This is a list of

Somali Americans Somali Americans are Americans of Somali ancestry. The first ethnic Somalis to arrive in the U.S. were sailors who came in the 1920s from British Somaliland. They were followed by students pursuing higher studies in the 1960s and 1970s, by the la ...

Fashion

Halima Aden Halima Aden is a Somali-American fashion model. She is noted for being the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant, where she was a semi-finalist. Following her participation in the pageant, Halima received national attenti ...

, fashion model * Jawahir Ahmed, fashion model and beauty pageant winner * Iman, supermodel, actress and entrepreneur *

Muna Khalif Muna Khalif ( so, Muna Khalif Sheekh Abuu, ar, منى خليف), popularly known as Muna Kay, is a Somali- American entrepreneur, fashion designer and legislator. She is the founder and CEO of the Muna Kay brand. Khalif also serves as an MP in ...

, fashion designer and legislator; MP in the Federal Parliament of Somalia * Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim, fashion designers; founders of Mataano *

Fatima Siad Fatima Siad ( so, Faadumo Siyaad, ar, فاطمة سياد; born December 17, 1986) is a Somali fashion model. Raised in Boston, Massachusetts, she was the last eliminated on ''America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10''. Biography Born in Mogadishu, ...

, fashion model

Media

* Abdisalam Aato, film director, producer, entrepreneur and media consultant; founder of Olol Films *

Mona Kosar Abdi Mona Kosar Abdi ( so, Muna Koosaar Cabdi) is an American multimedia journalist. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego where she earned a BA in International Studies, Political Science, and Communications. In January 2019 sh ...

, multimedia journalist * Barkhad Abdi, actor, film director and producer * Fathia Absie, broadcaster, writer and filmmaker *

Faysal Ahmed Faysal Ahmed ( so, Faysal Axmed; born 11 July 1985) is a Somali Americans, Somali–American actor from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Early life Ahmed was born one of nine children in 1985 in Yemen. Although his family is originally from Somalia, he g ...

, actor *

Said Salah Ahmed Said Salah Ahmed ( so, Saciid Saalax Axmed, ar, سعيد صالح أحمد) is a Somali playwright, poet, educator and filmmaker. Life Said Salah was previously a biology teacher in Somalia. In 1984-1985, Ahmed directed his first feature film, ...

, playwright, poet, educator and filmmaker *

Alisha Boe Alisha Ilhaan Bø (born March 6, 1997), known professionally as Alisha Boe, is a United States–based actress. She is known for playing Jessica Davis in the Netflix drama series ''13 Reasons Why''. Early life Boe was born in Oslo, Norway, to ...

, actress * Idil Ibrahim, film director, producer and entrepreneur; founder of Zeila Films * Barni Ahmed Qaasim, multimedia artist and filmmaker *

Abdirahman Yabarow Abdirahman Yabarow ( so, Cabdiraxmaan Yabarow, ar, عبد الرحمن يابارو) is a Somali journalist. He hails from the Abgaal Hawiye clan. In the early 2000s, Yabarow worked in the UNDP's Documentation Unit. He later served as a Washing ...

, journalist

Society and politics

* Asha Ahmed Abdalla, politician; member of the Transitional Federal Parliament * Raqiya Haji Dualeh Abdalla, sociologist and politician; President of the Somali Family Care Network * Hussein Sheikh Abdirahman, politician and judge; former Minister of Defence of Somalia *

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Ayaan Hirsi Ali (; ; Somali: ''Ayaan Xirsi Cali'':'' Ayān Ḥirsī 'Alī;'' born Ayaan Hirsi Magan, ar, أيان حرسي علي / ALA-LC: ''Ayān Ḥirsī 'Alī'' 13 November 1969) is a Somali-born Dutch-American activist and former politicia ...

, writer, political activist, former legislator * Abukar Arman, political analyst, writer and diplomat; former Special Envoy of Somalia to the U.S. * Abdirizak Bihi, social activist * Nimco Ahmed, political activist * Anisa Hajimumin, politician, social activist and writer; Minister of Women & Family Affairs of Puntland * Kayse Jama, member of the Oregon State Senate *

Fatima Jibrell Fatima Jibrell ( so, Fadumo Jibriil, ar, فاطمة جبريل; born December 30, 1947) is a Somali-American environmental activist. She was the co-founder and executive director of the Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization (now Ade ...

, environmental activist; co-founder of Adeso *

Ahmed M. Hassan Ahmed M. Hassan ( so, Axmed Xasan, ar, احمد حسن) is a Somali American businessman and politician. He is a member of Clarkston, Georgia's city council, the first Somali to hold the position. Personal life Hassan hails from the Somalil ...

, entrepreneur and politician; member of the Clarkston City Council * Hodan Hassan, member of the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint ...

* Ismail Ali Ismail, writer and former diplomat *

Hassan Ali Mire Dr. Hassan Ali Mire ( so, Xasan Cali Mirreh; ar, حسن علي مير), also known as Hasaan ‘Ali Mirreh, was a Somali politician. During the early 1970s, he briefly served as the first Minister of Education of the Somali Democratic Republic. ...

, politician; former Minister of Education of Somalia * Abdinur Sheikh Mohamed, educator and politician; former Minister of Education of Somalia *

Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ( so, Maxaamed Cabdullaahii Maxaamed, ar, محمد عبدالله محمد; born 11 March 1962), also known as Farmaajo, is a Somali politician who served as president of Somalia from 2017 to 2022. He was prime minis ...

, diplomat, professor and politician; current President of Somalia * Nadia Mohamed, Minnesota municipal politician *

Mohamud Noor Mohamud Noor ( so, Maxamuud Nuur, ar, محمود نور) is an American computer scientist, activist and politician. He is a Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing District 60B in the ...

, member of the

* Ilhan Omar, legislator with the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party *

Mohamed Abshir Waldo Mohamed Abshir Waldo ( so, Maxamed Abshir Waldo, ar, محمد أبشير والدو) was a prominent Somali journalist and political activist. Career Growing up as a camel herder, he eventually ended up at Columbia University during the Colum ...

, journalist, activist, and former politician * Abdi Warsame, politician; member of the Minneapolis City Council * Zaynab Mohamed, politician, Minnesota State Senator.

Science

* Ali Said Faqi, scientist * Anisa Ibrahim, medical doctor * Sahra Noor, social activist and entrepreneur; Chief Executive Officer of People's Center Health Services * Musse Olol, engineer and social activist; Chairman of the Somali American Council of Oregon

Sport

* Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, basketball player *

Hassan Mead Hassan Mead ( Somali: Xassan Miicaad, ar, حسن ميد; born June 28, 1989) is a Somali-American long-distance runner. He was a cross country and track athlete for the University of Minnesota. An eight-time All-American in his Minnesota care ...

, cross country and track and field athlete *

Omar Mohamed Omar Abdullahi Mohamed ( so, Cumar Cabdullahi Maxamed; Arabic: عمر محمد; born 5 May 1996) is a Somali professional footballer who plays for the Somalia national team. Early life Omar Mohamed was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, where he live ...

, professional footballer for

FC Cincinnati Football Club Cincinnati, commonly known as FC Cincinnati, is an American professional soccer club based in Cincinnati. The club plays in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The team succeeded the lower-division team of the ...

in the USL

Finance

* Yussur A.F. Abrar, economist and entrepreneur; former Governor of the Central Bank of Somalia * Hussein Samatar, banker and community organizer *

Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Abdiweli Mohamed Ali GaasBriefi ...

, economist and politician; President of Puntland *

Abdirahman Duale Beyle Abdirahman Duale Beyle ( so, Cabdiraxmaan Ducaale Beyle; ar, عبد الرحمن دعاله بايل), also known as Abdirahman D. Beileh, is a Somali economist, professor, politician, philanthropist, poet, and well acclaimed song writer. He serv ...

, economist; former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somalia *

Said Sheikh Samatar Said Sheikh Samatar ( so, Siciid Sheekh Samatar, ar, سعيد الشيخ سمتر‎; 1943–24 February 2015) was a prominent Somali scholar and writer. Biography Early years Said was born in 1943 in the Ogaden in Ethiopia to Faduma and Sh ...

, scholar, historian and writer * Abdisalam Omer, economist; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somalia

Creative

Ali Jimale Ahmed Ali Jimale Ahmed ( so, Cali Jimcaale Axmed ) is a Somali poet, essayist, scholar, and short story writer. He hails from the Abgaal sub clan of Hawiye Biography Ahmed holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Current ...

, scholar, poet and writer *

Nuruddin Farah Nuruddin Farah ( so, Nuuradiin Faarax, ar, نورالدين فارح) (born 24 November 1945) is a Somali novelist. His first novel, ''From a Crooked Rib'', was published in 1970 and has been described as "one of the cornerstones of modern East ...

, writer *

Ladan Osman Ladan Osman ( so, Laadan Cismaan, ar, لادان عثمان) is a Somali- American poet and teacher. Her poetry is centered on her Somali and Muslim heritage, and has been published in a number of prominent literary magazines. In 2014, she was ...

, poet and teacher * Ahmed Ismail Samatar, professor, politician and writer * Sofia Samatar, professor, editor and writer *

Saado Ali Warsame Saado Ali Warsame ( so, Saado Cali Warsame, ar, سادو علي ورسمه; 1950 – 23 July 2014) was a Somali-American singer-songwriter and politician. She served as a lawmaker in the Federal Parliament of Somalia representing Puntland State o ...

, singer-songwriter and politician

Military

Asli Hassan Abade Asli Hassan Abade was the first African woman Air Force pilot in whole of Africa and middle east. She is a Somali Air force pilot, military figure, and civil activist. She was the first and so far the only female pilot in the Somali Air Force (S ...

, military pilot