List of people from the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

This is a list of famous or notable people from the Dominican Republic. The list also includes individuals of Dominican ancestry who reside overseas.

Authors

Business

Marcos Bisonó – businessman
José Blanco – cigar industrialist
Ligia Bonetti – businesswoman
Manuel Díez Cabral – businessman
Juan Cohen – businessman
José Luis Corripio – businessman
The Franjul Family – business family
Bartolomé Gamundi – businessman and government official in Puerto Rico
Manuel Alejandro Grullón – businessman, president of Banco Popular
José León Asensio – businessman
Victor Miguel Pacheco Mendez – businessman
Victor Oscar Pacheco Mendez – businessman
Leo Perez Minaya – businessman
Celso Marranzini – economist
Porfirio Pina – music executive
Frank Rainieri – businessman, chairman and founder of Grupo Punta Cana

Fashion and beauty pageant personalities

Mariasela Álvarez – Miss World 1982
Eva Arias – beauty queen and fashion model
Sully Bonnelly – fashion designer
Susie Castillo – Miss USA 2003
Ana Contreras – Miss World Beach beauty semifinalist
Claudia Cruz – Miss World 2004 first runner-up
Marianne Cruz – Miss Universe 2008 second runner-up
Yadira Cury – Miss International 2005 first runner-up
Ada de la Cruz – Miss Universe 2009 first runner-up
Magali Febles – owner of the Miss Dominican Republic pageant franchise
Kimberly Jiménez – Miss Universe 2020 fifth runner-up
Gilda Jovine – fashion model
Francisca Lachapel – Nuestra Belleza Latina 2015
Hernan Lander – fashion designer
Dulcita Lieggi – beauty pageant contestant
Denny Méndez – Miss Italy 1997
Clarissa Molina – Nuestra Belleza Latina 2016 V.I.P winner, Miss Dominican Republic 2015
Ruth Ocumárez – former beauty queen
Oscar de la Renta – fashion designer
Amell Santana – Miss Earth 2005 first runner-up
Samantha Sepulveda – model and policewoman
Renata Soñé – Miss Universe 2005 second runner–up
Arlenis Sosa – fashion model
Amelia Vega – Miss Universe 2003, actress and model

Motion picture and television personalities

A–M

Irvin Alberti – actor
Nancy Alvarez – psychologist, television talk show host
Tina Aumont – film actress; daughter of Maria Montez
Freddy Beras-Goico – television host, comedian
Julissa Bermudez – television personality
Jenny Blanco – TV presenter and actress
Nashla Bogaert – actress
Micky Bretón – director
Francis Capra – actor
Rafael Campos – actor
Sergio Carlo – actor
Aimee Carrero – actress
Terry Carter – actor
Hosea Chanchez – actor
Charytín – actress, singer, television host
José Guillermo Cortines – actor, musician
Jackie Cruz – actress
Tony Dandrades – TV presenter
Juan Delancer – film director
Yasmin Deliz – television personality/actress
Arisleyda Dilone – actress
Akari Endo – actress
Hony Estrella – actress
Iamdra Fermín – TV presenter
Juan Fernández – actor
Yubo Fernandez – actress
René Fortunato – film director
J. Teddy Garces – actor
Andrés García – actor
Laura García-Godoy – actress
Jason Genao – actor from On My Block (TV series)
Milagros Germán – actress
Rick Gonzalez – actor
Iván García Guerra – theater actor
María Alejandra Guzmán – TV presenter
Juliana Harkavy – actress (Dominican mother)
Oscar Haza – television journalist
Wilson Jermaine Heredia – actor
Jharrel Jerome – actor
Arthur Lithgow – actor
John Lithgow - actor
Jorge Lendeborg Jr. – actor
Sarah Jorge León – actress
Yelitza Lora – actress
Bryan Lugo – actor
Hemky Madera – actor
Judy Marte – actress
Luisito Martí – comedian
Agliberto Meléndez – film director
Mirtha Michelle – actress
Maria Montez – actress
Margarita Mora – actress
Rafael Molina Morillo – journalist
Carlos de la Mota – actor
Patrícia Mota – actress

N–Z

Amaury Nolasco – actor
Miguel A. Núñez, Jr. – actor
Robmariel Olea – actress
Karen Olivo – Tony Award-winning actor
Alex Paez – American actor of Dominican descent
Manny Pérez – actor (films Party Monster and El Cantante)
Frank Perozo – actor, producer
Nuria Piera – television journalist
Esmeralda Pimentel – telenovela actress (Dominican father)
Jessica Pimentel – actress
Dascha Polanco – actress (Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black)
Rosario Prieto – actress and dancer
Rafael José – Puerto Rican television personality (Dominican father)
Dania Ramirez – actress (television series Heroes and Entourage)
Silvestre Rasuk – actor
Victor Rasuk – actor
Monica Raymund – actress
Judy Reyes – actress (television series Scrubs)
Birmania Ríos – television personality (television show Despierta America)
Diana-Maria Riva – actress
Carolina Rivas – actress
Alfonso Rodríguez – film director
Michelle Rodriguez – actress
Julio Sabala – actor, comedian
Roberto Salcedo, Jr. – comedian
Zoe Saldana – actress
Carlos Sánchez – comedian, actor
Nuryn Sanlley – comedian
Harmony Santana – actress
Merlin Santana – actor
Rafael Corporán de los Santos – TV host
Enrique Segoviano – producer, director
Sharlene Taulé – actress and singer (Dominican father, Puerto Rican mother)
Rosanna Tavarez – singer, television personality
Shannon Tavarez – Broadway actress and singer; Dominican father
Samir Saba – journalist, TV presenter
Jessy Terrero – director
Leticia Tonos – director
Celines Toribio – actress/model
Emily Tosta – actress
Isaac Saviñón – actor
Julian Scott Urena – actor
Vielka Valenzuela – talk show host
Michelle Vargas – actress, model
Denise Vasi – actress
Jamila Velazquez – actress
James Victor – actor
Juan Vidal – actor
Ludo Vika – actress, comedian
Tristan Wilds – actor
Carmen Wong Ulrich – journalist
Sandra Zaiter – actress and television host

Painters and artists

Political and military figures

Rafael Alburquerque – former vice president
Geovanny Vicente – political strategist and CNN columnist
Pedro Franco Badía – former Secretary of the Interior and Police
Buenaventura Báez Méndez – former president
Joaquín Balaguer Ricardo – former president (1960–1962, 1966–1978, 1986–1996)
Ramón Emeterio Betances – founder of Puerto Rican independence movement (Dominican father)
Salvador Jorge Blanco – former president (1982–1986)
Tomás Bobadilla – first ruler of the Dominican Republic
Juan Bosch y Gaviño – former president
Francisco Domínguez Brito – lawyer, politician
Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó – former president
Fernando Cabrera – New York City Councilman
Ramón Cáceres – former president
Margarita Cedeño de Fernández – vice-president and former First Lady of the Dominican Republic
David Collado – former mayor of Santo Domingo
Ricardo de los Santos Polanco – politician, and President of Senate of the Dominican Republic
Luis Colón, 1st Duke of Veragua – nobleman, grandson of Christopher Columbus
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez – 65th Secretary of State of New York
Juan Pablo Duarte – one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic
Adriano Espaillat – New York State Assemblyman; first Dominican American to be elected to a State House in the United States
Rafael Espinal – New York State Assemblyman
Rafael Estrella Ureña – former president
Carlos Felipe Morales – former president
Ruy Fernández de Fuenmayor – Colonial governor of Venezuela
Leonel Fernández Reyna – former president (1996–2000, 2004–2008, 2008–2012)
Pedro Florentino – hero of the Battle of Jacuba, during the War of Independence from Haiti
Maximiliano Gómez – revolutionary political leader
Máximo Gómez – military commander of the Cuban War of Independence
Petronila Angélica Gómez – feminist
Antonio Guzmán Fernández – former president
Ulises Heureaux – former president
Antonio Imbert Barrera – former president
Gregorio Luperón – former president
Miguel Martinez – former New York City Councilman
Sabina Matos – lieutenant governor of Rhode Island
Danilo Medina – former president (2012–2016)
Lucia Medina – accountant and politician
Hipólito Mejía – former president
Ramón Matías Mella – one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic
Fernando Arturo de Meriño – politician, theologian
The Mirabal sisters – political dissidents
Adolfo Alejandro Nouel – Santo Domingo archbishop and interim president
José Nuñez-Melo – Canadian politician
José Francisco Peña Gómez – mayor of Santo Domingo (1982–1986)
Joseline Peña-Melnyk – member of the Maryland General Assembly
Cesar A. Perales – 67th Secretary of State of New York

Thomas Perez – civil rights lawyer
Donald Reid Cabral – former president
Ydanis Rodríguez – New York City councilman
José Antonio (Pepillo) Salcedo – first president after the Restoration of the Dominican Republic
Roberto Salcedo, Sr. – mayor of Santo Domingo (2002–2016)
Juan Sánchez Ramírez – military general
Jean Alain Rodríguez Sánchez – lawyer
Francisco del Rosario Sánchez – one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic
Pedro Santana Familias – first president (1844)
José Del Castillo Saviñón – politician
Sergia Elena de Séliman – politician
Angel Taveras – mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
Carlos Morales Troncoso – former vice president, diplomat
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo – dictator (1930–1961)
Ramfis Trujillo – general and son of dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
Francisco Urena – Massachusetts government official
Fernando Valerio – hero of the battles of Santiago (1844) and Sabana Larga (1856), during the War of Independence from Haiti
Elias Wessin y Wessin – former general

For a complete list, please refer to List of presidents of the Dominican Republic

Scientists and scholars

NASA aerospace engineer, Victor Carreno — Victor A. Carreno

Soraya Aracena – anthropologist
Idelisa Bonnelly – marine biologist
Víctor A. Carreño – NASA aerospace engineer
Marcos Espinal – epidemiologist
Luis Arístides Fiallo Cabral – astronomer
Geovanny Vicente – political scientist, CNN columnist and Columbia University professor.^[1]
Pedro Francisco Bonó – sociologist
Zoilo H. Garcia – aviator, engineer
Juan Isidro Jiménez Grullón – historian
Jorge Abraham Hazoury – biologist
Erich E. Kunhardt – physicist
Jose Gabriel Garcia – historian
Jorge Giordani – engineer, economist
Miguel Canela Lázaro – anatomist
Kathleen Martínez – archeologist
Frank Moya Pons – historian
Andrés Navarro – architect
Feniosky Peña-Mora – engineer
Margot Taule – architect
Juan Manuel Taveras Rodríguez – radiologist
Héctor Valdez Albizu – economist
Aída Mencía Ripley – academic

Singers and musicians

A–M

Héctor Acosta – bachata/merengue singer
Cyrille Aimée – jazz musician (French father, Dominican mother)^[2]
Manny Albam – jazz musician
Luis Alberti – merengue musician
José Alberto "El Canario" – salsa singer
Cardi B – rapper (Dominican father, Trinidadian mother)
El Alfa – rapper
Juan Bautista Alfonseca – military officer, composer
Anaís – pop singer
Andy Andy – singer
Ice Spice – rapper (African-American father, Dominican mother)
Arcángel – reggaeton artist
Aventura – bachata group
AZ – rapper (African-American mother, Dominican father)
José Peña Suazo – Merengue singer
070 Shake – rapper
Sexappeal – salsa singer
Lope Balaguer – singer
Kirko Bangz – rapper (African American, Mexican and Dominican)
Ivan Barias – music producer
Eduardo Brito – baritone singer
Ninón Lapeiretta de Brouwer – female composer
Alex Bueno – merengue/bachata singer
Nini Caffaro – singer
José Manuel Calderón – bachata musician
Michel Camilo – jazz pianist
Angela Carrasco – singer
Israel Casado – merengue instrumentalist
Aisha Syed Castro – violinist
Bonny Cepeda – merengue singer
Las Chicas del Can
Javier Colon – singer and winner of the first season of U.S. reality series The Voice (Dominican father, Puerto Rican mother)
Charles Connor – rhythm and blues drummer
Coro – freestyle singer/actor (American born Cuban and Dominican)
Cristal Marie – Latin pop singer-songwriter
Damirón – pianist and composer
Casandra Damirón – folk singer
Kat DeLuna – singer
Joe Blandino – singer-songwriter
DJ Prostyle – hip hop DJ
Danielle Balbuena – rapper
DaniLeigh – singer
Don Miguelo – reggaeton artist
Dave East – rap artist
El Cata – merengue musician
El Jeffrey – merengue singer
El Prodigio – accordionist
Jackeline Estevez – pop singer
Bienvenido Fabian – composer
Fabolous – rapper (Dominican mother, African American father)
Zacarías Ferreira – bachata singer
Xiomara Fortuna – singer
Omar Franco – singer/composer
Billo Frómeta – singer
Juan Francisco García – merengue composer
Jhene Aiko – singer (Dominican, Spanish, Japanese mother)
Vicente García – singer-songwriter
Teodora Ginés – composer
Lilly Goodman – singer
Irv Gotti – producer
Leslie Grace – singer-songwriter
Juan Luis Guerra – merengue/bachata/salsa musician
Luichy Guzman – film composer
Ivonne Haza – soprano singer
Tatico Henriquez – merengue musician
Martha Heredia – singer
Julio Alberto Hernández – composer
Maridalia Hernández
Vinylz Hernandez – music producer
Eddy Herrera – merengue singer
Nicky Jam – reggaeton artist (Dominican mother, Puerto Rican father)
Porfi Jimenez – trumpeter, composer and conductor
Alih Jey – singer
Krisspy – merengue singer
Bullumba Landestoy – pianist, composer
Ñico Lora – known as the "Father of Merengue" music, singer
Margarita Luna de Espaillat – composer
Anthony Ríos – ballad singer
Los Hermanos Rosario – merengue group
Romeo Santos – bachata/reggaeton singer (Dominican father, Puerto Rican mother)
Luny Tunes – reggaeton producers/artists
Maffio – music producer
Domenic Marte – bachata singer
Melanie Martinez – pop singer (Dominican mother, Puerto Rican father)
La Materialista – singer
Henry Mendez – reggaeton artist
José Antonio Molina – classical composer
Munchi – DJ

N–Z

Natti Natasha – singer
Noztra – reggaeton artist
Francisco Núñez – musical conductor
Pavel Nuñez – pop/rock musician
Omega – merenhouse musician
Juan Francisco Ordóñez – guitarist/composer
Ramón Orlando – merengue singer
Shalim Ortiz – singer
Johnny Pacheco – salsa singer/producer/bandleader
Leonardo Paniagua – bachata artist
Karina Pasian – singer/pianist
Chichí Peralta – singer, bandleader, percussionist
Rubby Perez – singer
Carlos Piantini – conductor and musician
Geovanny Polanco – merengue singer
Prince Royce – bachata singer
Milly Quezada – singer, dubbed the "Queen of Merengue"
Fausto Rey – singer/composer
Frank Reyes – bachata singer
José Rufino Reyes y Siancas – composer of Dominican national anthem
Trio Reynoso – known as the "kings of merengue tipico" merengue/bachata group
Ariel Rivas – music producer
Mario Rivera – jazz composer/artist
Raulín Rodríguez – bachata singer
Richard Camacho – pop singer (Dominican Parents)
Rosangela – singer
Toño Rosario – merengue singer
Raulín Rosendo – salsa singer
Roger Sanchez – DJ/house music producer
Rolf Sanchez – pop musician (Dominican mother)
Daniel Santacruz – singer-songwriter
Lizette Santana (also known as Lizé) – singer-songwriter
Santaye – singer-songwriter
Antony Santos – bachata singer
Yoskar Sarante – bachata singer
Luis Segura – singer
Triple Seis – rapper
Twin Shadow – indie musician
Vicky Shell – singer-songwriter
Rafael Solano – songwriter/composer
Giselle Tavera – singer
Michael Tavera – composer
Ines Thomas Almeida – opera singer
Tokischa – rapper
Cuco Valoy – merengue singer/bandleader
Luis Vargas – bachata singer
Sergio Vargas – merengue singer
Wilfrido Vargas – merengue singer
Johnny Ventura – merengue singer, vice mayor (1994–1998) and mayor of Santo Domingo (1998–2002)
Fernando Villalona – singer
J.R. Writer – rapper
Marcos Yaroide – Christian singer, composer

Sports figures

Baseball

Manny Acta – former manager of the Cleveland Indians
Willy Adames – professional baseball player
Antonio Alfonseca – professional baseball player
Carlos Almanzar – professional baseball player
Felipe Alou – professional baseball manager and player
Jesús Alou – professional baseball player
Matty Alou – professional baseball player
Moisés Alou – professional baseball player
Joaquín Andújar – professional baseball player
Greg Aquino – professional baseball player
Joaquin Arias – professional baseball player
Miguel Batista – professional baseball player
Tony Batista – professional baseball player
Danny Bautista – professional baseball player
Denny Bautista – professional baseball player
José Bautista – professional baseball player
José Bautista (pitcher) – professional baseball player (pitcher)
George Bell – professional baseball player
Ronnie Belliard – professional baseball player
Francis Beltrán – professional baseball player
Adrián Beltré – professional baseball player
Esteban Beltré – professional baseball player
Armando Benítez – professional baseball player
Joaquín Benoit – professional baseball player
Ángel Berroa – professional baseball player
Wilson Betemit – professional baseball player
Tony Blanco – professional baseball player
Pedro Borbón, Jr. – professional baseball player
Yhency Brazobán – professional baseball player
Juan Brito (catcher) – professional baseball catcher
Juan Brito (infielder) – professional baseball infielder
Daniel Cabrera – professional baseball player
Francisco Cabrera – professional baseball player
Melky Cabrera – professional baseball player
Robinson Canó – professional baseball player
Rico Carty – professional baseball player
Bernie Castro – professional baseball player
Fabio Castro – professional baseball player
Starlin Castro – professional baseball player
Alberto Castillo – professional baseball player
Luis Castillo – professional baseball player
César Cedeño – professional baseball player
Jesús Colomé – professional baseball player
Bartolo Colón – professional baseball player
Román Colón – professional baseball player
Francisco Cordero – professional baseball player
Deivi Cruz – professional baseball player
Johnny Cueto – professional baseball player
Elly De La Cruz (born 2002) - professional baseball player
Seranthony Domínguez – professional baseball pitcher
Octavio Dotel – professional baseball player
Edwin Encarnación – professional baseball player
Juan Encarnación – professional baseball player
Pedro Feliz – professional baseball player
Bartolomé Fortunato – professional baseball player
Rafael Furcal – professional baseball player
Julio Franco – professional baseball player
Jerry Gil – professional baseball player
Carlos Gómez – professional baseball player
Deivy Grullón – professional baseball player

Vladimir Guerrero – professional baseball player
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – professional baseball player
José Guillén – professional baseball player
Cristian Guzmán – professional baseball player
Freddy Guzmán – professional baseball player
Ronald Guzman – professional baseball player
Félix Heredia – professional baseball player
Roberto Hernández (formerly known as Fausto Carmona) – professional baseball player
Runelvys Hernández – professional baseball player
Julián Javier – professional baseball player
Stan Javier – professional baseball player
José Lima – professional baseball player
Francisco Liriano – professional baseball player
Pedro Liriano – professional baseball player
Mendy López – professional baseball player
Julio Lugo – professional baseball player
Ruddy Lugo – professional baseball player
Héctor Luna – professional baseball player

Manny Machado – professional baseball player
Henry Mateo – professional baseball player
Julio Mateo – professional baseball player
Juan Marichal – professional baseball player
Dámaso Marte – professional baseball player
Pedro Martínez – Cy Young Award-winning professional baseball player
Yermín Mercedes – catcher/designated hitter for the San Francisco Giants
José Mesa – professional baseball player
Omar Minaya – General Manager of the New York Mets
Raúl Mondesí – professional baseball player
Agustín Montero – professional baseball player
Juan Morillo – professional baseball player
Abraham Núñez – professional baseball player
Leo Núñez – professional baseball player
José Offerman – professional baseball player
Miguel Olivo – professional baseball player
David Ortiz – professional baseball player
Ramón Ortiz – professional baseball player
Pablo Ozuna – professional baseball player
Ronny Paulino – professional baseball player
Carlos Peña – professional baseball player
Tony Peña – professional baseball player
Wily Mo Peña – professional baseball player
Jhonny Peralta – professional baseball player
Antonio Pérez – professional baseball player
Mélido Pérez – professional baseball player
Neifi Pérez – professional baseball player
Odalis Pérez – professional baseball player
Rafael Pérez – professional baseball player
Timo Pérez – professional baseball player
Hipólito Pichardo – professional baseball player
Plácido Polanco – professional baseball player

Albert Pujols – first baseman and designated hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Angels^[3]
Aramis Ramírez – professional baseball player
Hanley Ramírez – professional baseball player
Manny Ramírez – professional baseball player
José Reyes – professional baseball player
Fernando Rodney – professional baseball player
Alex Rodriguez – professional baseball player
Félix Rodríguez – professional baseball player
Henry Rodríguez – professional baseball player
Julio Rodríguez (born 2000) La Insuperable professional baseball outfielder
Wandy Rodríguez – professional baseball player
Duaner Sánchez – professional baseball player
Carlos Santana − first baseman and catcher for the Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies^[4]
Víctor Santos – professional baseball player
Jean Segura – professional baseball player
Alfonso Soriano – professional baseball player
Jorge Sosa – professional baseball player
Sammy Sosa – professional baseball player
Juan Soto – professional baseball player for the New York Yankees
Fernando Tatís Jr. – professional baseball player for the San Diego Padres
Julián Tavárez – professional baseball player
Oscar Taveras – professional baseball player
Willy Taveras – professional baseball player
Miguel Tejada – professional baseball player
Rubén Tejada – professional baseball player
Robinson Tejeda – professional baseball player
Luis Terrero – professional baseball player
Salomón Torres – professional baseball player
Juan Uribe – professional baseball player
Wilson Valdez – professional baseball player
José Valverde – professional baseball player
Claudio Vargas – professional baseball player
Tetelo Vargas – professional baseball player
Yordano Ventura – professional baseball player
Ozzie Virgil – professional baseball player
Luis Vizcaíno – professional baseball player
Edinson Vólquez – professional baseball player
Héctor Wagner – professional baseball player

Basketball

Orlando Antigua – professional basketball player
Trevor Ariza – professional basketball player
Amaury Filion – professional basketball player
Luis Flores – basketball player, 2009 top scorer in the Israel Basketball Premier League
Francisco García – professional basketball player
Al Horford – professional basketball player
Tito Horford – professional basketball player
Felipe López – professional basketball player
Jack Michael Martínez – professional basketball player
Sammy Mejia – professional basketball player
Rigoberto Mendoza (born 1992) – basketball player for Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Luis Montero – basketball player
Carlos Morban – basketball player
Jaime Peterson – basketball player
Miguel Angel Pichardo – basketball player
Orlando Sánchez – professional basketball player
Ron Sanchez – professional basketball player
Edgar Sosa – professional basketball player
Gerardo Suero – professional basketball player
Karl-Anthony Towns – professional basketball player
Eloy Vargas – professional basketball player
José Vargas – professional basketball player
Charlie Villanueva – professional basketball player
Franklin Western – professional basketball player