The 50 most famous Belgians

Here’s a list of the 50 most internationally well-known Belgians who were born in Belgium (therefore, figures such as Pieter Bruegel the Elder or Peter Paul Rubens are not included). The list is sorted by year of birth.

Ambiorix

(1st century BC, Tongeren)
Leader of the Eburones tribe who resisted Julius Caesar’s Roman legions; a symbol of Belgian independence.

Jan van Eyck

(1390-1441, Maaseik)
Early Netherlandish painter and pioneer of oil painting, best known for the Ghent Altarpiece.

Johannes Ockeghem

(1410-1497, Saint-Ghislain)
Composer of the Franco-Flemish school, one of the most influential composers of the 15th century.

Gerardus Mercator

(1512-1594, Rupelmonde)
Cartographer who created the “Mercator projection”, still used for world maps today.

Andreas Vesalius

(1514-1564, Brussels)
Anatomist and physician, considered the founder of modern human anatomy.

Orlande de Lassus

(1532-1594, Mons)
Composer of the late Renaissance, renowned across Europe for his expressive sacred and secular vocal music.

Justus Lipsius

(1547-1606, Overijse)
Humanist scholar and philologist, influential thinker who shaped intellectual life of the late 16th century.

Anthony van Dyck

(1599-1641, Antwerp)
Baroque painter, pupil of Rubens, famed as a portraitist of the English court under Charles I.

Adolphe Sax

(1814-1894, Dinant)
Inventor of the saxophone, later central to jazz and brass music.

César Franck

(1822-1890, Liège)
Composer and organist, a major figure of Romantic music in Belgium and France.

Ernest Solvay

(1838-1922, Rebecq)
Chemist and industrialist; invented the ammonia-soda process and supported scientific education.

James Ensor

(1860-1949, Ostend)
Painter and early modernist, famous for grotesque mask imagery and bright, expressive colors.

Victor Horta

(1861-1947, Ghent)
Architect and pioneer of Art Nouveau in Belgium, known for curving lines and glass-iron structures.

Henry van de Velde

(1863-1957, Antwerp)
Architect, designer, and theorist; key figure of Art Nouveau and early modernism.

Georges Lemaître

(1894-1966, Charleroi)
Astrophysicist and priest, founder of the Big Bang theory.

Paul Delvaux

(1897-1994, Antheit)
Surrealist painter, known for dreamlike landscapes inhabited by female figures.

René Magritte

(1898-1967, Lessines)
Surrealist painter, famous for poetic and absurd depictions of everyday objects.

Georges Simenon

(1903-1989, Liège)
Novelist and creator of Inspector Maigret; one of the most translated authors of the 20th century.

Hergé (Georges Remi)

(1907-1983, Brussels)
Comic artist and creator of Tintin, emblematic of the “ligne claire” style.

Toots Thielemans

(1922-2016, Brussels)
Jazz musician and harmonica virtuoso, acclaimed worldwide.

Morris (Maurice de Bevere)

(1923-2001, Kortrijk)
Comic artist, creator of Lucky Luke, the iconic Western comic series.

Peyo (Pierre Culliford)

(1928-1992, Brussels)
Comic artist, creator of The Smurfs and Johan and Peewit.

Jacques Brel

(1929-1978, Brussels)
Singer-songwriter celebrated for passionate, poetic chansons such as “Ne me quitte pas”.

Eddy Merckx

(1945, Meensel-Kiezegem)
Cyclist, multiple Tour de France and Giro champion; considered one of the greatest of all time.

Arno (Arno Hintjens)

(1949-2022, Ostend)
Singer-songwriter, frontman of TC Matic, known for his raw, multilingual rock and blues style.

Luc & Jean-Pierre Dardenne

(1951 and 1954, Seraing)
Film directors known for socially realist works; winners of the Palme d’Or.

Martin Margiela

(1957, Genk)
Fashion designer and founder of Maison Margiela; known for his avant-garde deconstructionist style.

Dries van Noten

(1958, Antwerp)
Fashion designer, member of the avant-garde Antwerp Six, known for refined tailoring and rich prints.

King Philippe of Belgium

(Filip Leopold Lodewijk Maria / Philippe Léopold Louis Marie, 1960, Brussels)
King of the Belgians since 2013; focuses on unity, diplomacy, and international representation of Belgium.

Jean-Claude van Damme (Jean-Claude van Varenberg)

(1960, Brussels)
Actor and martial artist, internationally known for 1980s-90s action films.

Pierre Marcolini

(1964, Charleroi)
Master chocolatier and pastry chef, internationally acclaimed for artisanal, bean-to-bar chocolate.

Queen Mathilde of Belgium

(Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d’Udekem d’Acoz, 1973, Brussels)
Queen consort since 2013, engaged in education, mental health, and child welfare initiatives.

Cécile de France

(1975, Namur)
Actress, successful in both Belgian and French cinema, known from The Spanish Apartment and others.

Matthias Schoenaerts

(1977, Antwerp)
Actor, internationally recognized for films such as Rust and Bone and The Danish Girl.

Kate Ryan (Katrien Verbeeck)

(1980, Tessenderlo)
Pop and dance singer, gained international success with her electronic covers of French chansons.

Gotye (Wouter de Backer)

(1980, Bruges)
Singer, songwriter, and producer, achieved global fame with “Somebody that I used to know”.

Émilie Dequenne

(1981-2025, Beloeil)
Actress, winner of the Cannes Best Actress Award, celebrated for intense, naturalistic performances.

Jérémie Renier

(1981, Brussels)
Film actor, known for his long-standing collaboration with the Dardenne brothers and roles in European films.

Milow (Jonathan Vandenbroeck)

(1981, Antwerp)
Singer-songwriter, known for melodic pop songs and his acoustic cover of “Ayo Technology”.

Sylvie (Sylvie de Bie)

(1981, Heist-op-den-Berg)
Singer and former member of the pop group Sylver, known for early-2000s Eurodance hits.

Dimitri Vegas (Dimitri Thivaios)

(1982, Willebroek)
DJ and electronic music producer, half of the duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, among the world’s top EDM acts.

Like Mike (Michael Thivaios)

(1985, Willebroek)
DJ and electronic music producer, half of the duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, among the world’s top EDM acts.

Stromae (Paul van Haver)

(1985, Brussels)
Musician and producer blending electronic music with socially conscious lyrics.

Netsky (Boris Daenen)

(1989, Edegem)
DJ and producer, a leading figure in the drum and bass scene, brought the genre mainstream attention.

Kevin de Bruyne

(1991, Drongen)
Professional footballer, widely regarded as one of the best playmakers of his generation.

Charlotte de Witte

(1992, Ghent)
DJ and producer, internationally recognized for her dark, minimalist techno sound.

Thibaut Courtois

(1992, Bree)
Professional footballer, world-class goalkeeper, awarded multiple times as one of the best in the world.

Lost Frequencies (Felix de Laet)

(1993, Brussels)
DJ and music producer, known for his melodic electronic sound and global hit “Are You With Me”.

Romelu Lukaku

(1993, Antwerp)
Professional footballer, prolific striker known for his strength, and record goal tally for Belgium.

Angèle (Angèle van Laeken)

(1995, Brussels)
Singer-songwriter and one of Belgium’s most successful contemporary pop artists.

Bonus: famous Belgian Comic characters

sorted alphabetically:

• Blake and Mortimer
• Boule and Bill
• Cubitus
• Gaston Lagaffe
• Lucky Luke
• Marsupilami
• Quick and Flupke
• Ric Hochet
• Spirou
• The Cat
• The Smurfs
• Tintin