-Nazi Dutch resistance voice
• Hinrich Braren (1751–1826), nautical examiner from Föhr. He wrote the first textbook on navigation in German language.
• Oluf Braren (1787–1839), painter from Föhr.
• Dan Bylsma, NHL head coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins (born 1970), of Frisian descent.

C

• Franciscus Carree (c. 1630) was made the first painter of William Frederick, Prince of Nassau-Dietz
• Peter Harry Carstensen (born 1947), Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein from 2005 to 2012

D

• Edsger Dijkstra (1930–2002), influential computer scientist.
• Everett Dirksen (1896-1969), American politician of the Republican Party, whose parents were born in East Frisia.
• Pier Gerlofs Donia (1480–1520), Frisian freedom fighter and folk hero, founder of the Arumer Black Heap
• Lenny Dykstra – Major League baseball player for the New York Mets (1985–1989) and Philadelphia Phillies (1989–1996).

E

• Fred Eaglesmith, Canadian folk singer, original last name, Elgersma
• Gerard Edema (1652–1700?), was a Dutch landscape-painter who settled in England.
• Edzard the Great, (1461–1528) was count of East Frisia from 1491 till his death in 1528
• Dieter Eilts, football (soccer) player, Nickname: the Alemão of East Frisia, won the UEFA European Championship: 1996 with Germany.
• Eise Eisinga (1744–1828), Frisian amateur astronomer and builder of the oldest working planetaria in the world.
• Ubbo Emmius (1547–1625), professor of history and Greek
• Heiko Engelkes, German journalist born in Norden, East Frisia
• Jens Jacob Eschels (1757–1842), seafarer and entrepreneur. He became known by his autobiography.
• Balthasar Oomkens von Esens (died 1540), East Frisian nobleman who opposed House Cirksena
• Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898–1972), a famous graphic artist born in Leeuwarden.
• Rudolf Eucken (1846–1926), German philosopher and the winner of the 1908 Nobel Prize for Literature.

F

• David Fabricius (1564–1617), astronomer and theologian
• Johannes Fabricius (1587–1616), astronomer and a discoverer of sunspots, independently of Galileo Galilei
• Pieter Feddes van Harlingen (1586–1623), was a Dutch Golden Age painter.
• Bernard Fokke (1600–1641), on whom the Flying Dutchman is said to be based
• Jane Fonda, actress with Frisian ancestry
• Magnus Forteman (~809), legendary commander and magistrate governor of Friesland.
• William Frankena (1908–1994), American philosopher of Ethics; scholar in history of ethics; played role in controversies of the 1950s.
• Josh Freese – American musician of Frisian descent
• Stuart Frisby – British designer with Frisian ancestry
• Gemma Frisius (1508–1555), mathematician and cartographer

G

• Ygo Gales Galama (1443–1493), an infamous medieval warlord, Galama-family patriarch.
• Wybrand de Geest (1592 – c. 1661) was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter.
• Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (1885–1961), prime minister of the Dutch government in exile during World War II.

H

• Mata Hari, (born as Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, August 7, 1876, in Leeuwarden (Friesland)) infamous dancer, courtesan and executed as a spy in France, October 1917.
• Wiebbe Hayes (born around 1608), a Colonial soldier hero from Winschoten
• Grant Hayunga (born 1970), painter and musician
• Simon Heere Heeresma (1932–2011), Dutch author and poet

I

• Dodo zu Innhausen und Knyphausen (1583–1636), professional soldier from Lütetsburg, East Frisia. He rose to become a field marshal in Swedish service during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648).
• Ub Iwerks, (1901–1971) American animator, cartoonist, character designer, inventor, and special effects technician, co-created Mickey Mouse

J

• Gysbert Japiks (1603–1666) Frisian writer, poet, schoolteacher and cantor.
• Wijard Jelckama (1490–1523), Frisian freedom fighter, nephew of Pier Gerlofs Donia and who later led the Frisian rebellion (Arumer Black Heap)
• Tako Hajo Jelgersma (1702–1795) was an 18th-century Dutch painter.
• Carl Ludwig Jessen (1833–1917) was a North Frisian Naturalist painter.

K

• Wilhelm von Knyphausen (1716–1800), general from Hesse-Cassel, who fought in the American Revolutionary War, during which he led Hessian mercenaries on behalf of the British Empire.
• Tjalling Koopmans (1910-1985), Dutch American mathematician and economist, Nobel Prize Laureate in Economic Sciences.
• Sven Kramer Dutch long track speed skater.
• Doutzen Kroes, (born January 23, 1985, in Eastermar, Friesland) is a Dutch supermodel.

L

• Anna-Marie Lampe – Playboy magazine (U.S. Edition) 40th Anniversary Playmate/Playmate of the Month for January 1994; Playboy magazine (Dutch Edition) Playmate of the year for 1995.
• Abe Lenstra (1920–1985) was a famous Dutch football player and national football icon in the 1950s.
• Boy Lornsen (1922–1995), author and sculptor from Sylt, Germany
• Jack Lousma, astronaut with Frisian ancestry

M

• Hans Momsen (1735–1811), North Frisian farmer, layman mathematician and astronomer.
• Theodor Mommsen (1817–1903). He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1902, and was also a prominent German politician, as a member of the Prussian and German parliaments.

O

• Hark Olufs (1708–1754), sailor from Amrum. He was enslaved by Algerian pirates and eventually became Commander in Chief of the Bey of Constantine's cavalry.
• Christian von Ompteda (1765–1815), commander in the Napoleonic Wars.
• Jürgen Ovens (1623–1678) was a portrait painter from North Frisia and is said to have been a pupil of Rembrandt.

P

• Frederik Paulsen Sr (1909–1997), physician. Founder of Ferring Pharmaceuticals.
• Matthias Petersen (1632–1706), whaling captain from Föhr. In his lifetime he caught 373 whales.
• Wolfgang Petersen, German movie director (e.g. Das Boot)
• David Petraeus, former four-star general in the United States Army, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. His father was a sea captain from Franeker, Netherlands
• Alvin Plantinga, American philosopher of Frisian descent.
• Gerriet Postma (1932–2009) was a Dutch painter.

R

• Hendrik van Rijgersma (1835–1877) was a physician and amateur botanist, malacologist and ichthyologist.
• Rintje Ritsma former Dutch long track speed skater.

S

• Menno Simons, (1496 – January 31, 1561) was an Anabaptist religious leader from Friesland whose followers became known as Mennonites.
• Friede Springer (born 1942), widow of publisher Axel Springer and major shareholder of Axel Springer AG.
• Theodor Storm (1817–1888), who wrote Der Schimmelreiter
• Peter Stuyvesant (1612–1672), last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland (New York).

V

• Simon Vestdijk (1899–1971), novelist, musician, psychological analyst.
• Jouke de Vries – Dutch PVDA politician

W

• Otto Waalkes German comedian, actor and musician, born in Emden
• Hayley Westenra, an internationally renowned singer from New Zealand is of some Frisian descent.
• Harm Wiersma (born 1953 in Leeuwarden), six time world champion in draughts and politician.
• Piter Wilkens, (born 1959) is a Frisian folk and pop singer.
• Thomas Woudwyk, (born 1986) is an Australian born Entrepreneur and former Australian National Water Polo player is of Frisian descent. His Father was born in Leeuwarden.

Z

• Epke Zonderland, Gymnast, Olympic Champion (2012)
• Jelle Zijlstra, (1918–2001) Prime Minister of the Netherlands 1966-67.
• Wout Zijlstra, strongest man of the Netherlands in 2001 and 3rd of the world in 1998.

See also

• List of Dutch people
• List of people from Amsterdam