This is an incomplete list of some

Breton people The Bretons (; br, Bretoned or ''Vretoned,'' ) are a Celtic ethnic group native to Brittany. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brittonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain, particularly Cornwall and Devon, most ...

of note and of some notable individuals born in Brittany, alphabetically within categories. Brittany (''Breizh'' in Breton) is a

Celt The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient ...

ic nation of northwestern France and has contributed famous names to all walks of life.

Actors and actresses

Mylène Jampanoï Mylène Jampanoï (born Lena Jam-Panoï; 12 July 1980) is a French actress, model, and visual artist. Her first leading role was in the drama film '' The Chinese Botanist's Daughters'' (2006). She subsequently garnered international attention f ...

, half Breton from her mother. * Solenn Heussaff, host, model, internet celebrity, actress, singer, half-Filipina, half-Breton *

Malik Zidi Malik Zidi (born 14 February 1975)ifrance.com
is a French film, television and theatre actor. He is a

, actor, half Breton from his mother.

Musicians

Alain Barrière Alain Barrière (; born Alain Bellec; 18 November 1935 – 18 December 2019) was a French singer, who was active from the 1950s until his death and was known for participating in the Eurovision Song Contest 1963. Early life After growing up ...

, singer * Dan Ar Braz, guitarist * Brigitte Fontaine, singer, actress and writer * Nolwenn Leroy, singer *

Denez Prigent Denez Prigent (; born 17 February 1966 in Santec, Finistère) is a Breton folk singer-songwriter of the ''gwerz'' and '' kan ha diskan'' styles of Breton music. From his debut at the age of 16, he was known for singing traditional songs '' a ca ...

, singer * Gilles Servat, singer * Alain Stivell, musician * Yann Tiersen, composer notable for the score to the

Jean-Pierre Jeunet Jean-Pierre Jeunet (; born 3 September 1953) is a French film director, producer and screenwriter. His films combine fantasy, realism and science fiction to create idealized realities or to give relevance to mundane situations. Debuting as a di ...

movie Amélie. *

Tri Yann Tri Yann () is a French band from Nantes who play folk rock music drawing on traditional Breton folk ballads. The band was founded in 1969 by Jean Chocun, Jean-Paul Corbineau and Jean-Louis Jossic – all of whom remained members – hence th ...

, folk rock group *The Red Lady of Brittany, composer of the Lay of the Beach, an instrumental and vocal celebration of William the Conqueror’s vacation at Barfleur circa 1078 which was popular in the Norwegian royal court around the year 1200

Rulers, politicians, soldiers

Anne of Brittany Anne of Brittany (; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She is the only woman to have been queen consort of France ...

, Duchess of Brittany and twice Queen of France * Claude of France, elder daughter of Anne of Brittany; also a Queen of France *

Jacques Cartier Jacques Cartier ( , also , , ; br, Jakez Karter; 31 December 14911 September 1557) was a French-Breton maritime explorer for France. Jacques Cartier was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of th ...

, explorer * Robert Surcouf, a famous

corsair A corsair is a privateer or pirate, especially: * Barbary corsair, Ottoman and Berber pirates and privateers operating from North Africa * French corsairs, privateers operating on behalf of the French crown Corsair may also refer to: Arts and ...

Jeanne de Clisson Jeanne de Clisson (1300–1359), also known as Jeanne de Belleville and the Lioness of Brittany, was a French / Breton former noblewoman who became a privateer to avenge her husband after he was executed for treason by the French king. She cros ...

, the ‘Lioness of Brittany’, who conducted naval action against French ships and ports in revenge for her husband’s execution * Riothamus, ‘King of the Britons’, an ally of the Roman emperor Anthemius and a correspondent with Sidonius Apollinaris; a possible inspiration for some of the stories about ‘King Arthur’ * Alan I, King of Brittany, ‘Alan the Great’, Count of Vannes and ruler of Brittany at the peak of its extent, documented ancestor of Conan I, Duke of Brittany * Conan I, Duke of Brittany, ancestor of Odo, Count of Penthièvre and William the Conqueror; brother-in-law of

Fulk Nerra Fulk III, the Black ( 987–1040; fro, Foulque Nerra), was an early count of Anjou celebrated as one of the first great builders of medieval castles. It is estimated Fulk constructed approximately 100 castles, along with abbeys throughout the Lo ...

, Count of

Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France *County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France **Duke ...

; died defending Brittany from Fulk Nerra; buried at

Mont St-Michel Mont-Saint-Michel (; Norman: ''Mont Saint Miché''; ) is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. The island lies approximately off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and is ...

Judith of Brittany Judith of Rennes (982–1017), was Duchess of Normandy from until her death. Life Judith, born in 982, was the daughter of Conan I, Duke of Brittany and Ermengarde-Gerberga of Anjou. She was a part of an important double marriage alliance bet ...

, daughter of Conan I and Duchess of Normandy, grandmother of

Judith of Flanders (died 1095) Judith of Flanders (1030-1035 to 5 March 1095) was, by her successive marriages to Tostig Godwinson and Welf I, Countess of Northumbria and Duchess of Bavaria. She was the owner of many books and illuminated manuscripts, which she bequeathed ...

and William the Conqueror * Odo, Count of Penthièvre, older maternal first cousin of

Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. Edward was the son of Æth ...

and sometime Duke Regent of Brittany, younger double-cousin to Robert I, Duke of Normandy and usually an ally of William the Conqueror * Alan Rufus, commander of William the Conqueror’s household knights; second of seven legitimate sons of Odo, Count of Penthièvre; founder of Richmond Castle and St Mary's Abbey, York * Brian of Brittany, first Earl of Cornwall, a brother of Alan Rufus * Stephen, Count of Tréguier, opened England’s first Parliament, a brother of Alan Rufus and ancestor of the dukes of Brittany from

Conan IV Conan IV ( 1138 – February 20, 1171), called the Young, was the Duke of Brittany from 1156 to 1166. He was the son of Bertha, Duchess of Brittany, and her first husband, Alan, Earl of Richmond. Conan IV was his father's heir as Earl of Richmon ...

onward *Ribald of

Middleham Middleham is an English market town and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire. It lies in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, on the south side of the valley, upstream from the junction of the River Ure and River Cover. ...

, ancestor of the

House of Neville The Neville or Nevill family (originally FitzMaldred) is a noble house of early medieval origin, which was a leading force in English politics in the later Middle Ages. The family became one of the two major powers in northern England and played a ...

, a half-brother of Alan Rufus *Bardolph of

Ravensworth Ravensworth is a village and civil parish in the Holmedale valley, within the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is approximately north-west of Richmond and from Darlington. The parish has a population of 255, according ...

, ancestor of

Baron FitzHugh Baron FitzHugh, of Ravensworth in North Yorkshire, is an abeyant title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1321 for Sir Henry FitzHugh. The title passed through the male line until the death in 1513 of George FitzHugh, 7th Baron FitzH ...

, a half-brother of Alan Rufus *William of Bowes, ancestor of the Bowes-Lyon family, a cousin of Alan Rufus *

Alan III, Duke of Brittany Alan III of Rennes (c. 997 – 1 October 1040) ( French: ''Alain III de Bretagne'') was Count of Rennes and duke of Brittany, by right of succession from 1008 to his death. Life Alan was the son of Duke Geoffrey I and Hawise of Normandy.Detlev Sc ...

, a childhood guardian of William the Conqueror and eldest brother of Odo of Penthièvre * Conan II, Duke of Brittany, son of Alan III, powerful rival to both Odo of Penthièvre and William the Conqueror, overran northern

immediately before his death (allegedly by poisoning) * Hoël II, Duke of Brittany, technically Duke Consort and then Regent for his son Alan IV; also known as Hoël V, Count of Cornouaille *

Alan IV, Duke of Brittany Alan IV (c. 1063 – 13 October 1119) was Duke of Brittany from 1072 until his abdication in 1112. He was also Count of Nantes (from c. 1103) and Count of Rennes. His parents were Duchess Hawise and Duke Hoel II. He is also known as Alan Fergant. ...

, a son-in-law of William the Conqueror, a crusader, an important ally of

Henry I of England Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...

, and a grandson of Alan III; frequently mistaken by writers for his close relative Alan Rufus *

Arthur I, Duke of Brittany Arthur I ( br, Arzhur 1añ; french: link=no, Arthur 1er de Bretagne) (29 March 1187 – presumably 1203) was 4th Earl of Richmond and Duke of Brittany between 1196 and 1203. He was the posthumous son of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany, and Constan ...

, his suspected murder by his uncle King John of England accelerated the destruction of the Angevin Empire * Arthur II, Duke of Brittany, gave peasants seats in the Breton parliament * Arthur III, Duke of Brittany, Constable of France and architect of French victory in the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...

, younger step-brother of

Henry V of England Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the ...

, and brother-in-law of Jacquetta of Luxembourg; a possible inspiration for Thomas Malory’s ‘Le Morte d'Arthur’ *

Ralph the Staller Ralph the Staller (or Radulf Stalre or Ralph l'Écuyer / Ralph the Squire ( 1011 – 1069) was a noble and landowner in both Anglo-Saxon and post-Conquest England. He is said to have been born in Norfolk of high born Breton and English par ...

, an Anglo-Breton from Norfolk who served English kings from Cnut the Great to William the Conqueror, while also being lord of Gaël and Montfort in Brittany * Robert fitz Wymarc, a Staller for Edward the Confessor and present at Edward’s death bed; related to King Edward, William the Conqueror and Odo of Penthièvre; advised William the Conqueror to return to Normandy as his force was no match for Harold Godwinson’s army * Alfred of Lincoln, a Domesday tenant-in-chief; probably married a daughter of William Malet *

Cardinal de Rohan Louis René Édouard de Rohan known as Cardinal de Rohan (25 September 1734 – 16 February 1803), ''prince de Rohan-Guéméné'', was a French Bishop of Strasbourg, politician, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, and cadet of the Rohan f ...

, accidentally precipitated the French Revolution

Scientists

* René Laennec, physician inventor of the

stethoscope The stethoscope is a medical device for auscultation, or listening to internal sounds of an animal or human body. It typically has a small disc-shaped resonator that is placed against the skin, and one or two tubes connected to two earpieces. ...

Writers

René Cardaliaguet René Cardaliaguet (1875–1950) was a French priest and journalist. He was born in Quimper, and died in Bohars. 1875 births 1950 deaths 20th-century French Roman Catholic priests Writers from Quimper {{France-reli-bio-stub ...

, priest and writer * J. M. G. Le Clézio, winner of the 2008

Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...

* François-René de Chateaubriand,

romantic Romantic may refer to: Genres and eras * The Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries ** Romantic music, of that era ** Romantic poetry, of that era ** Romanticism in science, of that e ...

writer and politician * Tristan Corbière,

symbolist Symbolism was a late 19th-century art movement of French and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts seeking to represent absolute truths symbolically through language and metaphorical images, mainly as a reaction against naturalism and realis ...

poet *

Ernest Renan Joseph Ernest Renan (; 27 February 18232 October 1892) was a French Orientalist and Semitic scholar, expert of Semitic languages and civilizations, historian of religion, philologist, philosopher, biblical scholar, and critic. He wrote influe ...

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

and writer * Muriel the Poetess, nun at Wilton Abbey who composed verse and corresponded with notable contemporary poets{{cn, date=January 2021 *

Peter Abelard Peter Abelard (; french: link=no, Pierre Abélard; la, Petrus Abaelardus or ''Abailardus''; 21 April 1142) was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, leading logician, theologian, poet, composer and musician. This source has a detailed desc ...

, scholastic philosopher and professor at Paris *

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

Sailors

, explorer who claimed what is now Canada for France *

Olivier de Kersauson Olivier de Kersauson de Pennendreff (born 20 July 1944) is a French sailor and sailing champion. Kersauson was the seventh child in a family of eight. While he was the only Kersauson not to have been born in Brittany, he was born on 20 July 1944 ...

, notable yachtsman *

Eric Tabarly The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...

, notable yachtsman

Sportspeople

Thibault Tricole Thibault Tricole (born 11 October 1989) is a French professional darts player who currently plays in World Darts Federation (WDF) and Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He is a first French player to advance to final of the World Darts ...

(born 1989), darts player

Athletics

Pierre-Ambroise Bosse Pierre-Ambroise Bosse (born 11 May 1992) is a French track and field athlete specializing in middle-distance running, and in particular the 800 metres event. Career Bosse won the bronze medal in the 800 metres at the 2012 European Championship ...

(born 1992), 800m runner, 2017 world champion * Maryvonne Dupureur (1937-2008), 800m runner, 1964 Olympic silver medallist

Cycling

Warren Barguil Warren Barguil (; born 28 October 1991) is a French cyclist, who rides for UCI ProTeam . He is best known for winning two mountain stages and the mountains classification of the 2017 Tour de France. Career Early career Born in Hennebont, Britta ...

(born 1991) * Aude Biannic (born 1991) *

Louison Bobet Louis "Louison" Bobet (; 12 March 1925 - 13 March 1983) was a French professional road racing cyclist. He was the first great French rider of the post-war period and the first rider to win the Tour de France in three successive years, from 1953 to ...

(1925-1983), 3-time winner of the Tour de France * Anthony Charteau (born 1979) *

Bryan Coquard Bryan Coquard (born 25 April 1992) is a French cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He was a silver medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the Omnium. Career Youth and amateur career Coquard began cycling in 1999 at the age of sev ...

(born 1992) *

Audrey Cordon Audrey Cordon-Ragot (née Cordon; born 22 September 1989) is a French road bicycle racer, who rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam . Career She competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the Women's road race, but finished over the time limit. In ...

(born 1989) *

Jean Dotto Jean-Baptiste Dotto (27 March 1928, in St-Nazaire – 20 February 2000, in Ollioules, FranceRené Le Grevès René Le Grevès (6 July 1910 – 25 February 1946) was a French professional road bicycle racer. As an amateur cyclist, he won the silver medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics in the team pursuit. In 1933 Le Grevès became professional, and bet ...

(1910-1946) * Bernard Hinault (born 1954), 5-time winner of the Tour de France, 3-time winner of the Giro d'Italia, 2-time winner of the Vuelta a España * Pascal Lino (born 1966) *

Jean Malléjac Jean Malléjac (19 July 1929 – 24 September 2000) was a professional France, French road bicycle racer. Career Malléjac was born at Dirinon. Previously a worker in the munitions factory in Brest, France, Brest, he was professional from 195 ...

(1929-2000) * Lucien Petit-Breton (1882-1917), 2-time winner of the Tour de France * Jean Robic (1921-1980), winner of the 1947 Tour de France

Football

* Yoann Gourcuff (born 1986), French international *

Stéphane Guivarc'h Stéphane Pierre Yves Guivarc'h (born 6 September 1970) is a French former professional footballer who played as striker. He featured in the France squad that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup on home soil. His early career was spent in France with ...

(born 1970), former French international, 1998 World Cup winner *

Paul Le Guen Paul Joseph Marie Le Guen (, ; born 1 March 1964) is a French professional football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Ligue 2 club Le Havre. During his playing career, Le Guen played as a midfielder, and enjoyed a su ...

(born 1964), former French international * Yvon Le Roux (born 1960), former French international, 1984 European Championship winner *

Alex Thépot Alexis Thépot (30 July 1906 – 21 February 1989) was a French footballer. He was the goalkeeper of the France national team in the first two World Cups, 1930 and 1934, and an Olympian. Club career Thépot was born in Brest, Finistère. He pl ...

(1906-1989), former French international * Jérémy Toulalan (born 1983), former French international

Miscellaneous

* Armella Nicolas, serving-maid venerated by some lay Catholics *

Robert of Arbrissel Robert of Arbrissel ( 1045 – 1116) was an itinerant preacher, and founder of Fontevraud Abbey. He was born at Arbrissel (near Retiers, Brittany) and died at Orsan Priory in the present department of Cher. Sources The first ''Vita'' was writt ...

, founder of Fontevraud Abbey * Albinus of Angers, late antique Abbot of Angers, born in Vannes, commemorated in numerous placenames across northern Europe

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...