List of people from Helsinki

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.

• 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

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

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

• 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

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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

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