The 30+ most famous Belgians

Here’s a list of the 30+ 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).

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.

Gerardus Mercator

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

Andreas Vesalius

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

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

(René François Ghislain 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.

Georges Remi (Hergé)

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

Toots Thielemans

(Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor Thielemans, 1922-2016, Brussels)
Jazz musician and harmonica virtuoso, acclaimed worldwide.

Maurice de Bevere (Morris)

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

Pierre Culliford (Peyo)

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

Jacques Brel

(Jacques Romain Georges 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.

Luc & Jean-Pierre Dardenne

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

Dries van Noten

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

Jean-Claude van Damme

(Jean-Claude Camille François van Varenberg, 1960, Brussels)
Actor and martial artist, internationally known for 1980s-90s action films.

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.

Katrien Verbeeck (Kate Ryan)

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

Wouter de Backer (Gotye)

(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.

Jonathan Vandenbroeck (Milow)

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

Sylvie de Bie (Sylvie)

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

Paul van Haver (Stromae)

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

Boris Daenen (Netsky)

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

Charlotte de Witte

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