List of Romani people

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This is a list of famous or otherwise prominent Romani people (also known as Gypsies) and people of Romani origin. When adding to the list, please provide at least one reliable reference that identifies the individual concerned as being of Romani ethnicity..

Politicians and activists

• Joaquín Cortés - (born 1969) Ambassador of Roma in the EU, flamenco dancer, Spain
• Damian Draghici - (born 1970) Ambassador for European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, musician, Romania
• Jovan Damjanović - Serbian politician - The first Romani appointed as minister in a government anywhere in the world[1]
• Rajko Djuric - (born 1947) Serbian writer and academic, leader of Roma Union of Serbia
• Alfonso Mejia-Arias - musician, writer and politician, Mexico
• Ian Hancock - Romani scholar and activist, born in UK, living in USA, Professor at the University of Texas
• Lívia Járóka - Hungarian Member of the European Parliament
• Juscelino Kubitschek - Brazilian President (1956-1961) (maternal grandfather Jan Kubicek)
• Mădălin Voicu - (born 1952) Romanian politician. His father, Ion Voicu, is Romani
• Ştefan Răzvan - (? – 1594) Prince of Moldavia, Ruled Moldavia for four months. (Romani father)
• Nicolae Păun - Romanian politician
• Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia - Ex-member of the European Parliament, founder of the Romani Union, Spain
• Viktória Mohácsi - (born 1975) Hungarian Member of the European Parliament
• Nadezhda Demeter - Activist, PhD in pedagogics, writer, Russia
• Vadim Vladislav Demeter - Russian journalist, activist, choirmaster
• Ronald Lee - (born 1934, in Montreal), Canadian Romani novelist, activist and U.N. delegate
• Romani Rose - German Sinto activist
• Daróczi Dávid - (born 1972) Government Spokesperson of the Republic of Hungary
• Dijana Pavlović - Italian activist, actress
• Esma Redzepova - Macedonian songwriter, humanitarian and singer
• Rudolf Sarközi
• Sani Rifati - Serbian activist
• Yuri Del Bar - Italian Sinto Politician
• Ali Krasniqi - Albanian writer and activist
• Farkas Flórián - Politician
• Srđan Šajn - Serbian politician
• Bajram Haliti - Kosovar activist
• Jakow Sergunin - Lieutenant Colonel, ex- ministre Chechenia and activist
• Nicusor Grancea - Romanian activist in Italy

Writers

• Jánoś Balaś - Hungarian poet and artist
• Veijo Baltzar - Finnish writer^[1]
• Sandra Jayat - French writer, poet and painter
• Caleb Botton - British Writer and Film maker. NB For Deletion
• Emil Demeter - Canadian author of Will There Be Another Day Hamilton Ontario, refugee from Czech Republic
• Rajko Djuric - (born 1947) Serbian writer & activist
• Philomena Franz - German writer
• Paula Nardai - German writer
• Caren Gussoff - American writer
• Delia Grigore - (born 1972) Romanian writer, academic and activist
• Bajram Haliti - Kosovo Romani writer
• Menyhért Lakatos - Hungarian writer
• Ronald Lee - Canadian Writer, Professor at the University of Toronto
• Matéo Maximoff - French writer
• Louise Doughty - British writer
• John Bunyan - Christian author^{[dubious – discuss]} [2]
• Lafcadio Hearn - Irish writer^[2]
• Francis Hindes Groome - British writer
• Olga Pankova - Russian poet
• Oleg Petrovich - Russian writer
• Charlie Smith
• Ivan Rom-Lebedev - Russian writer and actor
• Nedjo Osman - Macedonian writer
• Ivan Rom-Lebedev
• Csemer Géza - writer, and guionist cinema
• Ljatif Mefaileskoro Demir
• Usin Kerim
• Selahetin Kruezi
• Margita Reiznerova
• Ruzdija Sejdovic
• Baja Saitovic Lukin - poet
• Jovan Nicolić
• Mehmed Merejan
• Ceija Stojka - (born 1933) Austrian author and painter
• Katarina Taikon - (born 1932) Swedish children's writer
• Bronisława Wajs - (1908-1987) AKA "Papusza", Polish poet and singer
• Choli Daróczi József - (born 1939) Hungarian poet, educator, writer, translator
• Elena Lacková - Slovak, writer and dramaturg
• Leksa Manuś - (born 1942) Letonian poet, pedagog, writer, translator
• Nina Aleksandrovna Dudarova - (born 1903) Russian poet, translator
• Regina Milbourne
• Ella Veres - Romanian writer, interpret
• Luminiţa Cioabă - Romanian writer
• Alexander Germano - Russian writer
• József Holdosi - Hungarian writer
• Family Demeter

• Nadezhda Demeter - Activist, PhD in pedagogics, writer, Russia
• Olga Demeter-Charskaya - actress, singer, poet, writer
• Roman Demeter - poet
• Vladislav Demeter - journalist, activist, choirmaster

Musicians

• Mariska Veres - (1947-2006) Lead singer of the Dutch rock group Shocking Blue. Her father was the Hungarian violinist Lajos Veres
• Carmen Amaya - (1913-1963) Spanish flamenco dancer
• Vicente Escudero - dancer and choreographer of Spanish Flamenco; occasionally painter, writer, cinematographic actor and flamenco singer.
• Pyotr Leshchenko - Russian (born 1858-1903))
• Grigoraş Dinicu - Romanian composer and violinst
• Anjeza Shahini - Albanian
• Pista Dankó - (born 1858-1903) Hungarian-born bandleader and composer
• Sandro de América - (born 1954) Argentinian singer and actor
• Adam Ant - (born 1954) British punk/New Wave musician; of Romanichal descent
• Elek Bacsik - (1926-1993) Hungarian-born American jazz violinist and guitarist
• Robi Botos-Canadian Musician/Compsoser from Hungary
• Joe Zawinul - Austrian
• Eugene Hütz - Russian singer, guitarist, writer and actor
• Saban Bajramovic - (1936-2008) Serbian singer
• Adrian Copilul Minune - (1974) Romanian
• János Bihari - (1764-1824) Hungarian violinist
• Věra Bílá - (born 1954) Czech folk and pop singer
• Iva Bittová - (born 1958) Czech singer, violinist and composer
• Diego El Cigala - (born 1968, Madrid) Spanish Flamenco Singer
• Joaquín Cortés - flamenco dancer
• "Rayito" Antonio Rayo - Spanish Guitarist, singer and composer. Father Gitano (Iberian Kalo) and mother Japanese
• Panna Cinka - (1711-1772) Hungarian Violinist, born in Kingdom of Hungary in modern Slovakia
• Georges Cziffra - (1921-1994) Hungarian virtuoso pianist
• Drafi Deutscher - (1946-2006) German Sinto songwriter, singer and composer
• Damian Draghici - Romanian, composer and panflute player
• Fanfare Ciocărlia - (formed 1996) Romanian brass band
• Lajko Felix - (born 1974) Hungarian-Serbian violinist and composer (part Romani)
• Lola Flores - (1923-1995) Spanish singer, dancer, actress, (Gitano (Iberian Kalo) father)
• Rosario Flores - (born 1963) Spanish singer, actress, Latin Grammy award winner
• Camarón de la Isla - (1950-1992) Spanish flamenco singer
• Kal - Romani world music Band from Serbia
• Gipsy Kings - French (Spanish origin) Gitano (Iberian Kalo) new-flamenco band
• Ketama - Spanish new-flamenco band
• Sasha Kolpakov - (born 1943) Russian guitarist
• Bireli Lagrene - (born 1966) French jazz guitarist, violinist and bassist
• Denny Laine - British musician (The Moody Blues, Wings)
• Joe Longthorne - (born 1955) English singer and impressionist
• Andy McCoy - Finnish guitarist (Hanoi Rocks)
• Irini Merkouri - (born 1981) Greek pop singer
• Aggelopoulos Manolis - (1939-1989) Greek singer and actor
• Sofi Marinova - Bulgarian singer
• Boban Marković - Serbian brass bandleader and trumpet player
• Jerry Mason - American Singer, Guitarist
• Carlos Montoya - (1903-1993) Spanish flamenco guitarist
• Ramón Montoya - (1889-1949) Spanish flamenco guitarist
• Ivo Papazov - (born 1952) Bulgarian jazz clarinetist
• Manitas de Plata - (born 1921) Spanish guitarist
• Valentina Ponomaryova - (born 1939) Russian singer
• Romica Puceanu - (1928-1996) Romanian singer
• Dzej Ramadanovski - born 1964 in Belgrade (former Yugoslavia), modern Serbian folk singer
• Johnny Răducanu - (born 1931) Romanian jazz musician
• Esma Redzepova - (born 1943) Macedonian singer and songwriter
• Django Reinhardt - (1910-1953) Belgian-born French/German jazz guitarist
• Jimmy Rosenberg - (born 1980) Dutch swing guitarist
• Marianne Rosenberg - (born 1955) German singer and songwriter
• Tchavolo Schmitt - (born 1954) French jazz guitarist
• Taraful Haiducilor - (Taraf de Haïdouks) Romanian band, formed 1989
• Nicolae Neacşu ("Culai") - Lăutar, was the leader of Taraf de Haïdouks
• Wally Tax - Dutch rock singer, of The Outsiders
• Martin Taylor - (born 1956) British guitarist
• Manuel Torre - (1878-1933) Spanish flamenco singer
• Ion Voicu - (1923-1997) Romanian violinist and orchestral conductor, founder of Bucharest Chamber Orchestra
• Sotis Volanis - Greek pop folk singer
• Harri Stojka - Austrian jazz guitarist
• Peter Demeter — music composer, actor
• Hüsnü Şenlendirici - Turkish clarinetist
• Radoslav Banga - of Czech group Gypsy.cz
• Joy Olasunmibo Ogunmakin - Ayọ (stage name), German singer
• Didem — Turkish Bellydancer

Cinema and theater

• Yul Brynner - actor
• Charles Chaplin - actor
• Fairuza Balk - actress
• Florijan Ajdini - actor
• Dmitry Buzylyov - Russian actor
• Bob Hoskins - actor
• Marcia Nicole Lakatos - actress
• Michael Caine - actor, father is a Romanichal from London
• Soledad Miranda - Andalusian Flamenco Dancer and later Horror Film Actress from Seville, mother was Gitana
• Bajram Severdzan - Yugoslav actor
• Nikolai Slichenko - Russian actor
• Tony Gatlif - French film maker
• Ştefan Bănică, Sr. - Romanian actor
• Jean Constantin - Romanian actor
• Moira Orfei - Italian actress
• Nedjo Osman - Macedonian actor, poet and theater maker
• Burhan Rahim - Macedonian theater maker
• Goran Navojec - actor
• Vinko štefanac - actor
• Tracey Ullman - British actress

Artist

• David Beeri - Hungarian artist
• Antonio Solario - Italian artist
• Helios Gómez - Spanish artist, writer and poet
• János Balázs - Hungarian artist and poet
• Flórián Botos - Hungarian artist
• Tamás Péli - Hungarian artist
• Szentandrássy István Hungarian artist
• Serge Poliakoff (1906–1969) - painter
• Katarzina Polok - German artist
• Otto Mueller - painter and printmaker, Sinti mother
• Micaela Flores Amaya, La Chunga, Flamenco dancer and painter
• Bruno Morelli (1957)
• Mića Popović (1957) - Serbian painter, writer and experimental filmmaker.
• Nikola Džafo (1950) - Serbian painter
• Dusan Jovanovic (1949) - Serbian painter
• Karl Stojka - Austrian
• Torino Ziegler - French Painter, Manouche
• Constantin Nepo (1976) - French
• Bruno Morelli - Italian
• Dragan Jevremović - Austrian
• Rudolf Dzurko - Czech sculptor
• Eugen Raportoru - Romanian
• Rebecca Covaciu (1996) - Romanian
• Veijo Baltzar - Finnish writer, theater director, visual artist

Boxers

• Jiri Demeter (Pucak) - Romani boxer from the Czech Republic
• Ivailo Marinov - also known as Ismail Mustafov, Ismail Huseinov or Ivailo Khristov) is a Rom Bulgarian boxer, who won the bronze medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in light flyweight, and the gold medal in the same category at the 1988 Summer Olympics
• Serafim Todorov - was a Bulgarian/Georgian boxer at the 1996 Summer Olympics who won a silver medal. He is the last boxer to ever defeat the highly regarded Floyd Mayweather Jr.

• Boris Georgiev - is an amateur boxer from Bulgaria who won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the Light Welterweight class
• Johnny Frankham - British Light Heavyweight Boxer who knocked to the floor Cassius Clay (Muhammed Ali) in an exhibition fight[3]
• Jem Mace - Bareknuckle Boxing Champion, Father of Modern Boxing; called "The Gypsy," but denies Romani ancestry in his autobiography
• Johann Wilhelm Trollmann - German light-heavyweight boxer killed during the Porajmos
• Bartley Gorman - English Bare-knuckle boxing
• Henry Wharton - English Middleweight Boxing Champion
• Silvio Branco - Italian light heavyweight Boxing Champion
• Michele di Rocco - Italian Light Welterweight Boxing Champion
• Domenico Spada - Italian Middleweight Boxing Champion
• José Antonio Jiménez - Spanish Lightweight and Featherweight Boxing Champion
• Faustino Reyes - Spanish Boxing he won the silver medal in the featherweight division (– 57 kg), 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona
• Billy Joe Saunders - British Boxing he won the silver medal, 2008 Summer Olympics in Pekín
• Norbert Kalucza - Hungarian Boxing
• Sabahudim Ibrahimović - Serbian Boxing
• Gianluca Branco - Italian light heavyweight Boxing Champion

Soccer players

• Andrea Pirlo - Italian (AC Milan)
• Tommaso Vailatti - Italian (Torino)
• Gigi Meroni - Italian (Torino)
• Eric Cantona - French (Manchester United)
• Joël Cantona - French (Olympique de Marseille)
• Jacques Abardonado - French (Valenciennes)
• André-Pierre Gignac - French (Toulouse)
• Yohan Mollo - French (AS Monaco FC)
• Pierre-Yves André - French (SC Bastia)
• Tony Vairelles - French (Olympique Lyonnais)
• David Vairelles - French (Nancy)
• Cédric Bockhorni - French (Nancy)
• Bruno Rodriguez - French (PSG)
• Richard Carpenter - British (Fulham)
• Freddy Eastwood - Welsh (Southend United)
• Raby Howell - British (Liverpool, Sheffield United and Preston North End)
• Telmo Zarraonaindia - Spanish (Athletic Club)
• José Antonio Reyes - Spanish (Atletico de Madrid)
• Arturo Garcia, Arzu - Spanish (Real Betis)
• Israel - Spanish (Real Betis)
• Rodri - Spanish (Betis)
• Apoño - Spanish (Málaga CF)
• Jesús Navas - Spanish (Sevilla Fc)
• Marcos Navas Gonzalez - Spanish (Sevilla FC)
• José Mari - Spanish (Real Betis)
• Diego Rodríguez Fernández - Spanish (Sevilla FC)
• Dani Güiza - Spanish (Fenerbahce)
• Javier Casquero - Spanish (Getafe)
• David Cortés - Spanish (Getafe)
• Antonio Amaya - Spanish (Wigan Athletic FC)
• Iván Amaya - Spanish (Atlético de Madrid)
• Marcos Márquez- Spanish (UD Las Palmas)
• López Ramos - Spanish UD Las Palmas
• Jesús Seba - Spanish Real Zaragoza
• Basti - Spanish Málaga CF
• Raúl Martín - Spanish (Girona FC)
• "Moreno" - Spanish Deportivo Alavés
• "Gitano González" - Spanish Valencia Club de Fútbol
• "Manolo Jiménez" - Spanish Celta de Vigo
• Banel Nicolita - Romanian (Steaua)
• Petre Marin - Romanian (Steaua Bucaresti)
• Péter Horváth - Hungarian
• Ionel Danciulescu - Romanian (Dinamo Bucaresti)
• Claudiu Niculescu - Romanian (Dinamo Bucaresti)
• Bogdan Panait - Romanian (Vaslui)
• Nicolae Dică - Romanian (Catania)
• Marcel Răducanu - Romanian (Borussia Dormund)
• Valentin Negru - Romanian (Otopeni)
• Vasilică Cristocea - Romanian (Steaua
• Ilie Dumitrescu - Romanian (Steaua Bucarest)
• Ionel Ganea - Romanian (FC Timişoara)
• Adrian Ilie - Romanian (Valencia)
• Christos Patsatzoglou - Greek (Olympiakos)
• Marian Ognyanov - Bulgarian (Levski)
• Stiliyan Petrov - Bulgarian (Manchester City)
• Boyan Tabakov - Bulgarian (Levski)
• Georgi Ivanov (footballer) - Bulgarian (FC Levski Sofia)
• Georgi Sarmov - Bulgarian (Levski)
• Miroslav Ivanov (footballer) - Bulgarian (FC Levski Sofia)
• Ayan Sadakov - Bulgarian (Lokomotiv)
• Nikolay Arabov - Bulgarian (Sliven)
• Hristo Stoichkov - Bulgarian (FC Barcelona)
• Asen Nikolov- Bulgarian (Slavia Sofia)
• Oka Nikolov - Macedonian (Eintracht Frankfurt)
• Milan Baroš - Czech (Galatasaray)
• Dražen Ladić - Croatian (Dinamo Zagreb)
• Darijo Srna - Croatian ( Shakhtar Donetsk)
• Zvonimir Boban - Croatian (Milan)
• Aljoša Asanović - Croatian (Hajduk Split)
• Mirko Vučinić - Montenegro (A.S. Roma)
• Zlatan Ibrahimović - Swedish (FC Barcelona)
• Siniša Mihajlović - Serbian (Internazionale Milan)
• Ricardo Quaresma - Portuguese (Internazionale Milan)
• Marinko Sarkezi - Slovenian, NK Maribor
• Andrei Gapanenko - Russian, North York Astros
• Mum Çaku Nihindri - Turkish Çanakkale

Other sports

• Heinie Manush - baseball legend
• Darren M. Jackson - British mixed martial arts fighter

Journalism

• George Bramwell Evens - journalist, United Kingdom

Other

• Kerope Patkanov - scientist
• Rodney "Gipsy" Smith - (1860-1947), British evangelist
• August Krogh - scientist, Nobel prize winner
• Sofia Kovalevskaya - Major Russian female mathematician of Romani descent^[3]
• Jimmy Marks - litigant in a lawsuit against the city of Spokane, Washington
• Settela Steinbach - Holocaust victim
• Ceferino Gimenez Malla - beatified Catholic catechist
• Juana Martín Manzano - fashion designer

References

Sources

• Famous Gypsies – famous Romani and people of Romani ancestry.
• Romano Muy – articles about famous or outstanding Romanis (in Russian)