List of people from Helsinki

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

The following are notable people who were either born, raised or have lived for a significant period of time in the city of Helsinki, Finland.

Coat of arms of Helsinki

Academics and scientists

• Lars Ahlfors (1907–1996), mathematician, Fields Medalist
• Kai Donner (1888–1935), linguist, anthropologist & politician
• Peter Forsskål (1732–1763), Swedish-Finnish naturalist & orientalist
• Ragnar Granit (1900–1991), Finnish-Swedish neurophysiologist, Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine (1967)
• Elina Haavio-Mannila (born 1933), social scientist & professor
• Bengt Holmström (born 1949), Professor of Economics at MIT, Nobel laureate in Economics (2016)
• Olli Lehto (1925–2020), mathematician
• Rolf Nevanlinna (1895–1980), mathematician, university teacher & writer
• Gunnar Nordström (1881–1923), theoretical physicist
• Jakob Sederholm (1863–1934), petrologist
• Artturi Ilmari Virtanen (1895–1973), chemist, Nobel laureate in Chemistry (1945)
• Marianne Kärrholm (1921–2018), Swedish chemical engineer and professor
• Ulla Vuorela (1945–2011), professor of social anthropology

Artists and designers

Architects

• Axel Hampus Dalström (1829–1882), architect
• Carl Ludvig Engel (1778–1840), German architect
• Juha Leiviskä (born 1936), architect

Fiber art, textiles, and design

• Kirsti Ilvessalo (1920–2019), textile artist
• Tom Ahlström (born 1943), industrial designer

Entrepreneurs

• Karl Fazer (1866–1932), baker, confectioner, chocolatier, entrepreneur, & sport shooter
• Peter Nygård (born 1941), Finnish-Canadian businessman, arrested in December 2020 for sex crimes
• Armi Ratia (1912–1979), textile designer & co-founder of Marimekko
• Linus Torvalds (born 1969), software engineer, creator of Linux

Clergy

• Lennart Koskinen (born 1944), Evangelical Lutheran Bishop of Visby (2003–2011)
• Samuel Lehtonen (1921–2010), Evangelical Lutheran Bishop of Helsinki (1982–1991)

Filmmakers

• Aki Kaurismäki (born 1957), film director, screenwriter & producer
• Erkki Karu (1887–1935), film director & producer
• Gustaf Molander (1888–1973), Swedish director & screenwriter
• Diana Ringo (born 1992), film director & composer
• Mauritz Stiller (1883–1928), Russian-Swedish director & screenwriter

Musicians

• Paavo Berglund (1929–2012), conductor
• Laci Boldemann (1921–1969), composer
• Reino Helismaa (1913–1965), writer, film actor & singer
• Tuomas Holopainen (born 1976), songwriter, multi-instrumentalist & record producer
• Lill Lindfors (born 1940), Finnish-Swedish singer & television presenter
• Magnus Lindberg (born 1958), composer & pianist
• Georg Malmstén (1902–1981), singer, musician, composer, orchestra director & actor
• Tauno Marttinen (1912–2008), composer
• Oskar Merikanto (1868–1924), composer
• Jari Mäenpää (born 1977), founder, former lead guitarist & current lead singer in melodic death metal band Wintersun, former lead singer & guitarist of folk metal band Ensiferum
• Klaus Mäkelä (born 1996), cellist & conductor
• Susanna Mälkki (born 1969), conductor
• Sakari Oramo (born 1965), principal conductor of BBC Symphony Orchestra
• Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928–2016), composer
• Kaija Saariaho (born 1952), composer
• Esa-Pekka Salonen (born 1958), composer, principal conductor of Philharmonia Orchestra (2008–2021)
• Heikki Sarmanto (born 1939), jazz pianist & composer
• Agnes Tschetschulin (1859–1942), composer & violinist
• Ville Valo (born 1976), lead singer of the rock band HIM
• Lauri Ylönen (born 1979), lead singer of the rock band The Rasmus
• Alexi Laiho (1979-2020), Founding member, lead vocalist & lead guitarist of Finnish Melodic Death Metal band Children of Bodom

Entertainment

• George Gaynes (1917–2016), American actor & singer
• Maggie Gripenberg (1881–1976), dancer
• Ella Eronen (1900-1987), actor
• Vesa-Matti Loiri (1945–2022), actor, comedian, singer
• Markku Peltola (1956–2007), actor & musician
• Anne Pohtamo (born 1955), beauty queen, Miss Suomi 1975, Miss Universe 1975
• Asko Sarkola (born 1945), actor

Political and military figures

• Tarja Cronberg (born 1943), politician
• Tarja Halonen (born 1943), President of Finland (2000–2012)
• Johan Helo (1889–1966), lawyer & politician
• Abdirahim Hussein Mohamed (born 1978), Finnish-Somalian media personality & politician
• Yrjö Leino (1897–1961), communist politician, Minister of the Interior (1946–1948)
• Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867–1951), statesman and Marshal of Finland
• Elisabeth Rehn (born 1935), Minister of Defence (1990–1995)
• Alexander Stubb (born 1968), Prime Minister of Finland (2014–2015)
• Väinö Tanner (1881–1966), Prime Minister of Finland (1926–1927)
• Toivo Wiherheimo (1898–1970), economist & politician
• Karl Wiik (1883–1946), Social Democratic politician

Sports people

• Nina Ehrnrooth (born 1962), alpine skier
• Kai Hietarinta (born 1932), oil industry businessman and ice hockey executive^[1]
• Kim Hirschovits (born 1982), ice hockey player
• Shawn Huff, Finnish basketball player
• Walter Jakobsson (1882–1957), figure-skater
• Petteri Koponen, Finnish basketball player
• Emil Lindh (1867–1937), sailor
• Lennart Lindroos (1886–?), swimmer, Olympic games 1912
• Hanno Möttölä Finnish basketball player
• Miron Ruina (born 1998), Finnish-Israeli basketball player
• Riitta Salin (born 1950), athlete
• Sasu Salin (born 1991), Finnish basketball player
• Teemu Selänne (born 1970), Hall of Fame ice hockey player

Writers

• Helena Anhava (1925-2018), poet, author & translator
• Irja Agnes Browallius (1901–1968), Swedish writer
• Bo Carpelan (1926–2011), Finnish-Swedish writer, literary critic & translator
• Elmer Diktonius (1896–1961), Finnish-Swedish writer & composer
• Tove Jansson (1914–2001), Finnish-Swedish writer, painter, cartoonist, author of “Moomins”
• Märta Tikkanen (born 1935), Finnish-Swedish writer
• Sirkka Turkka (1939–2021), poet
• Mika Waltari (1908–1979), writer

Others

• Minna Craucher (1891–1932), socialite & spy
• Elin Törnudd (1924– 2008), Finnish chief librarian & professor