23 Most Famous French People Who Have Left A Mark On French History

Want to learn more about the famous French people who have shaped the country’s history? This post will give you a list of the most influential personalities from France!

France’s long and rich history comprises many famous personalities who created their legacies in various fields.

They not only impacted the country during their times but they also keep inspiring the new generations and their works left a lasting impact on the world.

From when the country was ruled by monarchs to becoming a Republic to modern-day France, these famous people and their contributions have played an immense role in shaping France.

Disclaimer: This post might contain affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) should you choose to sign up for a program or make a purchase using one of our links. It’s okay – We love all of the products we recommend anyway, and you will too! Also, that commission helps us keep this awesome free blog up to date! You can read our full disclosure here for more details!

While many people may be familiar with the notorious Napoleon or even Édith Piaf, there are many other famous personalities of France that you ought to know about.

Whether it’s to learn more about their contributions to the country or to just get a deeper insight into their lives, this article will show you some of the most important people in French history.

Ready to learn a bit more about these esteemed figures? Here is a list of the 23 most famous French people who left a mark on French history.

Psst… Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation, and more. If you’re considering travel insurance for your trip, check out World Nomads.

Most Famous French People of All Time

These 23 most famous French people made a name for themselves in their fields of passion and expertise, be it science, politics, singing, painting, writing, or even acting.

Though there are many more famous personalities in France, for now, I’ll be covering just the 23 most famous.

1. Victor Hugo (1802 – 1885)

Victor-Marie Hugo famously known as Victor Hugo is one of the most important people in French history and the literary world.

He wrote poems, novels, plays, short stories, and novellas. Hugo is one of the greatest writers of the Romanticism period in France, and his writing influenced the French people and fellow writers and authors all around the world.

You might recognize him as the author of Les Misérables (1862), The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), Les Contemplations (The Contemplations; 1856), Demain, dès l’aube (Tomorrow at dawn; 1856), Rigoletto, and Cromwell, among others. You can check out more poems by Victor Hugo here and some of the most famous quotes he said throughout his lifetime.

Besides being one of the best French writers of all time and a celebrated French poet, he was also a politician who influenced people with his Republican views and tackled some of the most important political and social issues like the death penalty and poverty when he was appointed pair de France and later elected as a Deputy to the National Assembly and Senator.

To honor him, he was buried in the Panthéon, and his residence was converted into a museum, known as Maison de Victor Hugo which is today one of the best free museums in Paris.

2. Charles de Gaulle (1890 – 1970)

Charles de Gaulle, born Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle, was a French army officer and one of the most prominent French historical figures.

His political career started with him leading the Free France entity against Nazi Germany in WWII.

More than a decade later, he was appointed Prime Minister during President René Coty’s term.

After rewriting the French constitution, he founded France’s present-day republican governance system, the Fifth Republic, and became its first President in 1959. He was later reelected in 1965.

Mr. Gaulle has several honors under his name. He stabilized France and performed several activities to help end various wars, he granted Algeria its independence, restored Franco-German relations, and many others.

After his death, as a commemoration, France’s largest airport (CDG airport in Paris), and the nation’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier were named in his honor, and a number of streets and Boulevards all around France are named after him.

3. Marie Antoinette (1755 – 1793)

When mentioning famous French people in history, one cannot forget Marie Antoinette even though she didn’t leave behind the best reputation.

Antoinette was an Austrian by birth but became the dauphine of France in 1770 after her marriage to Dauphin Louis-Auguste.

She later became Queen of France in 1774 when her husband became king and took on the name, King Louis XVI.

They were the last French monarchs to rule the country as the monarchy fell during French Revolution.

By then, Antoinette had already become unpopular among the people, partially attributed to false allegations, feeling pity for France’s enemies, and partly for her lavish lifestyle when the country was going through a financial crisis.

Post the abolition, both she and her husband were executed by guillotine at the Place de la Révolution (currently known as Place de la Concorde) when she was found guilty of the depletion of the national treasury, treason, and conspiracy against the internal and external security of the State.

4. Gustave Eiffel (1832 – 1923)

One of the most iconic attractions that France is synonymous with is the Eiffel Tower and the engineer behind this world-famous structure is none other than Alexandre Gustave Eiffel.

As a civil engineer alumnus, Gustave created a number of engineering marvels including the Garabit Viaduct, a railway arch bridge across the river Truyère, but his contributions also extend to the construction of New York’s Statue of Liberty.

His work spoke for itself, and as a result, various countries approached him for engineering projects.

Hence, he is regarded as one of the most important people from France to have undertaken and contributed to construction work within France and across countries worldwide.

Though he took on many endeavors, his most famous work still remains the Eiffel Tower which was named after him and has today become the most famous landmark in Paris and France at large.

5. Édith Piaf (1915 – 1963)

France’s national chanteuse and the voice of La Vie En Rose, Édith Piaf, is one of the most loved and famous people from France.

Born Edith Giovanna Gassion, her singing career started after being discovered by nightclub owner Louis Leplée in Paris.

He persuaded her to sing at his nightclub Le Gerny’s and he even nicknamed her La Môme Piaf or The Little Sparrow, owing to her small stature and petit mannerisms.

Little did he know, at the time, that the stage name Édith Piaf would stay for life. Édith not only captured the ears and hearts of the people of France but also grew to be an international star.

Today, she is one of the most famous French singers of all time with songs that have become some of the most famous French songs and international anthems like La Vie En Rose, Non, je ne regrette rien, and Hymne à l’amour and many movies and documentaries based on her life have been made.

6. Marie Curie (1867 – 1934)

One of the most famous people of France in the scientific field is Marie Curie. She was a physicist and chemist whose contribution to the scientific world specifically, in the field of radioactivity earned her several laurels.

Marie discovered two radioactive substances — polonium and radium, and their role in destroying tumor-forming cells (cancer).

Her discoveries made a huge impact in the science world and she became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize together with her husband, Pierre Curie whom she had married after moving from Poland to France.

She later won her second award, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911, an award recognizing her great work in advancing the impact of chemistry, making her the first person to win 2 Noble prizes.

Unfortunately, all the radiation exposure she faced during her work affected her health, and she later died in 1934 from radiation-related complications.

7. Joan of Arc (1412 – 1431)

Joan of Arc or Jeanne d’Arc is recognized as one of the most famous French people in history.

She contributed to Charles VII assuming the throne by proclaiming that she was guided by divine visions.

King Charles sent her as part of relief camps for two army campaigns, both of which the French won under her command.

This instilled the faith of the people in her abilities but, when the French started losing in other conquests, one of which led to her capture, everyone started questioning her “powers”.

After a trial held in England found her guilty of multiple accusations including Heresy, she was burned at the stake, aged only 19.

Later in 1456, new investigations were made and the verdict was overturned, and she was declared a martyr.

Fast forward to 1922, she was declared one of the patron saints of France and is now considered one of the most famous French women who left a lasting impact on the country.

8. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 – 1821)

One of the most controversial yet important historical figures of France is Napoléon Bonaparte or Napoleon I, a title he assumed after becoming a monarch.

He was a French military general who served in the army during the French Revolution and led several victories. He was also the de facto leader of the French Republic, serving as the first consul of France from 1799 to 1804.

He later rose to become the first emperor of France from 1804 to 1814 but his anger for power even grew more strongly.

He wanted to become the emperor of Europe and invaded a number of countries like Austria, Spain, Russia, and more, but when these countries joined forces, Napoleon was defeated.

They invaded and captured Paris which led to Napoleon’s exile for 11 months on the island of Elba in 1814, but later escaped and returned to power in France in 1815.

That same year, another coalition was formed to fight against him which they won and had him exiled again to the island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic but this time, he didn’t make it back. He died on the same island in 1821.

Today, Napoleon still remains the most controversial and famous person in France and one who heavily shaped the history of France.

You can learn more about him by reading these interesting Napoleon facts and the famous quotes he said over the years.

9. Coco Chanel (1883 – 1971)

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, popularly known as Coco Chanel or Mademoiselle Chanel, is one of the most influential French people in the fashion industry. In fact, you could she is one of the most famous French designers to date.

From being a chanteuse, where she acquired the nickname Coco, to becoming a seamstress and ultimately establishing one of the most popular French luxury brands worldwide, Chanel has come a long way.

She founded her eponymous brand in 1910 as a millinery boutique, which later became a couture house known for designing haute couture and creating luxurious French handbags with the signature interlocked-CC monogram, and jewelry.

She later ventured into luxury French perfumes and her iconic scent, Chanel No. 5, still sells like a hot cake even after her demise.

10. Voltaire (1694 – 1778)

One of the most respected personalities of France in the literary world was Voltaire, a pseudonym taken on by François-Marie Aroue.

During the Age of Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries, Voltaire’s writing captivated many literary enthusiasts.

He was a versatile writer and French philosopher known for his novels, essays, novellas, pieces about history, and poems but it was his wit, support for civil liberties, and slamming of Catholicism that gained him quite the fan following.

Voltaire wasn’t just popular in France, he was one of the first writers to become successful on the international scene.

Some of his most famous works are the novella Zadig (1747) and Candide (1759), poems La Henriade (1723) and The Maid of Orleans (1899), and the novel Letters on the English (1733).

You can also check out these famous quotes by Voltaire to see the wise words and sayings he blessed us with over the years.

11. Louis Pasteur (1822 – 1895)

Chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur is amongst the most important French people for his contribution to science.

Pasteur won several awards in France and abroad for his fermentation, pasteurization, and vaccination work.

Yes, the process of treating milk and wine from acquiring bacteria, known as pasteurization was invented and named after him.

He is known to have produced the first vaccine for rabies and then established the Pasteur Institute in 1887 as an institute that would help with the treatment of the disease while also studying other contagious diseases. He is also credited for the development of the Anthrax vaccine in 1881.

With all his contributions to improving public health and creating life-saving vaccines and medicines, Pasteur was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1853 and graduated to a Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor in 1881.

He was also elected as a Foreign Member of the Fellowship of the Royal Society in 1869.

12.  Thierry Henry (1977 – present)

The world of football has seen quite a few famous French personalities, but a name that stands out in recent times is Thierry Henry.

One of the most famous French footballers and best strikers to have played for the French national team, Henry is also one of the greatest players of all time.

He is synonymous with the English football club, Arsenal, for which he played from 1999 to 2007.

Subsequently, Henry transferred to the Spanish club, Barcelona, after which he played for the New York, Red Bulls before retiring as a player from the sport.

He won the Premier League Golden Boot 4 times, creating a record, and was named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year twice.

He is currently an assistant coach for the Belgium national team! With all that, it’s safe to say that he is one of the most famous people in France.

13. Gérard Depardieu (1948 – present)

Gérard Depardieu is one of the most prolific French actors and a famous person from France to have gained worldwide recognition as an actor.

In his 250+ movies career, he has acted with popular French actresses such as Catherine Deneuve, Marion Cotillard, and Gisèle Casadesus.

In addition, he has also worked with top Hollywood actors such as Robert De Niro, Leonardo di Caprio, Andie Macdowell, Elizabeth Hurley, and Vin Diesel.

He has won two César Awards for Best Actor for his performances in The Last Metro (1980) and Cyrano de Bergerac (1990).

The latter film also won him a Cannes Film Festival Best Actor award in addition to nominations for the Academy and BAFTA Awards.

Apart from these, he has also won a Golden Globe for Green Card (1991) and a Lumières Award for Quand j’étais chanteur (2007). He was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d’honneur in 1996.

14. Claude Monet (1840 – 1926)

Another famous personality of France is Impressionist painter Oscar-Claude Monet who is believed to have fathered the impressionism movement of painting.

In fact, the term “Impressionism” was derived from the title of his Soleil Levant painting famously known as Impression, Sunrise.

Monet is famously known for his love to paint nature and portray its beauty at different times of the year, seasons, and changes in light.

He was an inspiration to fellow artists like Auguste Renoir, Degas, and more and has become one of the world’s most famous French painters of the 20^th century.

His best-known works include Impression Sunrise, Rouen Cathedral series, Haystacks series, the Water Lilies series, inspired by his garden in Giverny, and many more.

He started the latter in 1899, continuing for over 20 years and drawing nearly 250 paintings, making it his most ambitious and the last painting series in his life.

You check out more famous paintings by Claude Monet here.

15.  Louis XIV (1638 – 1715)

Born Louis Dieudonné, Louis XIV was the King of France from 1643 to 1715. He was also known as Louis le Grand (Louis the Great) and le Roi Soleil (the Sun King).

He attained majority at 13 years of age, after which he assumed the role of the monarch after the death of his chief minister Cardinal Mazarin.

His reign lasted over 7 decades making it the longest-recorded monarch rule of a sovereign country in history.

Louis XIV was also known for his military strength and strategic thinking and his outstanding achievements made France a leading European power.

16. Auguste Rodin (1840 – 1917)

French sculptor Auguste Rodin, considered the founder of modern sculpture, is one of the top artistic personalities of France. 

A master of clay, his inspiration came from the human body, coupled with naturalism. He was also influenced by his mentor, animal sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye.

Rodin’s most famous works include The Thinker, Monument to Balzac, The Age of Bronze, The Kiss, and The Gates of Hell.

A widely recognized sculptor, his legacy carried on after his death, and now you can admire most of his works at the Rodin Museum in Paris.

17.  Georges-Eugène Haussmann (1809 – 1891)

Georges-Eugène Haussmann, popularly known as Baron Haussmann, was a French official and Member of the Chamber of Deputies for Haute-Corse who served as prefect of Seine from 1853 to 1870.

His career in public administration started by being appointed as the secretary-general of the prefecture of the Department of Vienne at Poitiers.

He was later appointed by Emperor Napoleon III for the role of the prefect of the Seine, in which he carried out major public works and executed Napoleon III’s Paris reconstruction and expansion program which ensured the construction of new and bigger buildings that were specific in design.

Today, these types of buildings known as Haussmann buildings are widely spread all around Paris.

You can also find a number of buildings, and streets in Paris named after him as a way of honoring his work of creating modern-day Paris.

Another fact that many might not be aware of is that Haussmann was also a talented musician.

18. Johnny Hallyday (1943 – 2017)

Known as the “French Elvis”, Johnny Hallyday was (and still is) a monumental figure in the music industry in France.

Born Jean-Philippe Léo Smet, he rose to fame in the early 1960s and remained a celebrated icon until his passing in 2017.

With a career spanning over five decades, Hallyday released more than 80 albums and sold over 110 million records, making him one of the best-selling artists in France.

Beyond his music, Hallyday’s raw energy and charisma on stage drew comparisons with global rock ‘n’ roll giants.

Deeply influenced by Elvis Presley, he adapted rock and roll for the French audience, bridging cultural gaps and paving the way for future artists.

Today, he’s still considered a “national monument” making him one of the most famous French celebrities of all time.

19. Simone de Beauvoir (1908 – 1986)

Simone de Beauvoir was a groundbreaking French writer, philosopher, and feminist.

Most renowned for her seminal work The Second Sex (Le Deuxième Sexe) published in 1949, de Beauvoir delved deep into the societal structures that had historically oppressed women, providing a rigorous analysis of women’s oppression.

This work played a pivotal role in the second wave of feminism, laying philosophical groundwork for future feminist theory and activism.

Besides her contributions to feminism, she was also a significant figure in existentialist philosophy.

Alongside her lifelong partner, Jean-Paul Sartre, de Beauvoir challenged traditional societal norms, questioning the very nature of existence and freedom.

Throughout her life, she wrote numerous novels, essays, and philosophical texts, articulating her unique perspectives on ethics, freedom, and human relations.

20. Dalida (1933 – 1987)

Born Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, Dalida was a beloved Egyptian-born French-Italian singer and actress who achieved immense fame from the 1950s to the 1980s.

With her evocative voice and magnetic stage presence, Dalida became an international icon, recording songs in over ten languages, including French, Italian, German, Spanish, Arabic, and more.

Over her three-decade-long career, she produced hits like Bambino, Gigi l’amoroso, and Paroles Paroles, and sold over 170 million records worldwide.

However, her personal life was marked by profound tragedy. The suicides of several of her close relationships, combined with the pressures of fame weighed heavily on her and she sadly took her own life in May 1987.

As a way of remembering her, her bust was erected in Montmartre, Paris, not far from where she used to live.

21. Alexandre Dumas (1802 – 1870)

Next on our list of famous French historical figures is Alexandre Dumas who is often referred to as Dumas père to distinguish him from his writer son.

He was one of France’s most prolific and celebrated authors who penned a staggering array of works, but he’s best known for his adventure novels including The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Twenty Years After, which are still trendy even today.

His work has been translated into many languages and a number of them adapted into films.

Born to a French nobleman and an Afro-Caribbean slave, Dumas’s mixed-race heritage influenced both his life and his writings.

He faced challenges in his formative years, including dealing with his father’s early death and the family’s precarious financial state. But these struggles only fueled his ambition.

His writing, characterized by its action-packed plots and intricate characters quickly gained popularity.

Dumas had an incredible ability to blend historical facts with fiction, creating timeless tales that captivated readers across the globe. He was a central figure in the Romantic literary movement in France and became a household name.

Beyond his literary achievements, Dumas lived a life as adventurous as the characters he created, filled with political involvements, duels, and passionate love affairs.

22. King Louis IX (Saint Louis) (1214 – 1270)

Louis IX commonly known as Saint Louis stands out as one of the most venerated monarchs of medieval Europe.

Reigning as the King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270, Louis IX was renowned not only for his devout piety and just rule but also for his significant contributions to the cultural and political landscape of France.

Under his guidance, France saw a period of peace and prosperity. He enacted reforms in French justice, such as introducing royal investigators who oversaw abuse of power and money by officials and also listened to complaints. He also established an institution that ensured fair trials for the citizens.

A deeply religious king, Louis IX is often remembered for his commitment to the Christian faith. He led two crusades, though both were met with misfortune, with the latter resulting in his death from dysentery.

His passion also saw him acquire religious relics like the Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the True Cross which he housed in the Sainte-Chapelle, a gothic chapel in Paris but were later moved to Notre Dame Cathedral and later to the Louvre museum after the fire.

Louis IX’s legacy is not just as a monarch but as a saint as well; he was canonized in 1297 by Pope Boniface VIII, making him one of the most important historical French figures.

23. Blaise Pascal (1623 – 1662)

It’s impossible to leave out Blaise Pascal when talking about the most popular French people of all time!

A child prodigy, Pascal was not just a mathematician and physicist but also a master of prose, penning insightful thoughts on the human condition.

His contributions to mathematics are profound, including laying the groundwork for the modern theory of probability alongside Pierre de Fermat.

Pascal’s Triangle, a mathematical construct, remains a fundamental teaching tool in mathematics. In physics, his principles on fluid mechanics and pressure are foundational, with units of pressure, pascals, named in his honor.

Although he died young at only 39, his legacy still stands, marking him as a multifaceted genius who seamlessly bridged the worlds of science, philosophy, and literature in a way few have replicated.

---

Final Thoughts on the Most Influential French People

With life-long impacts on history in various fields, these famous French people indeed helped shape the country’s history and future.

Be it scientific inventions, improving the artistic world, or designing laws and constructing landmarks that receive millions of visitors every year, these people truly contributed a great deal to not only France but also the entire world.

Did this list of the most famous people from France inspire you? Let me know in the comments below.

More Posts to Inspire You

• Most Famous French Singers
• 22 Best French TV Shows On Netflix You Should Watch
• 17 Most Famous French Writers Of All Time
• 17 Famous French Love Poems
• 7 Beautiful Poems About France You’ll Love
• 14 Famous French Poems That Will Mesmerize You
• 17 Famous French Love Songs
• 17 Famous French Songs
• 19 Best Songs About Paris

Was this post on the famous French people helpful? Then please consider sharing it with others.

Sharing is caring!