| Author Name | Profession | Nationality |
| Yahya Jammeh | Politician | |
| Yasmeen Ghauri | Model | Canadian |
| Yasunari Kawabata | Novelist | Japanese |
| Yo Yo Ma | ||
| Yoshida Kenko | Author | Japanese |
| Yousuf Karsh | Photographer | Canadian |
| Yuan T. Lee | Scientist | Chinese |
| Yukiya Amano | Public Servant | Japanese |
| Yunjin Kim | Actress | South Korean |
| Yunus Emre | Poet | Turkish |
| Yuri Gagarin | Astronaut | Russian |
| Yusef Lateef | Musician | American |
| Yves Saint Laurent | Designer | French |
“The man of the future may, and even must, do things impossible in the past and acquire new motor variations not given by heredity.”
“I have often met with happiness after some imprudent step which ought to have brought ruin upon me, and although passing a vote of censure upon myself I would thank God for his mercy.”