List of Albanian Americans

This is a list of notable Albanian Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.

Note: An asterisk (*) next to a name indicates that the person is Arbëreshe, an Albanian subgroup from Italy.

Science and academia

 * William G. Gregory – astronaut
 * Carol Folt – biologist and first woman leader of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
 * Laura Mersini-Houghton – cosmologist
 * Ferid Murad – medical researcher Nobel laureate
 * Arshi Pipa – philosopher, writer, poet and literary critic
 * Andrea Shundi – agronomist
 * Stavro Skëndi – linguist and historian

Cinema

 * Jim Belushi – actor
 * John Belushi – actor and film producer
 * Robert Belushi – actor
 * James Biberi – actor
 * Tracee Chimo – actress (Albanian father)
 * Eliza Dushku – actress (Albanian father)
 * Nate Dushku – actor (Albanian father)
 * Mike Dusi – actor and film producer
 * Enver Gjokaj – actor
 * Victor Gojcaj – actor
 * Agim Kaba – actor and film producer
 * Masiela Lusha – actress
 * Peter Malota – actor
 * Nickola Shreli – actor and producer
 * Klement Tinaj – actor
 * Mitchel Musso – actor
 * J. J. Philbin – American producer and screenwriter
 * Greg Cipes – American actor, voice actor, singer, musician, and professional surfer

Arts and entertainment

 * Big Body Bes – hip-hop artist
 * DJ Ashba – American musician, producer, and songwriter
 * Action Bronson – hip-hop artist
 * Albert Stanaj – singer
 * Bosch Fawstin – cartoonist
 * Olivier Berggruen – art historian and curator; his maternal grandfather is Alessandro Moissi who is of Albanian origin
 * Luke Burbank – radio and podcast host
 * Emina Cunmulaj – model
 * Drita D'Avanzo – television personality
 * Kara DioGuardi* – singer/songwriter and television personality
 * Tony Dovolani – professional ballroom dancer
 * Stan Dragoti – film director, producer, artist
 * Afërdita Dreshaj – model, singer, beauty queen
 * Angela Martini – model
 * Kristine Elezaj – singer
 * JMSN – singer/songwriter and producer
 * Joe Lala – actor and singer
 * Paul Leka – music songwriter and producer
 * G4SHI – hip-hop artist
 * Ava Max – singer
 * Gjon Mili – pioneer photographer
 * Burim Myftiu – contemporary photographer
 * Thomas Nassi – musician and composer
 * George Pali – painter
 * Talip Peshkepia – film composer and songwriter
 * Regis Philbin* – television personality
 * Bebe Rexha – singer and songwriter
 * Bobbi Starr – pornographic actress
 * Alby Rydes – pornographic actress
 * Breanna Benson – pornographic actress
 * Sislej Xhafa – contemporary artist
 * Mario Dedivanovic – makeup artist
 * Jasmina Cunmulaj – American model
 * Sxip Shirey – American electric-acoustic composer, performer, and storyteller
 * Steven Parrino – American artist and musician associated with energetic punk nihilism

Literature

 * Daniela Gioseffi – poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and performer
 * Pema Browne – American abstract artist

Business and civil society

 * Anthony Athanas – restaurateur
 * Ekrem Bardha – businessman, political activist
 * Nicolas Berggruen – businessman
 * Mark Gjonaj – businessman, politician
 * Florin Krasniqi – businessman, politician
 * James J. Schiro* – businessman
 * Martin Shkreli – businessman
 * Ramiz Tafilaj – businessman, political activist
 * Ema Koja – designer

Media

 * Fadil Berisha – photographer
 * Emin Kadi – photographer, journalist, art director
 * Florina Kaja – singer and reality TV actress, The Bad Girls Club Season 4
 * Bill Kovach – journalist and editor
 * Donald Lambro – journalist
 * Eric Margolis – journalist and editor of the Toronto Sun; mother is Albanian
 * Gjekë Marinaj – author and translator
 * Gjon Mili – photographer
 * Burim Myftiu – photographer
 * Tom Perrotta* – novelist and screenwriter
 * Molly Qerim – moderator, reporter
 * George Tames – photographer for The New York Times
 * Nick Tosches* – journalist, novelist, biographer, and poet
 * Nexhmie Zaimi – journalist

Politics

 * Joseph J. DioGuardi* – Congressman
 * Mark Gjonaj – Assemblyman, New York
 * Sal Albanese* – politician
 * Nicholas Scutari* – Democratic Party politician
 * Midhat Frashëri – diplomat, writer and politician
 * Hasan Dosti – jurist and politician
 * Spiridon Ilo – nationalist, politician
 * Rexhep Krasniqi – historian, teacher, nationalist, and anti-communist politician and activist
 * Petro Nini Luarasi – priest, writer, teacher, nationalist
 * Kolë Tromara – nationalist and political figure of the first half of the 20th century.
 * Bilal Xhaferri – poet and novelist, political
 * Konstantina Lukes – former mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts
 * Fan S. Noli – former Prime Minister of Albania and founder of the Albanian Orthodox Church
 * John Papajani – former Washington State Senate member
 * Victor H. Schiro* – politician, 55th Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana
 * Bardhyl Tirana – co-chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee (1976–1977) and director of the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency (1977–1979)

Science and technology

 * Donald Leka – pioneer in cloud computing and creator of the award-winning Glide OS

Sport

 * Dilly Duka – MLS soccer player
 * Lee Elia – baseball player, coach and manager
 * Elizabeta Karabolli – shooting sport
 * Edon Molla – basketball player
 * Elvir Muriqi – professional boxer
 * Aaron Palushaj – professional hockey player
 * Andy Parrino* – baseball player
 * Enkelejda Shehu – air pistol shooter who represented Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro
 * Jaren Sina – basketball player
 * Kristjan Sokoli – NFL player
 * Donald Suxho – volleyball
 * Andy Varipapa* – professional trick bowler
 * Joe Albanese* – baseball player
 * Robert Baggio Kcira* – American soccer player
 * Šaćir Hot – American soccer player
 * Frank Leskaj – American swimmer who swam for Albania at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona by swimming in the 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, and the 100m Breaststroke

Religion

 * Nikon Liolin – OCA's Bishop of Diocese of New England, Locum tenens of Diocese of the South, and Archbishop of American Albanian Archdiocese

Criminals

 * John Alite – mobster
 * Joseph Ardizzone* – mobster
 * Ismail Lika – mobster
 * Alex Rudaj – mobster