List of Hungarians

The following is a list of notable Hungarians taken mainly from The Hungary Page' at Nobel Prize Winners and Famous Hungarians. People with some degree of Hungarian origin (typically a Hungarian parent or grandparent) but who were not Hungarian citizens and who were not born in Hungary can be found in the List of people of Hungarian origin. A list of famous Hungarian Jews can be found in List of Hungarian Jews, overlaps with which are starred. __TOC__

The Hungarian language uses the eastern name order for Hungarian names, in which the family name comes first, and the given name (or first name) goes second. In foreign text contents, however, the western name order is used to avoid confusing those not familiar with this custom. As an example, the name Bolyai János is the ethnic form, in English text it will appear as Janos Bolyai – with western name order and accent marks stripped; Bolyai is the family name here.

The names below are listed in Hungarian (eastern) order with some exceptions, most frequently for entertainers' names (e.g., Harry Houdini, the Gabor sisters). However, the Wikipedia articles that they link to have their names in western order (given name followed by family name).

Mathematics and Sciences

Bánhidi Antal (1903 - 1994), Hungarian aviator
Asbóth Oszkár (1852 - 1920), one of the early developers of the helicopter
Bánki Donát (1859 - 1922), inventor of the carburetor
Békésy György (1899 - 1972) (Georg von Békésy), Nobel-prize winning biophysicist for research on the ear
Bláthy Ottó Titusz (1860 - 1939), engineer, co-inventor of transformer.
Bolyai János (1802 - 1860), mathematician, dicoverer of non-Euclidean geometry
Bíró László József (1899 - 1986), inventor of ballpoint pen.
Déri Miksa (1854 - 1938), engineer, co-inventor of transformer
Erdős Pál (Paul Erdös) (1913 - 1996), mathematician*
Frankl Péter (Peter Frankl) (1953 - ), mathematician and street performer.*
Gábor Dénes (Dennis Gabor) (1900 - 1979), Nobel-prize winner physicist, inventor of holography*
Galamb József (1881 - 1955) engineer, constructor of the Ford Model T
Joseph Goldberger (1874 - 1929), cure for pellagra in dogs*
Peter Carl Goldmark (1906 - 1977), inventor of the vinyl record*
Gyarmati István (1929 - 2002), physicist
Alfréd Haar (1885 - 1933), mathematician*
Paul Halmos (1916 - ), mathematician*
Hernád István (Stevan Harnad) (1945 - ), cognitive scientist and academic publishing reformer
Avram Hershko (1937 - ), biologist, ubiquitin; Nobel Prize (2004)*
George de Hevesy (1885 - 1966), chemist, radioactive tracers; Nobel Prize (1943)*
Hollán Ernő (1824 - 1900), engineer.
Irinyi János (1817 - 1895), inventor of the noiseless match
Kandó Kálmán (1869 - 1931), engineer, father of the electric train.
Moritz Kaposi (1837 - 1902), dermatologist, Kaposi's sarcoma*
Kármán Tódor (Theodore von Kármán) (1881 - 1963), aeronautical engineer.*
Kemény János (John Kemeny) (1926 - 1992) , co-constructor of BASIC*
Nicholas Kurti (1908 - 1998), physicist*
Cornelius Lanczos (1893 - 1974), mathematician & physicist*
Lakatos Imre (1922-1974), philosopher of mathematics and of science*
Ernő László, dermatologist, cosmetic businessman, the founder of The Erno Laszlo Institute
Lovász László (1948 - ), Wolf-prize-winning mathematician, now collaborant of Microsoft Research Center
Mérő László (1949 - ), mathematician, research psychologist, game-theorist
Peter Lax (1926 - ), mathematician*
Moll Károly (1889 - 1982), balneologist
Neumann János (John von Neumann) (1903 - 1957), mathematician, inventor of the modern computer*
Erik Olah (1927 - ), chemist; Nobel Prize (1994) (unconfirmed)*
Polányi Mihály (Michael Polanyi) (1891 - 1976) polymath.*
Rózsa Péter (1905 - 1977), mathematician*
Alfréd Rényi (1921 - 1970), mathematician*
Frigyes (1880 - 1956) & Marcel Riesz (1886 - 1969), mathematicians*
Rubik Ernő (1944 - ), inventor of Rubik's cube.
Schick Béla (1877 - 1967), pediatrician, diphtheria test*
Semmelweis Ignác (1818 - 1865), physician.
Charles Simonyi (1948 - ), computer scientist; father of Hungarian notation
Szegő Gábor (Gábor Szegö) (1895 - 1985), mathematician*
Szent-Györgyi Albert (1893 - 1986), medical biochemist, research on ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), Nobel Prize winner in 1937.
Szilárd Leó (1898 - 1964), physicist.*
Teller Ede (1908 - 2003), physicist, "father of the hydrogen bomb".*
Puskás Tivadar (1844 - 1893), inventor of the telephone exchange.
Paul Turán (1910 - 1976), mathematician*
Lajos Vári (1916 - ), entomologist*

Abraham Wald (1902 - 1950), statistician*
Wank Roland (1898- 1970), architect.
Wigner Jenő (Eugene Wigner) (1902 - 1995), physicist, mathematician.*
Zipernowsky Károly (1853 - 1942), engineer, co-inventor of transformer

Arts, Entertainment and Literature

See also List of Hungarian writers, List of Hungarian painters, List of Hungarian sculptors, List of Hungarian architects.

Alton John (born Altmann Johann) (1901 - 1996), cinematographer who helped define the film noir look.
Arany János (1817 - 1882), poet
Maurice Ascalon (1913 - 2003), sculptor and industrial designer
Gregg Asch (1962 - ), American Comedian, Humanitarian
Bajza József (1804 - 1858) poet and critic
Bartók Béla (1881 - 1945), composer
Batsányi János (1763 - 1845), poet
Benedek László (1905 - 1992), film director
Monique Covét (1976- ), adult actress
Csontváry Kosztka Tivadar (1853 – 1919), painter
Curtis, Tony (1925 - ), American actor, son of a Hungarian immigrant*
Curtiz, Michael (1886 - 1962), Academy Award winning director of Casablanca.
Darvas Gábor (1911 - 1985), composer
Eötvös József (1813 - 1871), writer and statesman
Elmyr (1906 - 1976), most renowned art reproducer in modern history.
Erkel Ferenc (1810 - 1893), composer, father of Hungarian grand opera and the national anthem of Hungary
Fox, William (1879 - 1952), founder of Fox studios
Gábor Éva (1919 - 1995), actress*
Gábor Magda (1914 - 1997), actress*
Tímea Vágvölgyi, actress
Gabor, Zsa Zsa (1917 - ), actress*
Mariska Magdolna Hargitay (1964- ), actress, star of Law and Order, Special Victims Unit on NBC

Houdini, Harry (born Weiss Erik) (1874 - 1926), magician*
Jandó Jenő (1952 - ), pianist
József Attila (1905–1937), poet
Kalocsay Kálmán (1891–1976) is one of the foremost figures in the history Esperanto literature
Károly György (1953 - ), poet and writer
Kertész Imre (1929 - ), writer, Nobel Prize winner in 2002
Kishon, Ephraim (born Hoffmann Ferenc) (1924 - 2005), writer*
Kocsis Zoltán (1952 - ), pianist and conductor
Arthur Koestler, writer, polymath
Kodály Zoltán (1882 - 1967), composer
Korda, Alexander (born Korda Sándor) (1893 - 1956), producer*
Korda, Zoltán (1895 - 1961), screenwriter, director and producer
Kovacs, Ernie (1919 - 1962), actor and innovative television producer
Kovács László (1933 - ), cinematographer
Laszlo, Paul (1900 - 1993), architect and furniture designer
Lehár Franz (born Lehár Ferenc) (1870 - 1948), composer
Lévay Szilveszter (1945 - ), composer
Ligeti György (1923 - 2006) composer
Liszt, Franz (born Liszt Ferenc) (1811 - 1886), composer (also known as Franz Liszt).
Lomb Kató (1909–2003) interpreter, translator, language genius
Lorre, Peter (born Löwenstein László) (1904 - 1964), actor*
Lugosi Bela (1882–1956, born Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső), actor
Mikes, George (born Mikes György) (1912–1987), writer
Nádas, Péter (1942-), writer, playwright, essayist, photographer
Pál, George (1908 - 1980), producer, inventor of stop-motion animation and Academy Award winner
Petőfi Sándor (1823–1849), poet
Pulitzer, Joseph (born Pulitzer József) (1847–1911), publisher and founder of Pulitzer Prize
Sandor, Anna, screenwriter
Sebestyén Márta (1957 - ), singer
Seiber Mátyás (1905 - 1960), composer
Starker János (1924 - ), cellist
Szabó István (1938 - ), film director*
Szell George (1897 - 1970), orchestral director and pianist; musical director of the Cleveland Orchestra, 1946-1970

Szerb Antal (1901–1945), scholar and writer
Tabori, George (1914–), writer and theatre director
Tot Amerigo (born Tóth Imre) sculptor
Tóth Kálmán poet
Vajna, Andrew (1944–), producer, Hollywood legend; president of Cinergi Productions, co-founder of Carolco Pictures
Vasarely, Victor (born Vásárhelyi Viktor) (1908 - 1997), graphic artist
Wiesel, Elie (1928 - ), author and Nobel Peace Prize Winner*
Zsigmond Vilmos (1930 - ), cinematographer and Academy Award winner
Zukor, Adolph (1873 - 1976), founder of Paramount Pictures; produced first full-length motion picture

Sports

The Golden Team, the famous Hungarian national football team
Aranyi Gábor, world's strongest man.
Baumgartner Zsolt (1981 - ), Formula One driver, 2003-04, Jordan-Ford (2 races, subbing for injured Ralph Firman) 2003, Minardi-Cosworth 2004, all 17 Grand Prix, 1 point (Indianapolis GP)
Benedek Tibor, waterpolo player, olympic champion: 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens
Benkő Pál (? - ), chess player
Csák Ibolya, winner of the women's high jump at the 1936 Summer Olympics
Darnyi Tamás, swimmer (four Olympic gold medals)
Egerszegi Krisztina, swimmer (five Olympic gold medals)
Elek Ilona, fencer (Olympic gold before and after World War II)
Erdei Zsolt, boxer, WBO light heavyweight world champion
Gera Zoltán (1979 - ), Ferencvaros and West Bromwich Albion Footballer.
Gerevich Aladár, fencer (six Olympic gold medals)
Gyarmati Dezső, water polo player (triple Olympic champion)*
Hajós Alfréd (born Arnold Guttmann), swimmer (double Olympic champion) and architect*
Hargitay Miklós, bodybuilder and actor
Károlyi Béla (1942 - ), premier gymnastics coach (ethnic Hungarian born in Romania, now a United States citizen)
Kovács Pál, fencer (six Olympic gold medals)
Kovács "Koko" István, boxer, olympic and WBO world champion
Lily Kronberger four-time World figure skating champion
Lékó Péter (1979 - ), chess player, currently ranked sixth of the world
Lichtenfeld Imi, Boxer and Wrestler, developed the self-defense system Krav Maga
Papp László, boxer (triple Olympic champion)
Opika von Méray-Horváth, three-time World figure skating champion
Ónodi Henrietta, Olympic medal-winning gymnast (won gold, silver at Barcelona in 1992)
Polgár Judit (1976 - ), chess player*
Portisch Lajos (1937 - ), chess player
Puskás Ferenc (1927 - ),one of the best football players ever to live - along with Pele, position - center forward.
Sipos Tamás, sports commentator and writer, former director of Hungarian television

History and Politics

List of Hungarian rulers

Toma András (Tamás András) Hungarian World War II prisoner who was found in a Russian mental hospital in the 1990s and returned to Hungary after 55 years.
Andrássy Gyula (1823 - 1890), statesman
Antall József (1932 - 1993), Prime Minister (1990-1993)
Bakócz Tamás (1442 - 1521), archbishop, cardinal and statesman
Baross Gábor (1848 - 1892) statesman
Báthory Erzsébet (1560 - 1614), "serial killer" countess
Báthory István (Stephen Báthory):
- Báthory István (1477-1534) Governor of Transylvania
- Báthory István (1533-1586) Prince of Transylvania and King of Poland
Báthory Zsigmond (1572-1613), prince of Transylvania
Beöthy Ödön, (1796 - 1854), Hungarian deputy and orator
Bogsch, Árpád, (1919 - 2004), international civil servant
Aurél Dessewffy, (1808-1842), journalist and politician
Ignaz Aurelius Fessler, (1756 - 1839), court councillor and minister to Alexander I
Gyurcsány Ferenc, (1961 -), Prime Minister (2004-)
Andreas Hadik (1710 - 1790) Count
Herzl Tivadar (1860 - 1904), journalist, modern Zionism*
Horthy Miklós (1868 - 1957), admiral and regent. (1920-1944)
I. István (Stephen I) (975 - 1038) first Hungarian king
Károly Róbert (Charles I) (1288 - 1342) king of Hungary (1308-1342)
Mihály Károlyi (1875 - 1955) first President of Hungary (1919)
Kossuth Lajos, (1802 - 1894)
Kun Béla, (1886 - 1939 ?) Minister, revolutionist (1919)*
I. Lajos (Nagy Lajos) (Louis I) (1326 - 1382) king of Hungary (1342-1382) king of Poland (1370-1382)
Mádl Ferenc (1931 - ) President (2000-2005)
Medgyessy Péter (1942 - ), Prime Minister (2002-2004)
Mindszenty József (1892 - 1975), cardinal, convicted by communist government
Nagy Imre (1896 - 1958), Prime Minister (1956)
Németh Miklós (1948 - ), Prime Minister (1988-)
Orbán Viktor (1963 - ), Prime Minister (1998-2002)
Pataki, George American, Governor of New York
Orseolo Péter (Peter Urseolo) (1010 - 1046) second king of Hungary (1038-1041 and 1044-1046)
Sólyom László (1942 - ), President
Széchenyi István, (1791 - 1860)
Count Istvan Tisza (1861-1918) Hungarian Prime Minister 1903-1905 & 1913-17.
Tőkés László (1952 - ), ethnically Hungarian Calvinist pastor in Romania who helped trigger the revolution that overthrew Nicolae Ceauşescu in 1989
Count Zrínyi Miklós (Miklos Zrinyi, or Nikola Zrinski - note: they are people with Croatian ancestry):
- Count Zrínyi Miklós (1508 - 1566), Hungarian militant and hero defended against Ottoman Turks.
- Count Zrínyi Miklós, (1620 - 1664), Hungarian warrior, statesman and poet.

Business and Finance

Gróf András (Andy Grove), former President/CEO and Chairman of Intel
André Kostolany, stock market expert and speculator
Josef Ganz, automotive engineer
Soros György (George Soros), entrepreneur and one of the world's wealthiest men
Lauder, Estee, founder of Estee Lauder cosmetics company
Udvarházy István (Steven F. Udvar-Hazy or Steve Hazy), Founder, Chairman & CEO of ILFC
Francesco Illy, founder of illycaffé and inventor of espresso machine

Social Sciences

Anton Csengery, (1822 - 1880) historian
Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, a psychology professor, proposer of the mental state called Flow
Kőrösi Csoma Sándor (1784 - 1842), explorer, linguist
Lukács György, philoshopher
Lukacs, John, historian
Stein Aurél (1862 - 1943), archaeologist, explorer, linguist
Peter Thomas Bauer (1915 - 2002), economist
Szasz, Thomas, psychiatrist
Torma Zsófia (1840–1899) archaeologist, anthropologist, paleontologist

External links

Hungarian Nobel Prize winners
Nobel Prize winners and famous Hungarians
Hungary's Hall of Fame
Hungarian Inventors and Inventions (at the site of the Hungarian Patent Office)
Hungarian People

Hungarian people | Lists of people by nationality | Hungary-related lists

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