Before the 19th century •
Henry of Ghent,
scholastic philosopher (c. 1217 – 1293) •
Jacob van Artevelde, statesman and political leader (c. 1290 – 1345) •
Franz Ackerman, statesman (c. 1330 – 1387) •
Philip van Artevelde,
Flemish patriot (c. 1340 – 1382) •
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (1340–1399) •
Hugo van der Goes, painter (c. 1440 – 1482) •
Alexander Agricola, composer of the
Renaissance (1445/6 - 1506) •
Jacob Obrecht, composer of the
Renaissance (c. 1457 – 1505) •
Adrianus Todeschinus, captain of the papal guard (1471–1546) •
Jacques Buus,
Franco-Flemish composer and organist of the Renaissance (c. 1500 – 1565) •
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (‘’Charles Quint’’, 1500–1558) •
Cornelius Canis,
Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance, music director for Charles V in the 1540–1550s •
Jan Utenhove, writer (c. 1520 – 1566) •
Lieven de Key, architect (1560–1627) •
Philippe van Lansberg, astronomer (1561–1632) •
Daniel Heinsius, scholar of the Dutch
Renaissance (1580–1655) •
Jean-Baptiste Loeillet (of London), flutist, oboist, and harpsichordist (1680–1730) •
Jean-Baptiste Loeillet (of Ghent), composer (1688 – c. 1720) •
Josse Boutmy, organist and harpsichordist (1697–1779) •
Peter Anton von Verschaffelt, sculptor and architect (1710–1793) •
Lieven Bauwens, industrialist (1769–1822)
19th century •
Josse Joseph de Lehaye, politician, (1800–1888) •
Henri Colson,
burgomaster of Ghent (1819-1900) •
Eugène Van Bemmel, author and educator (1824–1880) •
Frans de Potter, writer, (1834–1904) •
Charles John Seghers,
Jesuit clergyman and missionary (1839–1886) •
Paul de Vigne, sculptor (1843–1901) •
De Vriendt brothers, painters (second half of 19th century) •
Pierre De Geyter, socialist, composer, and wood carver (1848–1932) •
Victor Horta,
Art Nouveau architect (1861–1947) •
Henri Lammens, Jesuit and orientalist (1862–1937) •
Maurice Maeterlinck, poet, playwright, essayist, recipient of the
Nobel Prize in Literature (1862–1949) •
Théo van Rysselberghe,
neo-impressionist painter 1862–1926) •
Constant Montald, monumental and
symbolic painter 1862-1944 •
Brice Meuleman,
Jesuit, 2nd Archbishop of Calcutta (now
Kolkata) (1862–1924) •
Leo Baekeland, chemist and inventor of
Bakelite (1863–1944) •
Pierre Louÿs, poet and romantic writer (1870–1925) •
Karel van de Woestijne, writer (1878–1929) •
George Van Biesbroeck, astronomer (1880–1974) •
Gustave Van de Woestijne, painter (1881–1947) •
Geo Verbanck, sculptor (1881–1961) •
Frits Van den Berghe, expressionist painter (1883–1939) •
Valerius Geerebaert, Redemptorist (1884–1957) •
Maurice Langaskens, painter (1884—1946) •
George Sarton, historian of science (1884–1956) •
Désiré Defauw, conductor and violinist (1885–1960) •
Jean Ray, writer (1887–1964) •
Richard Minne, writer and poet (1891–1965) •
Corneille Jean François Heymans, physiologist and recipient of the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1892–1968) •
Edgard Colle,
chess master (1897–1932) •
Henri Story, politician (1897–1944) •
Emma De Vigne, painter (1850-98)
20th century •
Suzanne Lilar, playwright, essayist and novelist (1901–1992) •
Jozef Vergote, Egyptologist and
coptologist (1910–1992) •
Johan Daisne, author, poet, and librarian (1912–1978) •
Théo Lefèvre, lawyer and prime minister of Belgium (1914–1973) •
Armand Pien, weatherman (1920–2003) •
Marc Sleen, comics artist and cartoonist (born 1922) •
Willy De Clercq, politician (born 1927) •
Marcel Storme, lawyer and professor at the
Ghent University (born 1930) •
Jean-Marie Albert Bottequin, photographer and journalist (born 1941) •
Graba' (Ignace De Graeve), designer and artist (1940-2016) •
Jacques Rogge, former president of the
IOC (born 1942) •
Gérard Mortier, musical artistic director (born 1943) •
René Jacobs, counter-tenor and conductor (born 1946) •
Philippe Herreweghe, conductor (born 1947) •
Marc Mortier, first CEO of
Flanders Expo (1948–2004) •
Godfried-Willem Raes, composer, performer, and instrument maker (born 1952) •
Matthias Storme, lawyer, academic, thinker, and politician (born 1959) •
Dirk Brossé, composer, conductor •
Frank De Winne, cosmonaut (born 1961) •
Saul Akkemay (Panbello), freelance publicist and columnist (born 1964) •
Nic Balthazar, movie critic and film director (born 1964) •
Michel de Kemmeter, entrepreneur and author in the fields of Personal development and Intangible assets and Human Sustainable Development (born 1964) •
Peter Goes, children's author and illustrator •
Helmut Lotti, musician (born 1969) •
Filip Meirhaeghe, cyclist (born 1971) •
Matthew Gilmore, cyclist (born 1972) •
Freya Van den Bossche, socialist politician (born 1975) •
Cédric Van Branteghem, athlete (born 1979) •
Bradley Wiggins, British cyclist (born 1980) •
Jonas Geirnaert, creator of animation shorts (born 1982) •
Iljo Keisse, cyclist (born 1982) •
Eline Berings, athlete (born 1986) •
Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, football player (born 1989) •
Kevin De Bruyne, professional footballer (born 1991) •
Gijs van Hoecke, cyclist (born 1991) •
Gaelle Mys, Olympic gymnast (born 1991) •
Xavier Henry,
shooting guard/
small forward for the
NBA's
Los Angeles Lakers (born 1995) •
Willy van Ryckeghem economist (born 1935) ==Lived in Ghent==