This is a list of historians.

The names are grouped by order of the historical period in which they were writing, which is not necessarily the same as the period in which they specialize

Chroniclers and annalists, though they are not historians in the true sense, are also listed here for convenience.

See also: List of historians by area of study, List of historians of the French Revolution, English historians in the Middle Ages

Historians of the Ancient Period[link]

• Herodotus, (484 – c. 420 BC), Halicarnassus, "Father of History"
• Thucydides, (460 – c. 400 BC), Peloponnesian War
• Berossus, (early 3rd century BC), Babylonian historian
• Xenophon, (431 – c. 360 BC), an Athenian knight and student of Socrates
• Ptolemy I Soter (367 BC — c. 283 BC), General of Alexander the Great, Founder of Ptolemaic Dynasty.
• Timaeus of Tauromenium, (c. 345 – c. 250 BC), Greek history
• Quintus Fabius Pictor, (c. 254 BC - ?), Roman history
• Gaius Acilius, (fl. 155 BC), Roman history
• Polybius, (203 – c. 120 BC), Early Roman history (written in Greek)
• Sima Qian, (c. 145 - c. 86 BC), Chinese history
• Julius Caesar, (100 – c. 44 BC), Gallic and civil wars
• Diodorus of Sicily, (1st century BC), Greek history
• Sallust, (86 – 34 BC)
• Dionysius of Halicarnassus, (c. 60 - after 7 BC), Roman history
• Livy, (c. 59 BC - c. 17 AD), Roman history
• Marcus Velleius Paterculus, (c. 19 BC – c. 31 AD), Roman history
• Quintus Curtius Rufus, (c. 60-70), Greek history
• Ban Gu, (32 - 92), (Han Dynasty)
• Flavius Josephus, (37 – 100), Jewish history
• Ban Zhao, (45 - 116), (Han Dynasty)
• Thallus, (early 2nd century AD), Roman history
• Plutarch, (c. 46 – 120), would not have counted himself as an historian, but is a useful source because of his Parallel Lives of important Greeks and Romans.
• Gaius Cornelius Tacitus, (c. 56 – c. 120), early Roman Empire
• Suetonius, (75 – 160), Roman emperors up to Flavian dynasty
• Appian, (c. 95 - c. 165), Roman history
• Arrian, (c. 92-175), Greek history
• Lucius Ampelius, (3rd century AD?), Roman history
• Dio Cassius, (c. 160 - after 229), Roman history
• Herodian, (c. 170 - c. 240), Roman History
• Eusebius of Caesarea, (c. 275 - c. 339), Early Christian
• Ammianus Marcellinus, (c. 325 – c. 391), Roman history
• Rufinus of Aquileia, (c. 340 - 410), Early Christian
• Philostorgius, (368 - c. 439), Early Christian
• Socrates of Constantinople, (c. 380 - ?), Early Christian
• Fa-Hien, (c. 337 - c. 422), Chinese Buddhist monk and historian
• Theodoret, (c. 393 - c. 457), Early Christian
• Priscus, (5th century), Byzantine history
• Sozomen (c. 400 - c. 450), Early Christian
• Salvian, (c. 400/405 - c. 493), Early Christian

Medieval historians/chroniclers[link]

• Shen Yue, (441-513), History of the Liu Song Dynasty (420-479)
• Movses Khorenatsi,(January 13, 410-488), History of Armenians since 2492 BC
• John Malalas, (c. 491 - 578), Early Christian
• Zosimus, (fl. 491 - 518), Late Roman history
• Procopius, (c. 500 - c. 565), Byzantines
• Jordanes, (6th century), Goths
• Gregory of Tours, (538 – 594), Franks
• Adamnan, (625 - 704), Irish historian
• Bede, (c. 672 – 735), Anglo-Saxons
• Tírechán, (fl. c. 655), Irish biographer of Saint Patrick
• Cogitosus, (fl. c. 650), Irish historian,
• Muirchu moccu Machtheni, (7th century), Irish historian
• Paul the Deacon, (8th century), Langobards
• Constantine of Preslav, (Late 9th century - Early 10th century), Bulgarian historian
• Nennius, (9th century?), Shadowy historian of Wales
• Martianus Hiberniensis, (819-875), Irish teacher and historian
• Einhard, (9th century) - Biography of Charlemagne
• Notker of St Gall, (9th century), Anecdotal Biography of Charlemagne
• Ibn Rustah, (10th century), Persian historian and traveler
• Asser, Bishop of Sherborne, (died 908/909), Welsh historian
• Regino of Prüm, (died 915)
• Muhammad al-Tabari, (838 – 923), Great Persian historian
• Liutprand of Cremona, (922 – 972), Byzantine affairs
• Li Fang, (925 – 996) Chinese editor of the Four Great Books of Song
• Heriger of Lobbes, 925-1007
• Al-Biruni, (973 – 1048), Persian historian
• Geoffrey of Monmouth, churchman/historian
• Thietmar of Merseburg, German, Polish, and Russian affairs
• Nestor the Chronicler, author of the Russian Primary Chronicle
• Gallus Anonymus, Polish historian
• Albert of Aix, historian of the First Crusade
• Michael Psellus, (1018 – c. 1078)
• Michael Attaleiates, (c. 1015 - c. 1080)
• Sima Guang, (1019–1086), historiographer and politician
• Marianus Scotus, (1028–1082/1083), Irish chronicler
• Guibert of Nogent, (1053–1124)
• Galbert of Bruges, 12th century, Flemish chronicler
• Florence of Worcester, (died 1118), English chronicler
• Eadmer, (c. 1066 – c. 1124), post-Conquest English history
• Kim Bu-sik, (1075–1151), Korean historian, author of the Samguk Sagi
• Symeon of Durham, (died after 1129), English chronicler
• William of Malmesbury, (c. 1080 – c. 1143)
• Anna Comnena, (1083 – after 1148)
• Usamah ibn Munqidh, (1095–1188)
• Adam of Bremen, historian of Scandinavia
• Kalhana, historian of Kashmir.
• Saxo Grammaticus, (12th century), Danish
• Svend Aagesen, (12th century), Danish
• Alured of Beverley, (12th century), English chronicler
• John Zonaras, (12th century), Byzantine chronicler
• Helmold of Bosau, (ca. 1120 – after 1177), German chronicler
• William of Tyre, (c. 1128–1186)
• William of Newburgh, (1135–1198), English historian called "the father of historical criticism"
• Mohammed al-Baydhaq, (fl. 1150), Moroccan historian
• John of Worcester, (fl. 1150s), English chronicler
• Giraldus Cambrensis, (c. 1146 – c. 1223)
• Wincenty Kadlubek, (1161–1223), Polish historian
• Ambroise, (fl. 1190s), Anglo-Norman poet, wrote verse narrative of the Third Crusade
• Geoffroi de Villehardouin, (c. 1160–1212)
• Nicetas Choniates, (died c. 1220)
• Snorri Sturluson, (c. 1178 – 23rd Sept.1241), Icelandic historian
• Abdelwahid al-Marrakushi (born 1185) Moroccan historian
• Ata al-Mulk Juvayni, (1226–83), Persian historian
• Ibn al-Khabbaza (died 1239) Moroccan historian
• Matthew Paris, (died 1259)
• Il-yeon, (1206–1289), Korean historian, author of the Samguk Yusa
• Salimbene di Adam, (1221 – c. 1290), Italian
• Abdelaziz al-Malzuzi (died 1298) Moroccan historian
• Templar of Tyre, (c. 1230–1314), end of the Crusades
• Adam of Eynsham d. c. 1233 - English hagiographer and writer, abbot of Eynsham Abbey
• Jean de Joinville, (1224–1319)
• Rashid-al-Din Hamadani, (1247–1317), Persian historian
• ibn Khaldun, (1332–1406), North African historian "of the world"
• Piers Langtoft, (died c. 1307)
• Ibn Abi Zar (fl. 1315) Moroccan historian
• Abdullah Wassaf, 13th century, Persian historian
• Ibn Idhari (beginning 14th century) Moroccan historian
• John Clyn, fl. 1333-1349, Irish historian
• Jean Froissart, (c. 1337 – c. 1405), chronicler
• Dietrich of Nieheim, (c. 1345–1418), ecclesiastic history
• Seán Mór Ó Dubhagáin, d. 1372
• Adhamh Ó Cianáin, d. 1373
• John of Fordun, Scottish chronicler (d. 1384 )
• Ruaidhri Ó Cianáin (died 1387)
• Álvar García de Santa María, (1370–1460)
• Ismail ibn al-Ahmar (1387–1406) Moroccan historian
• Giolla Íosa Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh, fl. 1390-1418
• Alphonsus A Sancta Maria, (1396–1456)
• Jan Długosz, Polish historian and chronicler
• Philippe de Commines, French historian
• Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa, 1439–1498, compilor and annalist.
• Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi, d. 1454, Persian historian
• John Capgrave, (1393–1464)
• Christine de Pizan, (c. 1365 – c. 1430), historian, poet, philosopher
• Robert Fabyan, (died 1513)
• Albert Krantz, (1450–1517)
• Polydore Vergil, (c. 1470–1555), Tudor history
• Sigismund von Herberstein, (1486–1566), Muscovite affairs
• João de Barros, (1496–1570)
• Niccolò Machiavelli, (1469–1527), author of Florentine Histories
• Francesco Guicciardini, (1483–1540), historian of the Italian Wars, "Storia d'Italia"
• Josias Simmler, (1530–1576)
• Paolo Paruta, (1540–1598), Venetian historian
• Raphael Holinshed, (died c. 1580)
• Hector Boece, Scottish philosopher and historian. Wrote "Historia Gentis Scotorum" (1465–1536)
• Caesar Baronius, (1538–1607)
• Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni, (1540–1615), Indo-Persian historian
• Abd al-Aziz al-Fishtali (1549–1621), Moroccan historian
• Ahmad Ibn al-Qadi (1553–1616) Moroccan historian
• John Hayward, (1564–1627)
• Pilip Ballach Ó Duibhgeannáin (fl. 1579–1590)
• Bahrey (1593), an Ethiopian monk and historian. Wrote Zenahu le Galla (History of the Galla, now the Oromo)
• William Bradford, (1590–1657), Mayflower/Plymouth Colony of America
• James Ussher, (4 January 1581 – 21 March 1656), Chronology of the History of the World
• Baldassarre Bonaiuti, a chronicler (historian) of the 14th century

Early modern historians (1500–1799)[link]

A[link]

• Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra (1745–1813) Spanish historian
• Mohammed Akensus (1797–1877) Moroccan historian
• Archibald Alison (1792–1867) English historian

B[link]

• Abbasgulu Bakikhanov, (1794–1847), history of Azerbaijan and the Middle East
• Teimuraz Bagrationi, (1782–1846), history of Georgia and the Caucasus
• Archibald Bower, (1686–1766), Rome
• Mary Bonaventure Browne, Poor Clare and Irish historian, c.1610 - c.1670.
• Josiah Burchett, (1666? – 1746), British naval historian and Admiralty official

C[link]

• Chang Hsüeh-ch'eng, (1738–1801), Chinese historian, local histories and essays on historiography
• Thomas Carlyle, (1795–1881), French Revolution; Germany

D[link]

• Charles Dezobry, (1798–1871), French historian and historical novelist
• Mohammed al-Duayf (born 1752) Moroccan historian
• John Colin Dunlop, (c. 1785–1842)

E[link]

• Laurence Echard, (c.1670–1730), England

F[link]

• Abd al-Rahman al-Fasi (1631–1685), Moroccan historian
• George Finlay, (1799–1875), Greece
• Abd al-Aziz al-Fishtali (1549–1621), Moroccan historian
• Francisco Jose Freire (1719–1773), Portuguese historian and philologist
• Francesco Maria Appendini (1768–1837), Italian historian-Republic of Ragusa
• Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange, (1610–1688), Medieval and Byzantine historian and philologist

G[link]

• Garcilaso de la Vega, (1539–1616), Spanish historian. Inca history, culture, and society.
• Erik Gustaf Geijer, Swedish nationalist historian
• Edward Gibbon, (1737–1794), Roman Empire and Byzantium
• George Grote, (1794–1871), classical Greece
• François Guizot, (1787–1874), French historian of general French, English history

H[link]

• Edward Hasted, (1732–1812), Kent
• Sulayman al-Hawwat, (1747–1816) Moroccan historian
• Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, (1770–1831), German philosopher of history
• Alexander Hewat (or Hewatt), (1739–1824), First historian of pre-revolutionary Carolina and Georgia
• Arild Huitfeldt, (1546–1609), Danish historian.
• David Hume (1711–1776), History of England

I[link]

• Mohammed al-Ifrani (1670–1745) Moroccan historian

J[link]

K[link]

• Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, (1766–1826), Russian historian - Russian Empire
• Geoffrey Keating/Seathrún Céitinn, d.1643, Irish historian

L[link]

• Joachim Lelewel, (1786–1861), Polish historian
• John Lingard, (1771–1851), England
• Anton Tomaz Linhart, (1756–1795), well known for Slovenian history

M[link]

• Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh, fl.1643–1671, Irish historian, annalist, genealogist
• Jules Michelet, (1798–1874), French
• François Mignet, (1796–1884), French historian of the Revolution, Middle Ages
• Christian Molbech, (1783–1857), Danish history, founder of Historisk Tidsskrift (1839).
• Johann Lorenz Von Mosheim, (1694–1755), Lutheran historian
• Johannes von Müller, (1752–1809)
• Ludovico Antonio Muratori, (1672–1750), Italy.

N[link]

• Louis-Sébastien Le Nain de Tillemont, (1637–1698), ecclesiastical historian
• Barthold Georg Niebuhr, (1776–1831), German historian

O[link]

• Tadhg Og Ó Cianáin (died c.1614)
• Mícheál Ó Cléirigh, Irish historian, c.1590–1643
• Peregrine Ó Duibhgeannain, Irish historian, fl.1627-1636
• Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh (died c. 1662/1664)
• Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh, Irish historian, 1629–1716/1718
• Olaus Magnus, (ca. 1490-1570)

P[link]

• William H. Prescott, (1796–1859), US historian of Spain, Mexico, Peru
• Placido Puccinelli, (1609–1685), Italian historian

Q[link]

• Mohammed al-Qadiri (1712–1773) Moroccan historian

R[link]

• Leopold von Ranke, (1795–1886), European diplomacy; probably the greatest German historian

S[link]

• Mikhail Shcherbatov, (1733–1790), Russian historian
• John Strype, (1643–1737), English historian

T[link]

• Vasily Tatishchev, (1686–1750), first historian of modern Russia
• Adolphe Thiers, (1797–1877), French historian of the Revolution, Empire

U[link]

V[link]

• Voltaire, (1694–1778), Europe, France

W[link]

• Sir James Ware, (1594–1666), Anglo-Irish historian and antiquarian

X[link]

Y[link]

• Yu Deuk-gong, (1749–1807), Korean historian

Z[link]

• Abu al-Qasim al-Zayyani (1734–1833)

Historians born in the 19th century[link]

A[link]

• Henry Brooks Adams, (1838–1918), US 1800-1816
• Grace Aguilar, (1816–1847), Jewish history
• Charles McLean Andrews, (1863–1943), American; U.S. colonial history
• Alfred von Arneth, (1819–1897), history of the Austrian Empire
• Mikhail Artamonov, (1898–1972), founder of Khazar studies
• François Victor Alphonse Aulard, (1849–1928), French Revolution and Napoleon I
• Zurab Avalishvili, (1876–1944), history of Georgia and the Caucasus

B[link]

• Harry Elmer Barnes, (1889–1968) World War I; ideas
• Charles Bean, (1879–1968), Australia in World War I
• Charles A. Beard, (1874–1948), American; economic interpretation; historiography
• Mary Ritter Beard, (1876–1958), American; women's
• George Bancroft, (1800–1891), United States to 1789
• Wilhelm Barthold, (1869–1930), Muslim studies, Turkology
• Winthrop Pickard Bell, (1884–1965) Nova Scotia
• Hilaire Belloc, (1870–1953) French writer and historian later naturalised British.
• Marc Bloch, (1886–1944), medieval France
• Herbert Eugene Bolton (1870 – 1953), Spanish-American borderlands
• George Williams Brown, (1894–1963), Canada
• Otto Brunner, (1898–1982) medieval and early modern Austria
• Geoffrey Bruun (1899–1988), Europe
• Henry Thomas Buckle, (1821–1862), England; History of Civilization
• Jacob Burckhardt, (1818–1897), art history, Europe; Renaissance
• John Hill Burton, (1809–1881), Scottish Jacobin history
• J. B. Bury, (1861–1927), classical, Europe

C[link]

• Pierre Caron, (1875–1952), French revolution
• E. H. Carr, (1892–1982) Soviet history, International Relations
• Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, (1828–1897), Spanish historian
• Henri Raymond Casgrain, (1831–1904), priest, author, historian
• Cesar de Bazancourt, (1810–1865), French historian; works on the Crimean War
• Boris Chicherin, (1828–1904), Russian historian - history of Russian laws\
• Hiram M. Chittenden, (1858–1917) American West, fur trade
• Winston Churchill, (1874–1965) world wars; English
• Augustin Cochin, (1876–1916), history of French Revolution
• Julian Corbett, (1854–1922), British naval historian
• Vladimir Ćorović, (1885–1941) Serbia
• Edward Shepherd Creasy, (1812–1878), warfare
• Margaret Campbell Speke Cruwys (1894–1968), Devon historian

D[link]

• Felix Dahn, (1834–1912), European history unfolding during the first millennium CE
• Angie Debo, (1890–1988), Native American and Oklahoma history
• Léopold Delisle, (1826–1910), French historian and librarian
• Bernard DeVoto, (1897–1955), American West
• David C. Douglas, (1898–1982) Norman England
• Johann Gustav Droysen, (1808–1884), German historian, professor at Kiel, Jena & Berlin
• Will Durant (1885–1981), Europe

E[link]

• Mary Anne Everett Green, (1818–1895), English
• Ephraim Emerton, (1851–1935), medieval Europe

F[link]

• Cyril Falls, (1888–1971), military
• Lucien Febvre, (1878–1956), French historian
• Walter Lynwood Fleming, (1874–1932) U.S. Reconstruction
• James Anthony Froude, (1818–1894), Tudor England
• J.F.C. Fuller, (1878–1966) military
• Frantz Funck-Brentano, (1862–1947), French historian and librarian
• Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges, (1830–1889), antiquity, France

G[link]

• François-Louis Ganshof, (1895–1980), medieval history
• Pieter Geyl, (1887–1966) Dutch
• Lawrence Henry Gipson, (1882–1970) British Empire before 1775
• Arthur Giry, (1848–1899), diplomatics
• Gustave Glotz, (1862–1935), Ancient Greece
• George Peabody Gooch, (1873–1968), Modern Diplomacy
• Timofey Granovsky, (1813–1855), medieval Germany
• Lionel Groulx, (1878–1967), Quebec
• René Grousset, (1885–1952), Oriental History

H[link]

• Louis Halphen, (1880–1950), Middle Ages
• Clarence H. Haring, (1885–1960), Latin American history
• Charles H. Haskins, (1870–1937), Americans first medieval historian
• Henri Hauser, (1866–1946), French historian, economist, geographer
• Julien Havet, (1853–1893), Middle Ages
• Paul Hazard, (1878–1944), Modern France
• Eli Heckscher, (1879–1954), Swedish economic historian
• Auguste Himly, (1823–1906), French historian and geographer
• Johan Huizinga,(1872–1945), Dutch historian, author of Waning of the Middle Ages

I[link]

• Ibn Zaydan (1873–1946) Moroccan historian
• Dmitry Ilovaisky, (1832–1920), Russian historian - Russian history

J[link]

• Mohammed ibn Jaafar al-Kattani (1858–1927) Moroccan
• Muhammad Jaber, (1875–1945), history of the Levant and the Middle-East
• William James (naval historian), historian of the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars
• Ivane Javakhishvili, (1876–1940), Georgian historian

K[link]

• Samuel Kamakau, (1815–1876), Hawaiian historian
• Konstantin Kavelin, (1818–1885), Russian historian - history of Russian laws
• Hans Kelsen, (1881–1973) legal
• Philip Moore Callow Kermode, (1855–1932), Manx crosses and runic inscriptions
• Alexander William Kinglake, (1809–1891), works on the Crimean War
• Vasily Klyuchevsky, (1841–1911), Russian history
• Dudley Wright Knox, (1877–1960), American naval historian
• Ludwig von Köchel, (1800–1877), writer, composer, botanist, music historian
• Nikodim Kondakov, (1844–1925), Byzantine art
• Nikolay Kostomarov, (1817–1885), Russian and Ukrainian history
• Godefroid Kurth, (1847–1916), Belgian historian

L[link]

• Leonard Woods Labaree, (1897–1980) editor of the Benjamin Franklin Papers
• William L. Langer, (1896–1977), US historian, World and diplomatic history
• John Knox Laughton, (1830–1915) British naval historian
• Ernest Lavisse (1842–1922), French history
• Georges Lefebvre, (1874–1959), French Revolution
• B. H. Liddell Hart, (1895–1970) British military
• John Edward Lloyd, (1861–1947) Welshness
• Ferdinand Lot, (1866–1952) Middle Ages

Mc and Mac[link]

• Thomas Macaulay, (1800–1859), British
• J. D. Mackie, (1887–1978) Scottish

M[link]

• Frederic William Maitland, (1850–1906), English legal
• Alfred Thayer Mahan, (1840–1914), naval
• Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, (1888–1980), Indian history
• Albert Mathiez, (1874–1932), French Revolution
• Friedrich Meinecke, (1862–1954), German intellectual and cultural
• Krste Misirkov, (1874–1926), Macedonian historian and author
• Auguste Molinier, (1851–1904), Middle Ages
• Theodor Mommsen, (1817–1903), Roman Empire
• Alfred Morel-Fatio, (1850–1924), Spain
• Samuel Eliot Morison, (1887–1976) Naval, American colonial
• Lewis Mumford, (1895–1988), urban

N[link]

• Lewis Bernstein Namier, (1888–1960) 18th century British and 20th century diplomatic
• Ahmad ibn Khalid al-Nasiri (1835–1897), Moroccan historian
• J. E. Neale (1890–1975), Elizabethan England
• Allan Nevins, (1890–1971) US political and business; Civil War; biography

O[link]

• Charles Oman, (1860–1946) 19th century military

P[link]

• Cesare Paoli (1840–1902), Italian History
• Gaston Paris, (1839–1903) Middle Ages
• Henry Francis Pelham, (1846–1907) Roman
• Samuel W. Pennypacker, (1843–1916) Pennsylvania history
• Dexter Perkins, (1889–1984) USA
• Henri Pirenne, (1862–1935), Belgian and medieval European history
• Sergey Platonov, (1860–1933), Oprichnina and Time of Troubles
• Eileen Power, (1889–1940) Middle Ages
• H. F. M. Prescott, (1896–1972) biographer of Mary I of England and medieval History
• Datto Vaman Potdar, (1890–1979) Indian Historian

Q[link]

• Jules Quicherat, (1814–1882) Middle Ages

R[link]

• William Pember Reeves (1857–1932), New Zealand
• Pierre Renouvin, (1893–1974),diplomatic historian.
• B. H. Roberts, (1857–1933), Mormon
• Theodore Roosevelt, (1858–1919), American west, naval
• Simon Rutar, (1851–1903), Slovenian

S[link]