List of personalities of the city of Bruges
The following list contains personalities who were born in Bruges and who temporarily lived there, listed chronologically according to the year of birth. The list does not claim to be complete.
Personalities born in Bruges
Until 1800
- Lubertus Hautscilt (around 1347–1417), Augustinian abbot, mathematician, astrologer and mystic
- Pieter Bladelin (around 1408–1472), patrician of the city and advisor at the court of Philip the Good
- Pierre Basin (1435–1497), singer
- Jean Cordier (1440–1501), singer
- Jean le Sauvage (1455–1518), advisor to Charles V
- Georg van Themseke (1470–1535), ambassador of Charles V
- Philip I (1478–1506), Duke of Burgundy
- Adriaen Isenbrant (1490–1556), painter
- David Joris (1501 / 02–1556), glass painter
- Johann Otho (around 1520–1581), humanist, pedagogue, cartographer and scholar
- Marcus Gerards the Elder (1520 / 21–1586), Renaissance painter, graphic artist and engraver
- Jan van der Straet (1523–1605), painter and draftsman
- Jacobus Pamelius (1536–1587), Catholic theologian
- Bonaventure Vulcanius (1538–1614), scholar, translator and humanist
- Frans Pourbus the Elder (1545–1581), painter
- Peter Candid (1548–1628), painter and graphic artist
- Simon Stevin (1548 / 49–1620), mathematician, physicist and engineer
- Marcus Gerards the Younger (1561 / 62–1636), Renaissance painter
- Franciscus Gomarus (1563–1641), professor of Reformed theology in Leiden, Saumur and Groningen
- Nicolaus Mulerius (1564–1630), professor of medicine and mathematics
- Grégoire de Saint-Vincent (1584–1667), mathematician and Jesuit
- Jakob van Oost the Elder (around 1600–1671), painter
- Jakob van Oost the Younger (1637–1713), painter
- Albert Gregorius (1774–1853), portrait painter and art teacher
- Joseph-Denis Odevaere (1775 / 78–1830), history and portrait painter and lithographer
- Louis de Potter (1786-1859), politician
- Charles de Brouckère (1796-1860), statesman
- Henri Milne Edwards (1800–1885), zoologist, physician and naturalist
1801 to 1900
- Henri de Brouckère (1801-1891), statesman
- Paul Devaux (1801–1880), politician
- Octave Delepierre (1804-1879), writer
- Eugène Charles Catalan (1814-1894), mathematician
- Paul-Jean Clays (1819–1900), marine painter and watercolorist
- Émile Louis Victor de Laveleye (1822–1892), economist
- Guido Gezelle (1830–1899), poet
- Louis de la Censerie (1838–1909), architect
- Emile Godding (1841–1898), genre painter
- Jean-Baptiste Brondel (1842–1903), Roman Catholic Bishop of Vancouver Island and of Helena
- Eugène Goossens (1845–1906), conductor
- Gerard van Caloen (1853–1932), Benedictine abbot and bishop in Brazil
- Joseph Ryelandt (1870–1965), composer
- Albert de Badrihaye (1880–1976), painter / graphic artist, professor a. Heraldist
- Edgar Everaert (1888–1957), founder of the association
- Alphonse Six (1890-1914), football player
- Arsène Becuwe (1891–1992), composer and conductor
- Marcel Minnaert (1893–1970), astronomer
- Etienne Ruzette (1894–1960), ambassador
- François Louis Ganshof (1895–1980), historian
- Achille Van Acker (1898–1975), politician
- Albert Van Coile (1900-1927), football player
1901 to 1950
- Jef Van de Wiele (1903–1979), nationalist
- Madeleine De Meulemeester (1904–1996), scout functionary and Righteous Among the Nations
- Guy De Poerck (1910-1996), Romanist
- Albert Coppé (1911–1999), politician
- Robert Braet (1912–1987), football goalkeeper and official
- Nelly Landry (1916-2010), tennis player
- Albert Ramon (1920–1993), racing cyclist
- Herman de Meulenaere (1923-2011), Egyptologist
- Hugo Dyserinck (* 1927), comparativeist
- Frank Van Acker (1929–1992), politician
- Hugo Claus (1929–2008), writer
- Jean Schramme (1929–1988), mercenary
- Bernhard Maria Lambert OSB (1931-2014), Abbot of Scheyern
- Fernand Bossier (1933–2006), classical philologist, historian of philosophy and professor
- Etienne Vermeersch (1934–2019), philosopher
- Gilbert Desmit (* 1937), swimmer
- Guido Reybrouck (* 1941), racing cyclist
- Raoul Lambert (* 1944), football player
- Michel D'Hooghe (* 1945), football official
- Jean-Pierre Van Rossem (1945–2018), scientist, politician, sponsor and writer
- Wilfried David (1946–2015), racing cyclist
- Jean-Michel Veranneman de Watervliet (* 1947), ambassador
- Lode Van Hecke (* 1950), Roman Catholic religious, Bishop of Ghent
From 1951
- Pierre Chevalier (* 1952), lawyer and politician
- Sophie Barjac (born 1957), actress
- Kris Defoort (* 1959), composer and jazz musician
- Frank Vanhecke (* 1959), politician
- Johan Vandewalle (* 1960), orientalist
- Filip Dewinter (* 1962), politician
- Peter Verhelst (* 1962), writer, poet, playwright, performer and playwright
- Jan De Winne (* 1962), flautist
- Bart Moeyaert (* 1964), author and poet
- Aise Johan de Jong (* 1966), mathematician
- Henk Houwaart junior (1967–2008), football player
- Dominique Persoone (* 1968), chocolatier
- Luc Van Lierde (* 1969), triathlete
- Tom Compernolle (1975-2008), track and field athlete
- Tcha Limberger (* 1977), jazz and world music artist
- James Vanlandschoot (* 1978), racing cyclist
- Gotye (* 1980), musician
- Thomas Buffel (* 1981), football player
- Tim Maeyens (* 1981), rower
- Tony Parker (born 1982), basketball player
- Joeri Calleeuw (* 1985), racing cyclist
- Nicolas Lombaerts (* 1985), football player
- Dieter Vanthourenhout (* 1985), cyclocross driver
- Bart Buysse (* 1986), football player
- Jens Keukeleire (* 1988), racing cyclist
- Sven Vandousselaere (* 1988), racing cyclist
- Lindsey De Grande (born 1989), track and field athlete
- Joris De Loore (born 1993), tennis player
Personalities who have worked on site
- Gilles Binchois , composer, poet and cleric
- Antoine Busnoys , French composer, singer, poet and cleric
- William Caxton , the first English printer
- Petrus Christ , Dutch painter
- Gerard David , Old Dutch painter
- Guy Duijck , Belgian composer, professor and conductor
- Franky Van Der Elst , soccer player
- Jan van Eyck , representative of old Dutch painting
- Louis van Houtte , botanist and tree nursery owner in Gentbrugge (now part of Ghent)
- Gilles Joye , theologian, poet, singer and composer
- Hans Memling , German painter of the Dutch school
- Jacob Obrecht , Flemish composer and singer and cleric of the Renaissance
- Werner Quintens , Belgian Roman Catholic priest
- Jacek Saryusz-Wolski , Vice-Rector of the College of Europe in Bruges from 1997 to 1999
- John Sutton, 3rd Baronet (1820–1873) English benefactor and patron
- Guy Thys , Belgian football coach
- Johan Vandewalle , orientalist
- Hildebrand Veckinchusen , merchant of the Hanseatic era
- Gaspar van Weerbeke , composer and singer
- Joseph HH Weiler , Professor of International Law and European Law at the College of Europe in Bruges