List of Transylvanians

List of famous Transylvanian personalities by era and by birth date. The list contains people who born or lived in Transylvania.

15th century

John Hunyadi, (c.1406–1456), Voivode of Transylvania, Regent of Hungary
Orban (–1453), Hungarian iron founder and engineer
Vlad the Impaler (1428/31–1476/77), Prince of Wallachia
Ladislaus Hunyadi (1431– 1457), Hungarian nobleman
Matthias Corvinus (1443–1490), King of Hungary

15th – 16th century

Stephen Báthory (1477–1534), Voivode of Transylvania
György Dózsa (1470–1514), Székely nobleman, leader of the peasants' revolt
Nicolaus Olahus (1493–1568), Romanian-Hungarian writer, Archbishop of Esztergom, Primate of Hungary
Johannes Honter (1498–1549), Saxon Renaissance humanist and Protestant Reformers

16th century

Bálint Bakfark (1507/26–1576), Hungarian composer and lutenist of the Renaissance
Ferenc Dávid (1520–1579), Hungarian theologian, founder of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania

16th – 17th century

Gábor Bethlen, prince of Transylvania
Stephen Bocskai, Hungarian noble from Transylvania, prince of Transylvania
Péter Pázmány, Hungarian theologian and writer
István Szamosközy, Hungarian humanist and historian

17th century

János Apáczai Csere, Hungarian writer and educator
Johannes Caioni, Franciscan friar, the first ethnic Romanian composer

17th – 18th century

Kelemen Mikes, Hungarian writer

18th century

18th – 19th century

Farkas Bolyai, Hungarian mathematician
Sándor Bölöni Farkas, Hungarian writer
Sámuel Brassai, Hungarian teacher, musician and artist
Samuel von Brukenthal, Saxon administrator
Sándor Kőrösi Csoma, Hungarian explorer and researcher
Gheorghe Lazăr, Romanian teacher
Stephan Ludwig Roth, Saxon pedagogue and Lutheran pastor
Gheorghe Șincai, Romanian historian and pedagogue
Alexandru Sterca-Șuluțiu, Romanian bishop
Ioan Sterca-Șuluțiu, 1848 Romanian revolutionary
Sámuel Teleki, Hungarian Chancellor of Transylvania, founder of the Teleki Library
Miklós Wesselényi, Hungarian politician and writer

19th century

George Bariț, Romanian historian and publicist
Simion Bărnuțiu, Romanian philosopher and politician
János Bolyai, Hungarian mathematician
Carl Filtsch, German pianist
Áron Gábor, Hungarian revolutionary
Avram Iancu, Romanian revolutionary
Zsigmond Kemény, Hungarian author
Andrei Mureșanu, Romanian poet and revolutionary
Balázs Orbán, Hungarian writer, historian and politician

19th – 20th century

Arthur Arz von Straussenburg, Saxon soldier, last military leader of the Austro-Hungarian Army
Miklós Bánffy, Hungarian nobleman, politician, and novelist.
Béla Bartók, Hungarian composer
Elek Benedek, Hungarian journalist and writer
István Bethlen, was a Hungarian aristocrat, statesman, Prime Minister from 1921 to 1931.
Lucian Blaga, Romanian poet, playwright, and philosopher
Alexandru Borza, Romanian botanist
Miklós Bródy, Hungarian chess master
Badea Cârțan, Romanian explorer
Octavian Codru Tăslăuanu, Romanian writer and soldier (first in the Austro-Hungarian Army and then in the Romanian Army)
George Coșbuc, Romanian poet
Aron Cotruș, Romanian poet and politician
Miron Cristea, Romanian Prime Minister and Patriarch of All Romania
Nicolae Densuşianu, Romanian historian and ethnologist
Octavian Goga, Romanian poet and politician
Petru Groza, Romanian politician
Iuliu Hossu, Romanian bishop, cardinal
Ștefan Octavian Iosif, Romanian poet
Elek Köblös, Hungarian ethnic Romanian politician
Károly Kós, Hungarian architect, writer and politician
Vasile Luca, Romanian ethnic Hungarian politician
Áron Márton, Hungarian Catholic bishop, anticommunist dissident
Traian Moșoiu, Romanian general and politician
Franz Nopcsa, Austrian-Hungarian paleontologist
József Nyírő, Hungarian writer
Hermann Oberth, Saxon inventor and physicist
Aurel Popovici, Romanian federalist
Sextil Pușcariu, Romanian linguist and philologist
Emil Rebreanu, ethnic-Romanian Austro-Hungarian Army officer
Liviu Rebreanu, Romanian novelist
Ilie Șteflea, Romanian Army Corps General and Chief of the Romanian General Staff for most of Romania's involvement in World War II
Vasile Suciu, Romanian bishop
Áron Tamási, Hungarian writer
Sámuel Teleki, Austrian-Hungarian explorer
Alexandru Vaida-Voevod, Romanian politician
Aurel Vlaicu, Romanian aviation pioneer

20th century

Emil Cioran, Romanian essayist and philosopher
Ion Moța, Romanian politician and volunteer soldier, deputy leader of the Iron Guard killed during the Spanish Civil War
László Rajk, Hungarian politician
Ion Rațiu, Romanian politician
Horia Sima, leader of the Iron Guard and co-leader of the National Legionary State
Ioan Suciu, Romanian bishop
Sándor Veress, Hungarian composer
Albert Wass, Hungarian writer

20–21th century

Ilinca Băcilă, Romanian singer/yodeller. Representative of Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, alongside Alex Florea.
Albert-László Barabási, Hungarian physicist
Oana Ban, Romanian Olympic gold medal gymnast
László Bölöni, Romanian ethnic Hungarian football manager
Victor Ciorbea, Romanian jurist, Romanian Ombudsman, ex-Prime Minister of Romania
Andrei Codrescu, Romanian-American writer
Dumitru Fărcaș, Romanian tárogató (taragot) player
Gheorghe Funar, Romanian politician
Zsolt Erőss (1968–2013), Hungarian high-altitude mountaineer
Gabriela Irimia, Romanian pop singer, popular in Britain, see Cheeky Girls
Monica Irimia, Romanian pop singer, popular in Britain, see Cheeky Girls
Sándor Kányádi, poet and translator
Béla and Marta Károlyi, Romanian-American gymnastics coaches
György Ligeti, Hungarian composer
Béla Markó, Romanian ethnic Hungarian politician
Gabriela and Mihaela Modorcea, twins sisters comprising the duo Indiggo
Gheorghe Mureșan, Romanian basketball player
Octavian Paler, Romanian essayist
Florin Piersic, Romanian actor
Dumitru Prunariu, Romanian cosmonaut
András Sütő, Hungarian writer
Gabriela Szabo, Romanian athlete
Alexandru Todea, Romanian bishop, cardinal
László Tőkés, Hungarian bishop