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Top 20 Most Famous Norwegian People

Originally Published by Vanessa R. in June 2022 and Updated by Nellian in May 2024.

Norway, a small country in the far north of Europe with a small population, is distant from the worldwide spotlight. Despite this, several Norwegians have left their imprint on history via accomplishments in exploration, music, writing, and politics.

In this post, we’ll look at some of the most famous Norwegians throughout history and how they managed to secure a place in history.

1. Edvard Grieg

Edvard Grieg by Karl Anderson from

Norway’s most famous composer and pianist is Edvard Grieg. He is also considered one of the most important romantic composers of the nineteenth century.

In 1807, he was born into a musical family in Bergen. Ole Bull, a well-known Norwegian violinist, noticed his talent at the age of 15, persuading his parents to send him to Leipzig to study music. He graduated despite major health problems and went on to have a successful career that spanned many decades from the 1860s to the early 1900s. In his works, he interpreted and developed Norwegian traditional music, bringing Norwegian music to international attention.

2. Henrik Ibsen

Schaarw盲chter Henrik Ibsen by Galerie Bassenge from

Most individuals who are interested in playwrights and theatre are familiar with Henrik Ibsen’s name. He is regarded as one of the most important writers of his generation and one of the creators of modernism in theatre.

Ibsen was born in Skien and traveled to Oslo (then Christiania) to pursue a career in playwriting after working as an apprentice pharmacy. He was denied admission to the institution after many tries, but this did not dissuade a young Ibsen. While working as a theatrical director, he wrote many plays that earned little critical praise.

3. Ole Gunnar Solskj忙r

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by Tor Atle Kleven from

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is perhaps Norway’s greatest renowned player of all time. He was recruited by Manchester United in 1996 after achieving success in the Norwegian division.

He developed a name for himself as a lethal striker with a devious ability to close off tight contests, frequently coming on as a replacement in the latter stages of games.

He was given the moniker “the baby-faced assassin” because of his non-threatening, young look. He had the largest impact in the 1999 Champions League final (Football/Soccer Superbowl) when he scored the game-winning goal in overtime against Bayern Munich of Germany.

4. Leif Eriksson

Leif Erikson by Hans Dahl from

The first Viking colony in what is now known as Greenland was created by Lief Eriksson. Erik the Red, the famed Viking King, was his father.
When King Olaf I traveled to Norway, he converted to Christianity, establishing one of the first sites of contact between Scandinavia’s ancient and new religions.

Most notably, he is regarded to be the first European to reach Vinland, or what we now refer to as North America. He returned to Greenland without further exploration after just spending one winter there.

According to Erik the Red’s Saga, he met with the “Red Indians” there. Until various incidences produced complications, this was a pleasant encounter with a solid commercial arrangement.

5. Morten Harket (A-Ha)

Although A-ha is a trio, Harket has been the band’s leader and face since its inception in 1982. The band shot to fame after releasing “Hunting High and Low” in 1985, which included the smash songs “Take On Me” and “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.”

The album charted at number one in Norway, number two in the United Kingdom, and number 15 in the United States. Harket and the band were also nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist.

In 2016, Kygo made history by being the first house music producer to perform at an Olympic ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. Kygo was placed third in Billboard’s 2018 list of dance performers, the Billboard Dance 100, in March 2018. On DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs of the World list in 2018, he was placed 32.

6. Knut Hamsun

Hamsun bldsa by Alvilde Torps eftf from

The band shot to fame after releasing “Hunting High and Low” in 1985, which included the smash songs “Take On Me” and “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” He pioneered a psychological writing style that influenced several well-known authors, including Ernest Hemingway and Franz Kafka.

Hamsun had a difficult upbringing, owing in part to his uncle’s mistreatment of him when he was ordered to assist operate a post office. Hamsun would go on to work in a variety of odd jobs and even spend time in America. This served as the inspiration for his debut novel, which was published in 1877.

Hunger, Hamsun’s debut novel, was published in 1890 and gained widespread praise (Sult). This semi-autobiographical novel chronicled the decline of a young writer into near-madness as a result of starvation and poverty.

Hamsun’s greatest opus, the epic “Growth of the Soil,” was published in 1917 and won him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920, confirming his status as a writer.

7. Magnus Carlsen

Carlsen is regarded as one of the greatest chess grandmasters in history. He is the current World Chess Champion and the world’s number one chess player. He only lags Garry Kasparov in terms of time spent as the highest-rated player at the age of 30.

Carlsen showed an early affinity for academic difficulties. He earned a reputation for himself even before graduating from high school after establishing a chess passion. Shortly after turning 13, he won the Corus chess tournament in the C category, and a few months later, he was named grandmaster. He won the Norwegian Chess Championship at the age of 15 and the World Chess Championship at the age of 17.

8. Kygo

Kygo is a Norwegian DJ, composer, and record producer who goes by the stage name Kyrre Grvell-Dahl.

Kygo began taking piano lessons at the age of six but chose to study business and finance at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh rather than pursue a music career. He did, however, continue to play the piano and compose music as a pastime. He rose to prominence by producing EDM remixes of famous songs such as Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire” and Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing.”

9. Niels Henrik Abel

Niels Henrik Abel by

Many mathematicians will be familiar with Abel, even if he is unknown to the general public. Abel had an interest in mathematics in high school, and his instructor noticed his ability.

Abel was already the most knowledgeable mathematician in Norway when he joined the university at the age of 19. Abel began working on the quintic equation in radicals while in university. Even though mathematicians had been searching for a solution for almost 250 years, Abel was able to present the first thorough proof establishing the impossibility of solving these equations.

10. Vidkun Quisling

Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonss酶n Quisling was a Norwegian politician and military commander. He rose to prominence as a close partner of explorer Fridtjof Nansen and as an organizer of humanitarian help during the Russian famine of 1921.

After serving in the Soviet Union as a Norwegian diplomat. In 1929, he returned to Norway as Minister of Defense, supporting the Farmers Party. After his death, the term 鈥渜uisling鈥� became a byword for 鈥渃ollaborator鈥� or 鈥渢raitor鈥� in several languages, including English. The term is still used today, and the surname has completely disappeared from the record in Norway.

11. Roald Amundsen

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This Norwegian explorer of polar regions was a key figure in Antarctic exploration. The Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897 to 1899 was his first mission. He Amundsen is credited with leading the first team to reach the South Pole in December 1911.

Though he failed an attempt in 1918 to reach the North Pole, Amundsen opted for an aerial expedition instead. In May 1926, he led the first explorers verified to have reached the North Pole aboard the airship, Norge.

Moreover, in June 1928, the explorer disappeared while flying on a rescue mission for the airship Italia in the Arctic. The search for his remains was called off the same year in September and has never been found.

12. Sigrid Undset

Undset was a celebrated Danish-born Norwegian novelist. One of her most celebrated achievements was the 1928 Nobel Prize for Literature award. Her first work was in historical fiction published in 1907. Better still, her opposition to the Nazi Germany regime and its invasion of Norway saw her flee to the United States in 1940. She later returned to Norway after the end of World War II.

Sigrid鈥檚 most famous work was the historical trilogy, Kristin Lavransdatter. The book鈥檚 three volumes were published between 1920 and 1922. The narrative explores the Middle Ages experiences of a woman from birth until death.

13. Fridtjof Nansen

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, who doubled as a scientist, diplomat, and humanitarian. In his country, many remember him as the co-founder of the Fatherland League in 1925. It was an anti-communist political organization.

As an explorer, his contribution to the techniques of polar travel was of huge significance. Besides, his innovations in equipment and clothing influenced later Arctic and Antarctic expeditions.

Additionally, in the final years of his career, he was known as a peace champion. He was appointed as the High Commissioner for Refugees in the first worldwide intergovernmental organization, the League of Nations. This role led to his 1922 Nobel Peace Prize recognition.

14. Thor Heyerdahl

Heyerdahl was a Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer who specialized in zoology, botany, and geography. One of his most notable works was his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947. He attempted to go across the Pacific Ocean in a hand-built raft.

On top of that, he was appointed as a government scholar in 1984. The Norwegian government offered him a state funeral in 2002. His posthumous honors include a UNESCO listing of Thor Heyerdahl Archives. The archives consist of works between 1937 and 2002 including photographic collections, diaries, private letters, expedition plans, articles, and more.

15. Edvard Munch

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Lovers of Norwegian art are familiar with the acclaimed painter, Munch. His 1893 masterpiece, The Scream is one of Western art’s most adored images. The artwork was conceived in Kristiania, Oslo while Edvard was out on a sunset walk. At the sound of the infinite scream of nature, the idea of the painting was birthed. The painting later fetched very high prices at auction.

Although his work was banned in Nazi-occupied regions, most art pieces survived World War II. This has secured him a legacy in the modern day.

16. Jo Nesb酶

Literature enthusiasts may be familiar with this Norwegian writer, Nesb酶. He is also a musician, former football player (soccer), and reporter. As of 2021, he had sold more than 50 million copies of his books worldwide.

Furthermore, his books have been translated into more than 50 languages. His crime novels have made him stand out, especially those featuring Inspector Harry Hole. On the music scene, he is the main vocalist and songwriter for the Norwegian rock band Di Derre.

He has ventured into the children’s book genre, with the series, Doktor Proktors Prompepulver (Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder). His Headhunters (2008) novel received a 2011 film adaptation of the same name.

17. Grete Waitz

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Grete Waitz was a Norwegian marathon runner. She was celebrated for setting world records at different distances. At the 1984 Olympic Games, Waitz secured a silver medal. In the 1983 World Championships, she managed a gold medal.

Moreover, the athlete鈥檚 Guinness World Records entry came after she won 12 World Marathon Majors. At the World Cross Country Championships, Grete was known as a five-time winner of the competitions. Not to forget her wins in various city marathons including London, Stockholm, and New York City Marathons.

18. Liv Ullmann

Ullmann is one of the greatest European actresses of all time. The Norwegian actress is noted for starring in The Emigrants (1971). This role earned her a Golden Globe Award and nominations for the BAFTA Award and Academy Award.

Over and above that, her collaboration with Swedish filmmaker, Ingmar Bergman has boosted her acclaim. She featured in most of his hit films. In 2022, Ullmann鈥檚 achievements were appreciated with an Honorary Academy Award.

19. Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Her 2001 marriage to Crown Prince Haakon made Mette-Marit part of the Norwegian Royal Family. Before the marriage, she was a controversial figure. She was once in a relationship with Norwegian convicted felon Morten Borg, with whom they had one child.

Her marriage to Haakon propelled her to the limelight. They have two children together, a daughter Ingrid Alexandra, and a son Sverre Magnus.

20. Thor Hushovd

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Thor Hushovd is a former Norwegian professional road bicycle racer. He prides himself as a three-time Norwegian national road race champion, winning the competition in 2004, 2010, and 2013. His other cycling highlight was winning the 2010 World Road Race Championships.

Additionally, he boasts of being the Scandinavian with the most stage wins in the Grand Tours. He was also privileged to become the first Norwegian to lead the Tour de France race. He retired from active cycling in September 2014.

Norway, with its beautiful towns, intriguing history, and cheerful people, has a lot more to brag about than its natural wonders and happy-go-lucky citizens.