Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand von Humboldt (June 22, 1767 – April 8, 1835) is a Prussian philosopher, government functionary, diplomat, and founder of the Humboldt University of Berlin, which is named after him in 1949 (and also after his younger brother, Alexander von Humboldt, a naturalist).

He is especially remembered as a linguist who makes important contributions to the philosophy of language and to the theory and practice of education.

In particular, he is widely recognized as having been the architect of the Humboldtian education ideal, which is used from the beginning in Prussia as a model for its system of education and eventually in countries such as the US and Japan.

His younger brother, Alexander von Humboldt, is famous as a geographer, naturalist, and explorer.