This is an alphabetic list of notable people from Iran or its historical predecessors.
In the news
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, former Mayor of Tehran, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly Ali Dizaei, former senior officer in the London Metropolitan Police Anousheh Ansari, Iranian-American first female space tourist in the world, telecommunication entrepreneur and namesake of the Ansari X Prize Bahar Soomekh, Iranian-American actress Camila Batmanghelidjh, Iranian-Belgian founder of London-based children's charity Kids Company Reza Pahlavi, son of the deposed Shah of Iran, crown prince in exile. Shirin Ebadi, recipient of 2003 Nobel Peace Prize Akbar Ganji, journalist and writer Hossein Ronaghi, human rights activist
Artists
Calligraphists
Gholam Hossein Amirkhani Abolhassan Etessami Fakhr Jahan Khanum Mir Emad Hassani Seyyed Jafar Kashfi Yadollah Kaboli Khansari Mishkín-Qalam Jalil Rasouli Mehdi Saeedi Mir Ali Tabrizi
Cartoonists
Golnar Servatian Javad Alizadeh Maziyar Bizhani Nikahang Kowsar Mana Neyestani Touka Neyestani
Painters, illustrators and sculptors
Abolhassan Khan Sadighi Ali Akbar Sadeghi Amir Shayesteh Tabar Aydin Aghdashloo Bahram Soroush Daryush Shokof Farhad Sadeghi Amini Gholamhossein Saber Haydar Hatemi Hossein Behzad Hossein Valamanesh Hossein Zenderoudi Iran Darroudi Jazeh Tabatabai Kamal ol-Molk Kamaleddin Behzad Mahmoud Farshchian Mani Maryam Hashemi (Maryam Sandjari) Mohammad Ali Taraghijah Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam Mokarrameh Ghanbari Noreen Motamed Afshin Naghouni Parviz Tanavoli Reza Abbasi Shahla Aghapour Shahla Arbabi Shirazeh Houshiary Siah Armajani Sohrab Sepehri Zhaleh Kazemi
Photographers
Abbas Abbas Kiarostami Alfred Yaghobzadeh Ali Ghanbari Ali Khan Vali Jahangir Razmi Kaveh Golestan Maryam Zandi Mitra Tabrizian Morteza Avini Nader Davoodi Nasrollah Kasraian Newsha Tavakolian Reza Deghati Hossein Rajabian Sadegh Tirafkan Shadi Ghadirian Shahram Entekhabi Shirana Shahbazi Shirin Neshat
Designers
Architects
Hossein Amanat Kamran Diba Heydar Ghiaï-Chamlou Fariborz Sahba
Fashion designers
Pegah Anvarian (born 1974), Iranian-born American fashion designer; based in Los Angeles Bijan Shirin Guild, Iranian-born British fashion designer Arefeh Mansouri (born 1980), Iranian-born Canadian fashion and costume designer Behnaz Sarafpour (born 1969), Iranian-born American couture fashion designer; based in New York City Mahla Zamani (1950–2023), fashion designer, journalist; expert on traditional Iranian clothing
Graphic designers
Reza Abedini Farshid Mesghali Morteza Momayez Mehdi Saeedi Ghobad Shiva
Industrial designers
Nader Faghihzadeh Alexander Kostellow Iman Maghsoudi Mona Paad Sohrab Vossoughi
Business
Kia Joorabchian, businessman Hooman Radfar, American entrepreneur Nasser David Khalili, British billionaire and art collector Afsaneh Beschloss (born 1956), Iranian-born American former treasurer of the World Bank, economist, entrepreneur, and investor, CEO of RockCreek, an investment firm that she founded Mandana Dayani (born 1982), Iranian-American businesswoman and media executive Fatemeh Moghimi (born 1958), engineer, entrepreneur, and political activist Shahrzad Rafati (born 1979), Iranian-Canadian CEO of BroadbandTV Corp (BBTV) Maryam Rofougaran (born 1968), Iranian-American electrical engineer, CEO and co-founder of Innovent Systems, Inc. and Movandi; member of the CNBC CEO Council Sheherazade Semsar-de Boisséson (born 1968), French-Iranian
Entertainers Comedians
Baba Ali, Islamic comedy Max Amini Omid Djalili Negin Farsad Shahin Jamie Maz Jobrani Shaparak Khorsandi Hadi Khorsandi Ebrahim Nabavi Nasim Pedrad
Dancers and choreographers
Jamileh Farzaneh Kaboli, folkloric Moshtari Khanum Nima Kiann Shahrokh Moshkin Ghalam, folkloric
Models, beauty pageant
Nazanin Afshin-Jam (born 1979), Iranian-Canadian actress, singer-songwriter, human-rights activist; Miss World 2003 first runner-up; Miss Canada 2003 Ramona Amiri, Iranian-Canadian Miss Canada 2005 Sara Nicole Andersen (born 1992), Norwegian-Iranian Miss Universe Norway 2012 Sahar Biniaz (born 1986), Persian-Canadian Miss Universe Canada 2012 Mahlagha Jaberi (born 1989), Iranian-American influencer and Instagram model Aylar Lie (born 1984), Iranian-born Norwegian actress, model, singer, former pornographic actress Melika Razavi, Iranian-South African Miss Iran 2016, Miss Global Fitness 2016, and Miss Power Woman 2017 Apameh Schönauer (born 1984), German-Iranian Miss Germany 2024 Shermine Shahrivar (born 1982), Iranian-German Miss Germany 2004, Miss Europe 2005 Samantha Tajik (born 1983), Iranian-Canadian Miss Universe Canada 2008
Film actors
Akbar Abdi Alan Mehdizadeh, British-Iranian actor Ali Mosaffa Ali Nassirian Amin Hayaee Amirhossein Arman Artemis Pebdani, American actress Asghar Farhadi Azita Hajian Bahar Soomekh (born 1975), Iranian-born American actress, Crash and Saw III Bahram Radan Behrouz Vossoughi Behzad Farahani Bijan Daneshmand Bita Farrahi Bizhan Emkanian Catherine Bell (born 1968), British-American actress, JAG, half Iranian Christiane Amanpour, British-Iranian journalist and television host Daryoush Arjmand Daryush Shokof Davoud Rashidi Delkash Elnaaz Norouzi, German actress Ezzatollah Entezami Faramarz Gharibian Farimah Farjami, Iranian and French actress Fatemeh Motamed-Aria Golab Adineh Golshifteh Farahani (born 1983), Iranian-French actress Googoosh (born 1950), actress, singer, songwriter Hamed Behdad Hedyeh Tehrani (born 1972), actress Homa Rousta Homayoun Ershadi Jahangir Forouhar Jamileh Sheykhi Jamshid Mashayekhi Kamshad Kooshan, Iranian-born American actor Kazem HajirAzad Khosrow Shakibaee Leila Forouhar Leila Hatami (born 1972), actress, was in the Academy Award-winning film A Separation Mahaia Petrosian
Mahnaz Afshar (born 1978), Iranian-born German actress Majid Majidi Mandana Karimi Maz Jobrani, American comedian and actor Mehdi Fat'hi Mehdi Hashemi (actor) Mehran Modiri Merila Zarei Mohammad Ali Fardin Mohammad Ali Keshavarz Mohammad Reza Foroutan Mohammad Reza Golzar Mohammad Reza Sharifinia Navid Mohammadzadeh Nazanin Afshin-Jam Nematollah Aghasi
Niki Karimi (born 1971), actress, film director, and screenwriter Omid Ahangar Parsa Pirouzfar Parviz Fannizadeh Parviz Parastouee Parviz Sayyad Pegah Ahangarani Reza Kianian Reza Rahardian, Indonesian actor, model, singer, director, and radio announcer Roxanne Pallett, English actress, television personality, and broadcaster Roya Nonahali Saeed Rad Sam Asghari, Iranian-American model and actor Sarah Shahi (born 1980), American actress and former cheerleader, of Iranian-Spanish ancestry Shaghayegh Farahani Shahab Hosseini
Shohreh Aghdashloo (born 1952), Iranian-American actress, Oscar nominee 2003 for House of Sand and Fog Sussan Taslimi, Iranian-Swedish film and theatre actress, director and screenwriter Taraneh Alidousti Zahra Amir Ebrahimi (born 1981), Iranian-French actress and social photographer
Theatre and stage actors
Mehdi Bajestani Taha Behbahani Mohsen Shah Ebrahimi Behzad Farahani Shamsi Fazlollahi Alan Mehdizadeh Ali Nassirian Hayley Tamaddon Kazem HajirAzad Ahmad Saatchian Mohammad Reza Jozi Ramin Karimloo Roya Teymourian Shiva Boloorian
Filmmakers, directors
Filmmakers
Abbas Kiarostami, director of Taste of Cherry Abdolhossein Sepanta Hassan Hajgozar Abolfazl Jalili Ali Ardekani Ali Hatami Ali Sajadi Hoseini Amir Naderi Asghar Farhadi, director of A Separation Babak Payami Bahman Farman-Ara Bahman Ghobadi, director of A Time for Drunken Horses Bahman Maghsoudlou Bahram Beizai Behrooz Gharibpoor Daryush Shokof Darius Khondji Darius Mehrjui Desiree Akhavan, director of Appropriate Behavior Ebrahim Hatamikia Emud Mokhberi, Academy Award-nominated director and animator Esma'il Kooshan Houman Seyyedi Iraj Ghaderi Jafar Panahi, director of The Circle Kamal Tabrizi Kami Asgar Kamran Shirdel Kamshad Kooshan Khosrow Sinai Kiarash Anvari Kiumars Pourahmad Mahdi Bemani Naeini Majid Majidi, director of Children of Heaven Masoud Kimiai Mehran Modiri Mohsen Makhmalbaf, director of Kandahar Mostafa Keshvari Nasser Taghvai Parviz Kimiavi Hossein Rajabian, director of The Upside-down Triangle Parviz Nouri Shabnam Rezaei Parviz Shahbazi Parviz Sayyad Bob Yari, Iranian-born American film producer Pouran Derakhshandeh, award-winning film director and producer Rakhshan Bani-Etemad Ramin Farahani Rasoul Mollagholipour Reza Badiyi Sadaf Foroughi Samira Makhmalbaf, director of At Five in the Afternoon Samuel Khachikian Sohrab Shahid-Sales Saeed Roustayi Tina Gharavi
Theatre and stage directors
Akbar Radi Bahram Bayzai Behrouz Gharibpour Ghotbeddin Sadeghi Hengameh Mofid Hossein Rajabian Mostafa Oskooyi Reza Shirmarz Shiva Boloorian
Musicians and singers
Classical
Iranian classical traditional
Abolhasan Saba Alinaghi Vaziri Alireza Eftekhari Dariush Eghbali Elaheh Gholam-Hossein Banan Homayoun Shajarian Hossein Alizadeh Hossein Khaje Amiri Hossein Tehrani Jalal Zolfonun Javad Maroofi Kamkarha Kayhan Kalhor Mahmoud Zoulfonoun Maryam Akhondy Marzieh Mehdi Rajabian Mirza Abdollah Farahani Mohammad Reza Lotfi Mohammad-Reza Shajarian Mohammad Shams Mohsen Namjoo Morteza Hannaneh Moshtari Khanum Nashit Nur Ali Elahi Parisa Parviz Meshkatian Parviz Yahaghi Ruhollah Khaleghi Shahram Nazeri Sima Bina Zyriab
Modern traditional
Ahmad Pejman Axiom of Choice Farhad Fakhreddini Morteza Hannaneh Niyaz Ramin Rahimi Zohreh Jooya Mehdi Rajabian Sina Bathaie
Western classical
Ali Rahbari Alireza Mashayekhi Amin Homaei Aminollah Hossein Anoushiravan Rohani Armik Hangi Tavakoli Heshmat Sandjari Loris Tjeknavorian (Loris Cheknavarian) Lotfi Mansouri Mahan Esfahani Sahba Aminikia Mehdi Hosseini Nader Mashayekhi Reza Najfar Shahrdad Rohani Hooman Khalatbari
Electronic
Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia Ali Movasat (DJ Aligator) Ashkan Kooshanejad Deep Dish Leila Arab Sharam Tayebi Sina Bathaie Steve Naghavi from And One
Pop
Alireza Assar Alireza Talischi Andy Madadian Anousheh Khalili (born 1983), Iranian–American singer-songwriter Arash Aref Arian Band Benyamin Arefi Bijan Mortazavi Darius Danesh Dariush Eghbali Delkash (1925–2004; also known as Esmat Bagherpour Baboli), singer and actress Ebi Faramarz Aslani Farhad Fereidoun Foroughi Googoosh Habib Hassan Sattar Hassan Shamaizadeh Hayadeh Homeyra Ilya Salmanzadeh Kouros Leila Forouhar (born 1959), pop and classical singer, based in Los Angeles Mahasti (1946–2007), Persian classical, folk, and pop music singer; lived in California Mansour May J. Mehrdad Moein Mohammad Esfahani Mohammad Nouri Pyruz Reza Sadeghi Sepideh (born 1975), Iranian-American singer Sevdaliza Siavash Ghomeyshi Shahkar Binesh Pazhooh Shahram Shabpareh Shahrum K Shohreh Solati (born 1957), Iranian–American singer Snoh Aalegra Susan Roshan Toofan Vigen Leila Arab (born 1971), musician, record producer and DJ based in London Roya Arab (born 1967), Iranian-British musician, archaeologist, singer and songwriter Hayedeh (1942–1990; also known as Ma'soumeh Dadehbala), pop and classical singer; lived in Los Angeles Anousheh Khalili (born 1983), Iranian–American singer-songwriter Laleh Pourkarim (born 1982), Iranian–Swedish singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, actress Rita (born 1962; Rita Jahanforuz), Iranian-born Israeli singer and actress, represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest Shakila (born 1962), Iranian–American singer, winner of Persian Academy Award (2006); based in San Diego, California
Rap music
Amir Tataloo Hichkas Yas Zedbazi Shahin Najafi Bahram Erfan Hangi Tavakoli, Multi-Platinum music producer and songwriter