Famous Engineers from France

List of notable or famous engineers from France, with bios and photos, including the top engineers born in France and even some popular engineers who immigrated to France. If you're trying to find out the names of famous French engineers then this list is the perfect resource for you. These engineers are among the most prominent in their field, and information about each well-known engineer from France is included when available.

List is made up of a variety of people, including Louis Le Prince and André Citroën.

This historic engineers from France list can help answer the questions "Who are some French engineers of note?" and "Who are the most famous engineers from France?" These prominent engineers of France may or may not be currently alive, but what they all have in common is that they're all respected French engineers.

Use this list of renowned French engineers to discover some new engineers that you aren't familiar with. Don't forget to share this list by clicking one of the social media icons at the top or bottom of the page. {#nodes}
Photo: Moyan Brenn
Ranked by
  • Louis Le Prince

    Louis Le Prince

    Dec. at 48 (1841-1890)
    • Birthplace: Metz, France
    Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince (French: [lwi lə pʁɛ̃s]; 28 August 1841 – vanished 16 September 1890) was a French artist and the inventor of an early motion picture camera, possibly being the first ...more
  • Gustave Eiffel
    Dec. at 91 (1832-1923)
    • Birthplace: Dijon, France
    Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was a French civil engineer and architect. A graduate of the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway network, ...more
  • Rudolf Diesel
    Dec. at 55 (1858-1913)
    • Birthplace: Île-de-France, Europe, Metropolitan France, France, Paris
    Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (German: [ˈdiːzl̩] (listen ); 18 March 1858 – 29 September 1913) was a German inventor and mechanical engineer, famous for the invention of the Diesel engine, and for his ...more
  • William B. Lenoir
    Dec. at 71 (1939-2010)
    • Birthplace: Miami, Florida
    William Benjamin "Bill" Lenoir, Ph.D. (March 14, 1939 – August 26, 2010) was an American electrical engineer and a NASA astronaut.
    • Birthplace: Longeville-lès-Metz, France
    Jean-François André Clervoy (born 19 November 1958) is a French engineer and a CNES and ESA astronaut. He is a veteran of three NASA Space Shuttle missions.
  • André Citroën
    Dec. at 57 (1878-1935)
    • Birthplace: Paris, France
    André-Gustave Citroën (French: [ɑ̃dʁe ɡystav sitʁɔɛn]; 5 February 1878 – 3 July 1935) was a French industrialist and freemason of Dutch and Polish Jewish origin. He is remembered chiefly for the make ...more