List of Famous people born in Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland

Jarkko Oikarinen is a Finnish IT professional and the inventor of the first Internet chat network, called Internet Relay Chat (IRC), where he is known as WiZ.

Tapani Olavi Tölli is a Finnish Member of Parliament from Tyrnävä representing the Centre Party. He has previously been the Tyrnävä municipal manager. Tölli has been the Minister for Public Administration and Local Government in the government led by Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi, having been chosen by Kiviniemi to fill the vacancy left by herself. Tölli has been a Member of Parliament since the 2003 parliamentary elections. Tölli has a master's degree in political science. He has been married since 1981 and has six children. His military rank is major.

Anni Helena Takalo is a Finnish former cross-country skier. She was born in Nivala, and was dominant women's cross-country skiing in the 1970s, earning five Winter Olympic medals and four FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medals.

Susanna Pöykiö is a Finnish former figure skater. She is a two-time European medalist and a five-time Finnish national champion.

Mika Kristian Luttinen is a Finnish-born vocalist and lyricist who, in 1990, formed the Finnish black metal band, Impaled Nazarene. After numerous line-up changes, he remains the only original member. Besides his main project, Mika has been involved in various other bands around the globe, such as the Canadian metal band Obscene Eulogy and the French black punk band, The Rocking Dildos which was formed by owner of the French label Osmose Productions, Hervé and himself. While in Impaled Nazarene, he was also involved with the band, Diabolos Rising, together with then Rotting Christ keyboard player, Magus Wampyr Daoloth. Luttinen has made notable guest appearances in many bands, such as The Crown, Hypnos, Ancient Rites (Ancient Rites singer Gunther Theys was also Mika's best man at the latter's wedding. Mika has stated that his songwriting is influenced by many early thrash metal bands, such as Sodom and Kreator. Elements of Motörhead's music are also incorporated into his work, such that an Impaled Nazarene single was named Motörpenis.

Tinja-Riikka Tellervo Korpela is a Finnish football goalkeeper who plays in the FA WSL for Everton. She previously played for Bayern Munich in the German Frauen-Bundesliga, Tyresö FF in Sweden's Damallsvenskan, LSK Kvinner and Kolbotn of Norway's Toppserien, and FC Honka of Finland's Naisten Liiga.

Jukka Rousu, better known by his stage name Jukka Poika, is a Finnish reggae artist.

Armas Äikiä (1904–1965) was a Finnish communist writer and journalist. He wrote the Anthem of Karelo-Finnish SSR. A citizen of two countries, who had several collection of poems published in the Soviet Union. Back in Finland, when the Communist Party was banned, he spent years in prison and wrote defiant poems.

Liisa Anneli Jaakonsaari is a Finnish politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2009 until 2019. She is a member of the Social Democratic Party, part of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats.