Famous Parisians: 8 Iconic Names Of The Past & Present  

Paris has a long and storied history, and as a result, many world renowned names have been born in, or made the French capital, their home.

Art, culture, fashion, science, music, cinema – Parisians have truly made their mark on the world.

This week on the Paris Teachers Club blog, we look at eight famous Parisians that have influenced not just their industry, but the world at large.

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1. Coco Chanel 

Paris has produced many historic names, maybe none more so than the queen of style, Coco Chanel. 

Born to poor parents in 1883 in a small town in Western France as Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, “Coco”, as she later came to be called, was raised in an orphanage and had an unstable childhood. As a young adult with little to no education but having learned to sew at the orphanage, Coco worked as a seamstress, alongside singing in cabarets. 

After arriving in Paris, Coco opened a boutique to sell hats. Within a decade she registered as a “couturière”, and within another decade she owned five properties on the ultra fashionable rue Cambon. You can still visit Chanel’s original apartment / studio at 31 rue Cambon, which was the brand’s flagship store and is still in business today. Tours of her apartment are by private reservation only. The nearest Metro station is Havre – Caumartin.

Coco Chanel started life with nothing and by the time she died in 1971 at the age of 87 at her home in the Ritz Paris, she was a household name across the world, dressed some of the world’s most famous people in her elegant designs and was worth $100 million. Today, the timeless Chanel brand is worth $9 billion and its iconic emblem of interlocking C’s is a nod to its founder. 

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2. Claude Monet 

The founder of Impressionism was born in Paris in 1840, and Claude Monet’s pieces are some of the most famous – and most visited – in Paris. 

You can see Monet’s work in person at various locations across Paris. The Musée de l’Orangerie houses the iconic “Water Lilies” painting, the Musée d’Orsay has over 80 of Monet’s oil paintings, and the Musée Marmottan Monet has the largest collection of Monet pieces – totalling 130 – including the beautiful “Sunrise”. 

And of course, you cannot miss a visit to Monet’s House and its incredible gardens which he sought inspiration from, located just outside of Paris in Giverny. 

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3. Brigitte Bardot 

Born in Paris in 1934, Brigitte is one of our most famous Parisians, actresses and style icons. The blonde bombshell was one of the most well known figures in the world during the 50’s and 60’s, and starred in many iconic French films. 

Brigitte retired from acting in the 1970s, and dedicated her life to animal rights, which she is still active in today at the age of 89. 

In her heyday, Brigitte put French fashion on the world stage. Her effortless style incorporated statement headbands and ballet flats and she was particularly known for her love of bikinis – a French invention!

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4. Marie Curie 

Marie Curie was born in Poland, but later became a naturalised French citizen. The physicist and chemist has a profoundly important place in history thanks to her discovery of radium and polonium, plus many other achievements. She won the Nobel Prize twice and was the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris. 

Madame Curie married fellow French physicist Pierre Curie, and the two called Paris home. The two lived at 36 Quai de Béthune for decades, and Marie died in 1934 at the age of 66 from complications related to exposure to radiation. Pierre preceded her in death. Both Curie’s now rest in France’s national mausoleum, the Panthéon, in Paris. 

You can visit the Musée Curie, which was once The Radium Institut, at 1 rue Pierre et Marie Curie 75005. Entry is free!

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5. Claude Debussy 

Born in 1862 in Paris’ northwest, composer Claude Debussy studied at the Paris Conservatory but soon broke free from traditional rules of the time. He drew inspiration for his compositions from art and poetry, creating a unique style that’s still captivating audiences today.

Debussy’s famous works like ‘Clair de Lune’ and ‘La Mer’ continue to inspire and evoke emotion, over a century after his death. He paved the way for modern classical music, influencing countless artists.

Debussy is interred in Passy Cemetery, behind the Trocadero.

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6. Edith Piaf 

Few historical or cultural figures are as synonymous with France as Edith Piaf. The French singer is a national treasure, and her life and music still impacts many today. 

Born in 1915 in Paris, Edith Piaf was known as “La  Môme Piaf”, which translates to “the little sparrow”. Her most famous songs include “La Vie en rose”, “Non, je ne regrette rien”, “La Foule” and “Padam, Padam”. 

Edith Piaf’s career spanned decades, and her inspiring yet often tragic life story was told most recently in the 2007 film “La Vie En Rose”. Edith died in 1963 at the age of 47. 

She is interred at Paris’ Père Lachaise Cemetery, where you can pay your respects at her grave.

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7. Nicolas Flamel 

While you may today know the name Nicolas Flamel thanks to the Harry Potter franchise, the man himself was a mysterious figure that was best known as an alchemist and manuscript seller that resides in the city. 

The lore surrounding Nicolas Flamel today says that it is possible that Flamel discovered the secret to immortality – the Philosopher’s Stone – while tinkering away in his home. Sadly, these rumours only began centuries after his death.

However, if the story of Nicolas Flamel interests you, there are a variety of sites across Paris where you can learn about the man and the many myths that surround him. 

Flamel is buried in what is now the Tour Saint-Jacques (once a church), his headstone that he designed himself is on display at the Musée de Cluny, and you can take a walk past his original stone house at 51 rue de Montmorency. Now a restaurant, the building is rumoured to be the oldest in all of Paris.

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8. Juliette Binoche 

Juliette Binoche is a world famous French actress, who is a born and raised Parisienne. Born in 1964, she has been a mainstay of French cinema for decades, has acted in British and American films, and has over 60 films under the belt. 

Juliette won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role in 1996’s The English Patient, and not only is she an acclaimed actress, but a timeless French style icon too. 

If you’d like to watch some of Juliette’s best films, we recommend starting with Cache, Chocolat, The Eternal Lightness of Being, Bleu and Certified Copy.

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Who is your favourite famous Parisian?

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