This is a chronological list of the most notable people from Leeuwarden, who were either born and raised there or were long-term residents. For a more extensive, alphabetical list see People from Leeuwarden.

See also List of mayors of Leeuwarden

Born in Leeuwarden

15th century

• Wijerd Jelckama (c. 1490–1523), military commander
• Hendrik Niehoff (1495–c. 1561), pipe organ maker

16th century

• Obbe Philips (c. 1500–1568), anabaptist
• Dirk Philips (1504–1568), anabaptist and theologian
• Hans Vredeman de Vries (1527–c. 1607), architect, painter, and engineer
• Johannes Basius (c. 1540–1596), lawyer
• Dominicus Arumaeus (1579–1637), jurist
• Pieter de Valck (1584–1624), painter
• Wybrand de Geest (1592–1661), painter
• Matthijs Harings (1593–1667), painter
• Jeronimus Cornelisz (1598–1629), apothecary

17th century

• Margaretha de Heer (1603–1665), painter
• Douwe Juwes de Dowe (1608–1662), painter
• Maerten Boelema de Stomme (1611–1644), painter
• Saskia van Uylenburg (1612–1642), wife of the painter Rembrandt van Rijn
• Abraham Lambertsz van den Tempel (1622–1672), painter
• Wilhelmus à Brakel (1635–1711), minister
• Wigerus Vitringa (1657–1725), painter
• Campegius Vitringa (1659–1722), theologian
• Siwart Haverkamp (1684–1742), classicist

18th century

• Matthijs Accama (1702–1783), painter
• Jacques-Georges Chauffepié (1702–1786), biographer, preacher
• Douwe Sirtema van Grovestins (1710–1778), courtier and politician
• Willem van Haren (1710–1768), poet
• Princess Amalia of Nassau-Dietz (1710–1777), princess
• William IV, Prince of Orange (1711–1751), stadtholder
• Lodewijk Caspar Valckenaer (1715–1785), classical scholar
• Rienk Jelgerhuis (1729–1806), painter
• Joachim van Plettenberg (1739–1793), colonial governor
• Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau (1743–1787), regent
• Theodorus van Kooten (1749–1813), poet and politician
• Johannes Jelgerhuis (1770–1836), painter and actor
• Sybren Klazes Sybrandi (1772–1854), mennonite minister
• Eelke Jelles Eelkema (1788–1839), painter
• Wilhelmina van Idsinga (1788–1819), painter
• Jacobus Schroeder van der Kolk (1797–1862), anatomist and physiologist

19th century

• Charles William Meredith van de Velde (1818–1898), lieutenant-at-sea and painter
• Julius Vitringa Coulon (1824–1878), politician
• Christoffel Bisschop (1828-1904), painter
• Willem Frederik Reinier Suringar (1832–1898), botanist
• Piet Paaltjens (1835–1894), minister and romantic author
• Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836–1912), knighted painter
• Sierk Coolsma (1840–1926), missionary and writer
• George Arnold Escher (1843–1939), civil engineer
• Klaas Plantinga (1846–1922), distiller
• Richard Bisschop (1849–1926), painter
• Cornelis Adriaan Lobry van Troostenburg de Bruyn (1857–1904), chemist
• Pieter Jelles Troelstra (1860–1930), politician
• Dirk van Erp (1860–1933), artisan and metalsmith
• Johannes Henricus Gerardus Jansen (1868–1936), archbishop
• Max Dwinger (1870–1939), fencer
• Theo Molkenboer (1871–1920), painter
• Theodoor Hendrik van de Velde (1873–1937), gynaecologist
• Folkert Posthuma (1874–1943), politician
• Mata Hari (1876–1917), exotic dancer and courtesan, possible double agent
• Gerhard Westermann (1880–1971), artist
• Richard Hageman (1881–1966), conductor, pianist, composer, and actor
• Max Blokzijl (1884-1946), singer and journalist
• Hendrik Wouda (1885–1946), architect
• Jacob Baart de la Faille (1886–1959), art critic
• Arie Bijvoet (1891–1976), footballer
• Bert Sas (1892–1948), military attaché
• Ate Faber (1894–1962), fencer
• Jeanne Bieruma Oosting (1898–1994), sculptor, engraver and painter
• Sijtse Jansma (1898–1977), tug of war competitor
• Jan Jacob Slauerhoff (1898–1936), poet and novelist
• M. C. Escher (1898–1972), graphic artist

20th century

1900s

• Christine Buisman (1900–1936), phytopathologist
• Koos Sinninghe Damsté (1902–1995), lawyer
• Pieter Oosterhoff (1904–1978), astronomer
• Havank (1904–1964), writer, journalist, and translator
• Piet Zanstra (1905–2003), architect
• Roeffie Vermeulen (1906–1963), sailor
• Jan Graafland (born 1909), footballer
• Petrus Wijtse Winkel (1909–2012), colonial administrator

1910s

• Albert Winsemius (1910–1996), economist
• Bernard Slicher van Bath (1910–2004), historian
• Bert Bakker (1912–1969), writer
• Nina Baanders-Kessler (1915–2002), sculptor
• Haije Kramer (1917–2004), chess player

1920s

• Folkert de Roos (1920–2000), economist
• Ted Meines (1921–2016), army general and activist
• Ruurd Dirk Hoogland (1922–1994), botanist and explorer
• Jan de Vries (1924–2012), soldier
• Jitse van der Veen (1928–1976), swimmer
• Jaap Boersma (1929–2012), politician
• Wim Cohen (1923–2000), mathematician

1930s

• Eva and Abraham Beem (1932/1934–1944), young Jewish Holocaust victims
• Jan Hettema (1933–2016), cyclist
• Jan D. Achenbach (born 1935), engineer
• Sieta Posthumus (born 1936), swimmer
• Nikolai van der Heyde (born 1936), film director and screenwriter
• Cor Boonstra (born 1938), chief executive
• Cornelis Dirk Andriesse (born 1939), physicist

1940s

• Johan Bleeker (born 1942), space technology scientist
• Sytse Douma (born 1942), organizational theorist
• Cisca Dresselhuys (born 1943), journalist and magazine editor
• Femme Gaastra (born 1945), historian
• Hans Monderman (1945–2008), traffic engineer
• L. Bouke van der Meer (born 1945), archaeologist
• Meindert Fennema (born 1946), political scientist
• Piet Hoekstra (born 1947), cyclist
• Theo de Jong (born 1947), footballer and football manager
• Rudy Koopmans (born 1948), boxer
• Tom Pitstra (born 1949), politician
• Oeki Hoekema (born 1949), footballer

1950s

• Peter den Oudsten (born 1951), mayor
• Harm Wiersma (born 1953), draughts player and politician
• Margreeth Smilde (born 1954), politician
• Jan Hogendijk (born 1955), mathematician and historian
• Henk van der Zwan (born 1956), diplomat
• Koos Formsma (born 1957), businessman
• Piet Wildschut (born 1957), footballer
• Piter Wilkens (born 1959), musician

1960s

• Hendrik Tolman (born 1961), civil engineer
• Foeke Booy (born 1962), footballer and football manager
• Annejet van der Zijl (born 1962), writer
• Aukje de Vries (born 1964), politician
• Jan Veenhof (born 1969), footballer

1970s

• Tjitske Reidinga (born 1972), actress
• Richard Schuil (born 1973), beach volleyball player
• Jarich Bakker (born 1974), cyclist
• Peter van der Vlag (born 1977), footballer

1980s

• Rune Massing (born 1980), badminton player
• Harm Zeinstra (born 1989), footballer

1990s

• Sander Arends (born 1991), tennis player
• Sanne Wevers (born 1991), gymnast
• Lieke Wevers (born 1991), gymnast
• Mark Diemers (born 1993), footballer
• Itzhak de Laat (born 1994), short track speed skater