List of ethnic Assyrians

The following is a list of notable Assyrians.

Activists

Ninos Aho – poet and founding father of modern Assyrian nationalism
Freydun Atturaya – physician, poet and founder of the first Assyrian political party, the Assyrian Socialist Party
Naum Faiq – writer, poet and founding father of modern Assyrian nationalism
Jumana Hanna – involved in anti Baath war propaganda, torture victim
Reine Hanna – Director of the Assyrian Policy Institute
Nuri Kino – award-winning journalist, documentary filmmaker, author, human rights expert, and founder of
Rosie Malek-Yonan – actress, author, director, public figure and human rights activist
Hurmiz Malik Chikko – martyr and leader of the Assyrian armed struggle against the Ba'ath regime in Iraq in the late 1950s – early 1960s
Farid Nazha – journalist and founding father of modern Assyrian nationalism
David B. Perley – philosopher and nationalist
Juliana Taimoorazy – founder and president of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council, senior fellow at the Philos Project

Actors, directors and entertainers

Brian Awadis – YouTuber
Paul Elia – Chaldean-Assyrian comedian from Detroit
Dustin Kahia – Assyrian film director
Henri Charr – director
Michael Denkha – actor
Naguib el-Rihani – actor
F. Murray Abraham – Academy award-winning actor
Josef Fares – film director and video game designer
Ryan Bernier – Former Second City Artistic Director and Writer/Director of Gilgamesh! The Assyrian Epic...sorta
Fares Fares – Swedish-Lebanese actor
Iloosh Khoshabe – actor; bodybuilder
Nuri Kino – journalist; filmmaker
Terrence Malick – Academy Award-nominated director
Winter Jones – actor

Artists and designers

Eser Afacan – painter, and sculptor
Hannibal Alkhas – sculptor, painter and author
Issa Benyamin – calligrapher
Raad Ghantous – interior designer
Thea Halo – painter and writer
Farouk Kaspaules – artist
Paulus Khofri – painter, lyricist and composer
Jim Marshall – photographer
Bishara Morad – artist
Fred Parhad – sculptor

Athletes

In the Middle East

;Athletics

George Malek-Yonan – Iranian Assyrian Track & Field Athlete. Iran's Champion of Champions, Gold medalist in Pentathlon and Track & Field

;Boxing

Mustafa Hamsho – Syrian Assyrian/Syriac boxer, middleweight
George Issabeg – Iranian Assyrian boxer; represented Iran in 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics
Anwar Oshana – Syrian Assyrian boxer, super middleweight in USA. Illinois State Champion
Shoura Osipov – Iranian Assyrian boxer 1948 Summer Olympics representing Iran
Thomas Younan – Assyrian boxer from Chicago

;Football

Douglas Aziz – Iraqi Assyrian footballer
Ammo Baba – Iraqi Assyrian footballer and Manager of Iraq – Iraq International. Voted best Iraqi Athlete of All Time
Saad Benyamin – Iraqi Assyrian footballer – Iraq International
Edison David – Iraqi Assyrian footballer
Youra Eshaya – Iraqi Assyrian footballer, first Iraqi to play professionally in the west, for Bristol Rovers, England – Iraq International
Basil Gorgis Hanna – Iraqi Assyrian footballer – World Cup Player 1986
Aram Karam – Iraqi Assyrian footballer – Iraq International
Ayoub Odisho – Iraqi Assyrian footballer and club manager
Thamer Yousif – Iraqi Assyrian footballer – Iraq International

;Tennis
Andrew Simon – Iraqi Assyrian tennis champion
Andre Agassi American Assyrian-Armenian tennis champion

Diaspora

;Basketball

Scotty Pippen Jr.

;American football

Alex Agase – Assyrian American – top level American Football player
Lou Agase – Assyrian American – top level American Football player

;Boxing

Mustafa Hamsho
Anwar Oshana – Assyrian American super middleweight boxer, Illinois State Champion

;Football

Alexander Alkhazov – Assyrian Russian footballer – plays for FC Krylia Sovetov Samara
Zaya Avdysh – Assyrian Ukrainian footballer – Ukrainian based
Kennedy Bakircioglu – Assyrian Swedish international footballer – Sweden based – Swedish International player
Abgar Barsom – Assyrian Swedish footballer
Stefan Batan – Assyrian Swedish footballer – plays for Assyriska
Steven Beitashour – currently plays for Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer, Iran international
Louay Chanko – Assyrian Syrian footballer – Denmark based – Syrian International player
Imad Chhadeh – Assyrian Swedish footballer – plays for Assyriska
Daniyel Cimen – Assyrian German footballer
Christian Demirtas – Assyrian German footballer – German based
Sargon Duran – Assyrian Austrian footballer – plays for FC Sollenau
Jimmy Durmaz – Assyrian Swedish footballer
David Durmaz – Assyrian Swedish footballer – plays for Syrianska FC
Ninos Gouriye – Assyrian Dutch footballer
Andreas Haddad – Assyrian Swedish footballer – plays for Assyriska
Dani Hamzo – Assyrian Swedish footballer – plays for Assyriska
Zurab Ionanidze – Assyrian Georgian International footballer – Georgian International player
Mikael Ishak – Assyrian Swedish footballer – plays for Assyriska
Leena Khamis – Assyrian Australian female footballer – Australian Women's Football International
Sanharib Malki – Assyrian Syrian footballer – Dutch based – Syrian International player
Justin Meram – Assyrian USA based soccer player
Ilyas Merkes – Assyrian Syrian footballer – Syrian International player, plays for Assyriska
George Mourad – Assyrian Syrian footballer – Iran based – Syrian International player
Eddie Moussa – Assyrian Swedish footballer – plays for Assyriska
Gabriel Özkan – Assyrian Swedish footballer – plays for AIK Fotboll
Frans Dhia Putros – Assyrian Danish footballer – plays for Hobro IK in Denmark
Mario Shabow – Assyrian Australian footballer – plays for Central Coast Mariners in the Australian A-League
Suleyman Sleyman – Assyrian Swedish footballer – plays for Syrianska FC
Rebin Sulaka – Assyrian Swedish footballer – Iraq International
Jasar Takak – Dutch based Assyrian footballer, formerly of Vitesse Arnhem
Sharbel Touma – Assyrian Swedish footballer – plays for Syrianska FC
Gabriel Ucar – Assyrian Swedish footballer – plays for Ängelholms FF, and previously for Irish team Derry City
Daniel Unal – Assyrian Turkish footballer – plays for FC Basle in Switzerland
Andreas Yacoub-Haddad – Assyrian Swedish footballer – played for Assyriska
Christer Youssef – Assyrian Swedish footballer – plays for Djurgårdens IF

;Martial Arts

Beneil Dariush – Assyrian American Mixed martial arts
Randa Markos – Assyrian Canadian Mixed martial arts
Tiras Odisho – Assyrian Iraqi Karate champion, Director General of National Olympic Committee of Iraq
Mikhail Sado – Assyrian Russian Wrestling champion
David Teymur – Assyrian Swedish Mixed martial arts

;Poker

Daniel Alaei

;Tennis

Susanne Celik – Assyrian Swedish tennis player
Andre Khabbazi – American actor and semi-pro tennis player
Michael Shabaz – American tennis player
Andre Agassi - American tennis player

Educators and explorers

Toma Audo – bishop, writer
Paul Bedjan
Bukhtishu – family of Assyrian physicians from the 7th, 8th, and 9th centuries, spanning six generations and 250 years.
Louis Cheikhô – Assyrian Orientalist
Hind Rassam Culhane – lecturer in Middle Eastern Studies and behavioural scientist
Fuat Deniz – writer and professor of sociology at Örebro University
Mor Philoxenos Yuhanon Dolabani – scholar, poet, editor, and translator
Eprime Eshag – academic, professor
Emanuel Kamber
George Kiraz – computational linguist
Kanan Makiya – academic, professor
Masawaiyh – physician
Eden Naby
Estiphan Panoussi – philosopher and oriental philologist
Hormuzd Rassam – Assyriologist, and first-known Middle Eastern archaeologist
Thomas L. Saaty – Iraqi born Assyrian American mathematician
Mikhail Sado – Russian linguist, scholar, professor of Semitic languages, orientalist, politician, former paratrooper, and wrestling champion
Donny George Youkhanna
Ashur Yousif

Entrepreneurs

Narsai David – American restaurateur, chef, wine-maker, and author
Daniel Hadad – Argentine businessman involved in telecommunications and media
Milton Malek-Yonan – American inventor of Malekized Rice
Bob Miner – American businessman, co-founder of Oracle Corporation
Jeff Moorad – American businessman and investor, CEO of MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks, and Vice-Chairman and CEO of MLB's San Diego Padres
Victor Nacif – Mexican businessman, Vice President of Design at Nissan Design Europe
Tony Rezko – American businessman, political fundraiser, restaurateur, and real estate developer.

Leaders

Malik Khoshaba – Assyrian military leader during World War I
Agha Petros – World War I Assyrian General
Ashur Yousif – professor and Assyrian nationalist
Shamoun Hanne Haydo – Village leader and defender of Assyrians during Seyfo
Melke Hanne Haydo – brother of Shamoun Hanne Haydo
Malik Yaqo – Assyrian malik from Hakkari
Malik Ismail II – one of the most powerful Assyrian malik’s
Dawid Mar Shimun – Assyrian military general
Surma D'Bait Mar Shimun – Assyrian military leader and sister of Shimun XIX Benyamin
Toma Tomas - Iraqi Assyrian guerilla fighter

Media

Ramona Amiri – Miss World Canada 2005
John Batchelor – author; radio host
Jack Douglas – television host
Claudia Hanna – Miss Iraq 2006
Craig Morgan – sports journalist
Diane Pathieu – news anchor based in Chicago
Larsa Pippen – reality television personality
Younan Nowzaradan – reality television personality
Cindy Sargon – Australian TV chef
Nancy Oshana Wehbe – body builder and model
Patrick Bet-David – American entrepreneur and TV personality of Assyrian-Armenian origin
Obelit Yadgar – American radio personality
Alfred Yaghobzadeh – Iranian photojournalist

Musicians and composers

Politicians

United Nations

Dr. William Ishaya – Deputy Permanent Representative – Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations in New York, USA.

In the Assyrian diaspora

United States

Alina Habba – Counselor to Donald Trump
Mark Arabo – politician based in San Diego, California
Adam Benjamin, Jr. – Indiana Congressman
Wadie Deddeh – former California State Senator
Anna Eshoo – California Congresswoman
John Nimrod – Illinois Senator
Atour Sargon – Lincolnwood Trustee

Australia

Ninos Khoshaba – former Member of the New South Wales Parliament Sydney Australia
Andrew Rohan – current State Member for Smithfield New South Wales Parliament, and Fairfield City Council Councillor for the Liberal Party of Australia

Sweden

Metin Ataseven – Sweden Parliament Representative
Ibrahim Baylan – Sweden Minister of Education 2004–2006 and Sweden Parliament Representative
Yilmaz Kerimo – Sweden Parliament Representative
Ilan De Basso – Former member of the European Parliament 2021-2024

Canada

Helena Guergis – former Canadian Member of Parliament and Minister of State

Netherlands

Attiya Gamri – Netherlands Parliament Representative, president of the Assyrian Confederation of Europe

Other countries

Iskender Alptekin – politician, singer and former President of the European Syriac Union
José Murat Casab – Mexican politician and a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party also former Governor of Oaxaca
Sargon Dadesho – activist, author and leader of Assyrian National Congress
Eugene Dooman
Emmanuel Kamber – Assyrian Universal Alliance Secretary General

Religious figures

Basile Georges Casmoussa
David Benjamin Keldani
Dinkha IV, 1935–2015
Elias Mellus
Emil Shimoun Nona
Emmanuel III Delly
George Garmo
Ignatius Isaac Azar
Josephus Adjutus – 17th century theologian
Louis Cheikho
Mar Mari Emmanuel – bishop and influencer
Paulos Faraj Rahho
Pkidha, 104–114 – first Bishop of Adiabene
Ragheed Aziz Ganni
Raphael I Bidawid
Shimun XXI Eshai
Shimun XIX Benyamin, 1903–1918
Shlemon Warduni
Tatian, 120–180
Youhannan Semaan Issayi
Yosip Khnanisho, 1893–1977
Yusuf Akbulut

Writers and poets

Other

Lado Davydov – Soviet soldier during the Second World War and Hero of the Soviet Union
Sergey Sarkhoshev – Soviet soldier during the Second World War and Hero of the Soviet Union