Wikipedia:Using Catalan in a biography lede

You Wouldn't Call Them Spanish

Describing people from Catalonia as either Spanish or Catalan – or something else – can (and, in the past, has) become a matter of political point-scoring.

Some users have also argued for pedantry of citizenship and then redundancy of including additional information.

The WikiProject Catalan-speaking countries has determined, through discussion, that neither politicking nor asking for passport ID are suitable to achieve what Wikipedia aims to do, especially in biographies: be as accurately informative of a subject as possible.

This essay intends to collect and summarise significant outcomes of Wikipedia discussions about how to interpret and apply MOS:NATIONALITY for people who could be considered Catalan.

Use and consensus

People from Catalonia may or may not identify as Catalan, and this identity may or may not have (had) an impact on their notability and career. It is not possible to apply broad strokes in description, and the recommendation has long since been to assess Catalan identity in each case and use it where appropriate.

General consensus across Wikipedia is that use of Catalan as a nationality descriptor is appropriate. This reflects recognition in practice within Spain: Catalonia is termed a nationality of Spain (which does not consider "nationality" and "citizenship" completely synonymous).

Consensus-making discussions on the matter have occurred Wikipedia-wide. Commonly referred to is the 2018 RfC on Spanish regional identity at MOS:Biography:

• The key finding was that in cases of demonstrable Catalan identity in sources (especially if a subject self-identifies), "Catalan" or "Spanish from Catalonia" can and should be used in the lede to describe individuals.
• There was no consensus on which format of phrasing was preferable.

Determining use

Modern figures

Catalan identity can be demonstrated, through relevant sourced information, in various ways. This typically includes when the individual and sources covering them prioritise elements of Catalan identity – language, spelling, cultural ideas – and/or when they are explicitly identified as Catalan.

Current examples

• In the case of Antoni Gaudí, the lede describes him as a Catalan architect and designer. This considers:

• The subject spoke only Catalan, never Spanish, including with legal consequences. See also: Antoni Gaudí#Catalan identity
• The subject's notability is in a Catalan nationalist art movement.
• He has been described as Catalan and not Spanish by contemporaries.

• In the case of Queralt Vidal, the lede describes her as a Catalan lawyer and social media personality. This considers:

• The subject's notability is based on use of the Catalan language in non-Catalan contexts.
• The subject actively promotes spreading the Catalan language.
• The subject is identified as Catalan and not Spanish.

• In the case of Xavier Cugat, the lede describes him as an American musician [...] Originally from Girona, Catalonia in Spain. This considers:

• The subject's notability is music and dance that is culturally and natively North American, although his opening song was habitually based on Catalan music.
• The subject identified as Catalan (and not Spanish) throughout his life.
• The subject has alternative nationality.

Historical figures

See also: History of Catalonia

From the creation of the Hispanic March in AD 795 until after the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714, land conceived of as Catalonia existed while the concept of a unified Spain (and the Catalan land belonging to a non-existent Spain) did not. It would be ahistorical to refer to anyone from the Catalan counties (c. 795–c. 1162), the Principality of Catalonia (1173–1714), the Catalan Republic (1640–1641), or indeed the Crown of Aragon (1164–1715) as "Spanish". Between 1641 and 1652, Catalonia was even in union with the Kingdom of France instead.

Current examples

• In the case of Ramon Llull, the lede describes him as a Catholic philosopher, [...] born in Palma de Mallorca. This considers:
  • The subject was born in niche circumstances that may not be easily defined through ethnicity and nationality. The Kingdom of Mallorca existed for the entire duration of his life, though his family had just arrived there from Barcelona when he was born. He may not have been a subject and the demographic history of Mallorca may mean a 'Mallorcan' identity did not exist at that time.
  • The subject promoted diverse linguistic choices. He used vernacular Catalan to make his ecclesiastical writings more accessible to the masses (than writing exclusively in Latin), when Castilian Spanish was not spoken in Catalan countries and this was not a loaded choice. He intended for his writing to reach all nationalities; he was a polyglot and missionary.
• In the case of Ramon Berenguer II of Barcelona, the lede describes him as Count of Barcelona from 1076 until his death. This considers that his notability is intrinsic to his nationality: stating the former also denotes the latter, with the County of Barcelona its own nation throughout his lifetime.

Phrasing

Other RfCs on specific biographies have seen consensuses on preferred phrasing:

• A 2018 RfC on Carles Puigdemont found the preferable phrasing to be "Catalan politician", rather than "Spanish politician from Catalonia" (or "Catalan politician from Spain", which was briefly mentioned).
• A 2025 RfC on Ramon Casas found the preferable phrasing to be "Catalan artist from Spain". One reason for preferring this phrasing was the suggestion that by acknowledging both perspectives (in using both Catalan, as ethnicity, and Spain, as country of origin) it would better adhere to NPOV.

• This RfC also determined that due to the specifications of Catalan identity combining nationality, ethnicity, and origin, it was permissible to use "Catalan" as an ethnicity in a lede's first sentence (when guidelines would otherwise suggest putting notability-relevant ethnicity in the second sentence).

Based on these discussions, while there is no clear consensus on preferred phrasing when applying Catalan in a biography lede, there is clear consensus for Catalan to come first. If there is reason (or consensus) to use a certain phrasing, this should be applied; if a phrasing is challenged, it should be left in place while discussion is undertaken.

Footballers

Catalan men's national football team, 2013

There is different consensus on preferred phrasing in the case of footballers who identify as Catalan, which is "Spanish footballer from Catalonia". This was agreed, also with consideration of the lede standards of WikiProject Football, based on potential confusion surrounding footballers who have played for the Spain national team if "Catalan" was written first. This phrasing does not have to be universally applied, however, for example in cases of footballers who have not played for Spain (and may have played for the Catalan national team) or other reasons. In these cases, discussion to reach article-specific consensus may be needed.

Current examples

• In the case of Alexia Putellas, the lede describes her as a Spanish professional footballer from Catalonia. This considers:

• Spanish sources have prioritised writing her name in Catalan.
• The subject speaks Catalan in non-Catalan contexts, and uses Catalan diacritics when writing in Spanish.
• The subject has played for the Catalan football team, including after playing for Spain.
• She has used the Catalan language in defence of the 2017 Catalan independence referendum.
• That she has not outright spoken for Catalan independence, nor objected to being characterised as Spanish.

• Aitana Bonmatí has played for Spain but the lede describes her as a Catalan professional footballer from Spain; sources suggest her identity as Catalan and not Spanish. In this case, Spain is included as she has represented them.

• The subject predominantly uses the Catalan language and has politically advocated for its recognition.
• She is the child of a Catalan nationalist activist.