WNotable orphans and foundlings include world leaders, celebrated writers, entertainment greats, figures in science and business, as well as innumerable fictional characters in literature and comics. While the exact definition of orphan and foundlings varies, one legal definition is a child bereft through "death or disappearance of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation or loss from, both parents". According to the United Nations, the definition of an orphan is anyone that loses one parent, either through death or abandonment.
WVladimir Aceti is an Italian sprinter, specialized in the 400 metres.
WPa Maretu Ariki was a sovereign of the Cook Islands. He was the ariki of the Pa dynasty, one of the two chiefdoms of the Takitumu tribe on the island of Rarotonga.
WArn Chorn-Pond is a Cambodian musician, human rights activist, and a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime. He is an advocate for the healing and transformative power of the arts, and especially music.
WJéssica Córes is a Brazilian actress. She became notable for acting in the series Verdades Secretas of Rede Globo, and in 2021 she starred in the series Invisible City of Netflix.
WMarcel Desailly is a French former professional footballer, widely considered to be among the greatest centre-backs and defensive midfielders to ever play. During a successful career at club level, lasting from 1986 to 2006, Desailly won several titles, including UEFA Champions League medals with both Marseille and AC Milan, and also played for Nantes and Chelsea, among other teams. At international level, he collected 116 caps between 1993 and 2004, scoring 3 goals, and was a member of the France international squads that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
WGeorge, Duke of Mecklenburg was the head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1934 until his death. Through his father, he was a descendant of Emperor Paul I of Russia.
WDavid Kamehameha (1828–1835) was a member of the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
WAdam Masina is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Watford and the Morocco national team.
WMoses, also known as Moshe Rabbenu, was the most important prophet in Judaism, and an important prophet in Christianity, Islam, the Baháʼí Faith, and a number of other Abrahamic religions. In the biblical and quranic narrative, he was the leader of the Israelites and lawgiver to whom the authorship, or "acquisition from heaven", of the Torah is attributed.
WMuhammad ibn Abdullah was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of the world religion of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet, sent to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. He is believed to be the final prophet of God in all the main branches of Islam, though some modern denominations diverge from this belief. Muhammad united Arabia into a single Muslim polity, with the Quran as well as his teachings and practices forming the basis of Islamic religious belief.
WJohn Baldwin Munro, better known as J. B. Munro, was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He was also a notable disability advocate.
WAna Peleteiro Brión is a Spanish triple jumper and the current national record holder. She won the gold medal in the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships. She had previously won bronze medals at the 2018 World Indoor Championships and 2018 European Championships.
WGregorio Pérez Companc also known as "Don Gregorio" or "Goyo," is an Argentine businessman and one of Argentina's wealthiest individuals, with an estimated net worth of US$2.4 billion as of May 2021.
WSimrit Kaur, also known mononymously as Simrit, is a singer/songwriter born in Athens, Greece. She moved to the southeast in the United States as a toddler and currently resides in California.
WAlipate Aloisio Leone is a Tongan-American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Tama Tonga. He is currently signed to Japanese professional wrestling promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a founding member of Bullet Club. He is the nephew and adopted son of professional wrestler Haku/Meng and forms the tag team Guerrillas of Destiny (G.O.D) with his cousin/adoptive brother Tanga Loa. He has also worked with NJPW's partner promotion in Mexico, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) where he has held the CMLL World Tag Team Championship twice. Upon winning the ROH World Tag Team Championship at G1 Supercard, he became the third wrestler to have won a championship in NJPW, CMLL, and ROH, behind Rocky Romero and Matt Taven. In total, Tonga has over 13 championship reigns.
WMelek Hassan Tourhan was the second wife of Sultan Hussein Kamel of Egypt. After her husband ascended the throne in 1914, she became known as Sultana Melek.
WZayd ibn Harithah, was an early Muslim, sahabah and the adopted son of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.