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Famous people · Laval, Mayenne

More famous people were born in Laval than in any other town in Mayenne: 173

Articles in 73 languages make the gabonese-french footballer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the best known. The largest group, 42, was born between the Revolution and the Second Empire. With 10 clergy and people of faith, the list holds 2 times the share found across French towns. Births span 1505 to 2006, from Julien Beré to Ethan Clavreul.

#1 best knownPierre-Emerick AubameyangSports · born 1989
+169more
Born here
173
confirmed by Wikipedia
Best known
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
73 Wikipedia and sister-site articles
First
1505
Julien Beré
Youngest
2006
Ethan Clavreul
Most common field
Politics & Law
48 people

What stands out about Laval’s famous people

★ What stands out · The best known

Born in Laval

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henri Rousseau and Alfred Jarry are written about in 73, 72 and 55 languages.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang#1
Sports

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

born 1989

Gabonese-French footballer (born 1989)

73 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
Henri Rousseau#2
Writing & Arts

Henri Rousseau

1844–1910

French painter (1844–1910)

72 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
Alfred Jarry#3
Writing & Arts

Alfred Jarry

1873–1907

French writer (1873–1907)

55 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
Known for

What Laval is known for

Compared with the usual town, clergy and people of faith are the most over-represented field, at 2 times.

The usual town: the share across everyone listed in French towns. Tap a field to see its people.

Through the years

When Laval’s famous people were born

Births peak in the 1980s, with 14 people born in that decade.

Ancien RégimeRevolution to EmpireThe 20th centuryToday150016001700180019002000Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Politics & LawWriting & ArtsSportsScience & MedicineFaithFilm, TV & StageNotableBusinessMilitaryMusic

Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.

Everyone

Everyone else born in Laval

Still to come: 170 more, from 1505 to 2006.

Francis Coquelin

Francis Coquelin

born 1991

French footballer (born 1991)

Jean-Marie Guyau

Jean-Marie Guyau

1854–1888

French writer and philosopher (1854-1888)

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Éric Boullier

Éric Boullier

born 1973

French motor racing engineer and manager

Ousmane Dabo

Ousmane Dabo

born 1977

French association football player (born 1977)

Odile Decq

Odile Decq

born 1955

French architect and academic

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Alain Gerbault

Alain Gerbault

1893–1941

French yachtsman, author and tennis player (1893–1941)

Thibault de Montalembert

Thibault de Montalembert

born 1962

French actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
GL

Gérard Lelièvre

born 1949

French racewalker

KT

Kevin Tapoko

born 1994

French and Cameroonian footballer

G. Bruno

G. Bruno

1833–1923

French writer (1833-1923)

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Paul Boudet

Paul Boudet

1800–1877

French politician (1800–1877)

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Aurélien Bellanger

Aurélien Bellanger

born 1980

French writer

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
GB

Gabriel Bordier

born 1997

French athletics competitor

RT

Robert Tatin

1902–1983

French painter, sculptor and architect (1902-1983)

Next door

Famous people from the towns next door

The fullest list close by belongs to Montsûrs, with 3.

Questions about famous people from Laval

Who is the most famous person from Laval?

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabonese-French footballer (born 1989)) is the best known by our measure: 73 Wikipedia and sister-site articles in different languages. Next come Henri Rousseau and Alfred Jarry.

How many famous people were born in Laval?

173 people born in Laval have a French Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace (and an English one that agrees, when there is one). Wikidata places 298 people here; the rest aren’t listed because an article names somewhere else or no town, or a check couldn’t be completed.

What is Laval known for?

Among its famous people, leaders: 48 of the 173. That is 28% of the town’s list, against 24% across French towns.

Who is the earliest-born famous person from Laval?

Julien Beré, born in 1505. The youngest on the list was born in 2006.

Who counts as from Laval?

People whose Wikidata birthplace is Laval itself, matched by its INSEE code (a commune merged into it counts when the dates allow), whose French Wikipedia article agrees, and their English article too when they have one. A hospital or neighbourhood recorded without its commune isn’t matched. People who only lived here, adult performers and people known mainly for crimes aren’t listed.

Why is someone missing?

Their Wikidata birthplace may be a hospital, a neighbourhood or a wider area, another commune, or missing, or their articles may not name a birthplace. We only list people the sources agree on; editing Wikidata or Wikipedia changes this page at the next refresh.

From Wikidata (CC0: birthplaces, descriptions, years, occupations, how many Wikipedia and sister-site articles cover each person) and French and English Wikipedia (each person’s articles confirm the birthplace; linked, not quoted). Birthplaces are matched to the commune by INSEE code and its history of mergers (INSEE COG 2026). Ranked by the number of articles. Fields are read from Wikidata’s description and occupations. “The usual town”: everyone listed across French towns. Portraits: each person’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the license below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (61)

Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.