Portuguese

Think there is nothing more to Portugal than its sun-kissed beaches, fairytale-inspiring castles, finger licking food and Cristiano Ronaldo? If yes, then you have been surely living under a rock all these years. Agreed, Portugal takes the cake (and the spotlight too!) when it comes to its scenic bounties, its simple and delicious meal and the soccer sensation. But the land of vineyards, pretty towns and fascinating fairs, is also home to some great men and women the world has ever known. Jose Mourinho , Eusebio, Mariza, Jose Saramago, Luis Figo, Francisco and Diogo Arruda, and Vasco da Gama are just a few of the famous Portuguese to whom the world heaps paeans. And the list does not end there. Without ado, let us get on with the biographies of famous Portuguese people to have ever walked the earth. Their memoir accounts for their timelines, trivia, and lesser-known facts. Read on.
Vote For Your Favourite Portuguese Personality

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

 1 
Cristiano Ronaldo
(One of the Greatest Football Players of All Time)
Cristiano Ronaldo
426
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: February 5, 1985
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Funchal, Portugal
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 2 
Ferdinand Magellan
(Navigator, Explorer)
Ferdinand Magellan
40
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 1480 AD
Birthplace: Sabrosa
Died: April 27, 1521
 3 
Vasco da Gama
(Explorer)
Vasco da Gama
26
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 1469 AD
Birthplace: Sines, Portugal
Died: December 24, 1524
Recommended Lists:
 4 
Luís Figo
(One of the Best Portuguese Football Players of All Time)
Luís Figo
14
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 4, 1972
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Almada, Portugal
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 5 
António Guterres
(9th Secretary-General of the United Nations)
António Guterres
7
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 30, 1949
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lisbon
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 6 
Eusébio
(Portuguese Footballer Known for His Speed and Exceptional Goal-Scoring Abilities)
Eusébio
10
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 25, 1942
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Maputo, Mozambique
Died: January 5, 2014
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 7 
José Mourinho
(Portuguese Former Professional Football Player and One of the Greatest Managers of All Time)
José Mourinho
41
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 26, 1963
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Setúbal
 8 
Daniela Ruah
(Actress and Director Known for Her Role as ‘Kensi Blye’ in TV Series ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’)
Daniela Ruah
12
Birthdate: December 2, 1983
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 9 
Pepe
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Defender)
Pepe
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: February 26, 1983
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Maceió, Brazil
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 10 
Bernardo Silva
(Footballer Who Plays as an Attacking Midfielder)
Bernardo Silva
15
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 10, 1994
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 11 
Renato Sanches
(Portuguese Footballer Who Became the Youngest Player from the Country to Play in an International Tournament)
Renato Sanches
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 18, 1997
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Amadora, Portugal
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 12 
Ricardo Quaresma
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Winger)
Ricardo Quaresma
6
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 26, 1983
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 13 
Anthony of Padua
4
Birthdate: August 15, 1195
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Died: June 13, 1231
 14 
Daniela Melchior
(Actress)
Daniela Melchior
14
Birthdate: November 1, 1996
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Almada, Portugal
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 15 
Henry the Navigator
(Portuguese Prince and Main Initiator of Age of Discovery)
Henry the Navigator
10
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: March 4, 1394
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Porto, Portugal
Died: November 13, 1460
 16 
Deco
(Retired Professional Football Player Who Played as an Attacking or Central Midfielder)
Deco
6
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 27, 1977
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 17 
Bartolomeu Dias
(Portuguese explorer)
Bartolomeu Dias
18
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 1450 AD
Birthplace: Algarve
Died: May 29, 1500
 18 
Carmen Miranda
(Brazilian Actress and Samba Singer Known for Her Signature Tall Hats Made of Real Fruit)
Carmen Miranda
13
Birthdate: February 9, 1909
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Marco de Canaveses, Portugal
Died: August 5, 1955
Height: 5'0" (152 cm)
 19 
Rafael Leão
(Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Forward)
Rafael Leão
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: June 10, 1999
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Almada, Portugal
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 20 
André Villas-Boas
(Portuguese Football Manager)
André Villas-Boas
4
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: October 17, 1977
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Porto, Portugal
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 21 
Alba Baptista
(Actress)
Alba Baptista
5
Birthdate: July 10, 1997
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 22 
Nélson Semedo
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Defender)
Nélson Semedo
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 16, 1993
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 23 
Rui Patricio
(Portuguese Football Player Who Plays as a Goalkeeper)
Rui Patricio
11
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: February 15, 1988
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Marrazes, Portugal
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 24 
Sara Sampaio
(Portuguese Model, Best Known for Being a Victoria's Secret Angel)
Sara Sampaio
6
Birthdate: July 21, 1991
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Porto, Portugal
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 25 
Nani
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Midfielder)
Nani
11
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 17, 1986
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Amadora, Portugal
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 26 
Ricardo Carvalho
(Portuguese Former Football Centre Back)
Ricardo Carvalho
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 18, 1978
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Amarante, Portugal
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 27 
Nuno Mendes
(Portuguese Football Left-Back)
Nuno Mendes
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: June 19, 2002
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Sintra, Portugal
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 28 
João Moutinho
(Portuguese Football Midfielder)
João Moutinho
4
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 8, 1986
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Portimao, Portugal
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 29 
Joaquim de Almeida
(Actor)
Joaquim de Almeida
2
Birthdate: March 15, 1957
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: São Sebastião da Pedreira, Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 30 
Jorge Mendes
(Portuguese Football Agent)
Jorge Mendes
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 7, 1966
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
 31 
Pedro I of Brazil
(Former Emperor of Brazil (1822 - 1831))
Pedro I of Brazil
3
Birthdate: October 12, 1798
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Queluz, Portugal
Died: September 24, 1834
 32 
William Carvalho
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Midfielder)
William Carvalho
14
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: April 7, 1992
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Luanda, Angola
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 33 
Cédric Soares
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Defender)
Cédric Soares
4
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 31, 1991
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Singen (Hohentwiel), Germany
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 34 
Nuno Tavares
(Portuguese Football Left-Back)
Nuno Tavares
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 26, 2000
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 35 
Raphaël Guerreiro
(Portuguese Professional Football Player Who Plays as a Midfielder & Defender)
Raphaël Guerreiro
4
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 22, 1993
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Le Blanc-Mesnil, France
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 36 
Fernando Pessoa
(Portuguese Modernist Poet and Author of 'Mensagem' and 'The Book of Disquiet')
Fernando Pessoa
3
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: June 13, 1888
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Died: November 30, 1935
 37 
Pedro Álvares Cabral
(Nobleman)
Pedro Álvares Cabral
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 1467 AD
Birthplace: Belmonte, Portugal
Died: 1520 AD
 38 
José Fonte
(Portuguese Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Centre-Back)
José Fonte
4
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 22, 1983
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Penafiel, Portugal
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 39 
José Saramago
(Portuguese Writer and Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998)
José Saramago
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: November 16, 1922
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Azinhaga, Portugal
Died: June 18, 2010
 40 
Manuel II of Portugal
(King of Portugal from 1908 to 1910)
Manuel II of Portugal
5
Birthdate: November 15, 1889
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Died: July 2, 1932
 41 
Bruno Alves
(Portuguese Former Footballer and Sporting Director of 'AEK Athens')
Bruno Alves
4
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 27, 1981
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 42 
Salvador Sobral
(Singer)
Salvador Sobral
5
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: December 28, 1989
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
 43 
António Costa
(119th Prime Minister of Portugal )
António Costa
4
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: July 17, 1961
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 44 
Matheus Nunes
(Brazilian-Born Portuguese Football Attacking Midfielder)
Matheus Nunes
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 27, 1998
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 45 
Raul Meireles
(Portuguese Retired Footballer Who Played as a Midfielder)
Raul Meireles
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: March 17, 1983
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Porto, Portugal
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 46 
Eder
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Forward)
Eder
5
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 22, 1987
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 47 
Teresa Heinz
(Businesswoman, Philanthropist and Wife of Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry)
Teresa Heinz
7
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: October 5, 1938
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Maputo, Mozambique
 48 
Ricardo Domingos Barbosa Pereira
(Portuguese Football Full-Back)
Ricardo Domingos Barbosa Pereira
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: October 6, 1993
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 49 
Margarida Corceiro
(Actress, Model)
Margarida Corceiro
5
Birthdate: October 26, 2002
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Santarém, Portugal
 50 
Sara Carbonero
(Spanish-Portuguese Sports Journalist)
Sara Carbonero
1
Birthdate: February 3, 1984
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Corral de Almaguer, Spain
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)