List of people from Columbia, South Carolina

The following people were born in, residents of, or closely associated with Columbia, South Carolina.

Government and law

 * Weston Adams, United States ambassador
 * DeAndrea G. Benjamin, lawyer serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
 * Stephen K. Benjamin, politician, mayor of Columbia, Director of the Office of Public Engagement for the Biden administration, and one of the senior advisors to president Biden
 * Adair Ford Boroughs, United States attorney for the District of South Carolina
 * John T. Campbell, politician, mayor of Columbia
 * J. Michelle Childs, U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
 * Jim Clyburn, US House Assistant Democratic Leader
 * Bob Coble, politician, mayor of Columbia
 * John E. Courson, politician, President Pro Tempore of the South Carolina Senate
 * Kirkman Finlay, Jr., politician, mayor of Columbia
 * Dick Harpootlian, politician and attorney
 * Robert H. Hodges, Jr., federal judge
 * Henry McMaster, incumbent governor of South Carolina, since 2017
 * Matthew J. Perry, lawyer, judge
 * Carol Rasco, director of the Domestic Policy Council under President Bill Clinton; advocate for disability rights, education, and children
 * Jennifer Clyburn Reed, federal co-chair of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission
 * Daniel Rickenmann, mayor of Columbia
 * Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States
 * Bill Workman, economic consultant, Greenville mayor; former Columbia resident

Film and acting

 * Julian Adams, film producer, writer, and actor
 * Aziz Ansari, actor and comedian, Parks and Recreation
 * Paul Benjamin, actor
 * Anna Camp, actress, Pitch Perfect films
 * Kelsey Chow, actress
 * Mike Colter, actor
 * Angell Conwell, actress
 * Kristin Davis, actress, Sex and the City
 * Stanley Donen, film director and choreographer
 * Michael Flessas, actor
 * Ed Grady, actor
 * Scott Holroyd, actor
 * Fiona Hutchison, actress
 * Barton MacLane, actor, playwriter, screenwriter
 * Elizabeth MacRae, actress
 * Allison Munn, actress
 * Gloria Saunders, actress
 * Ann Savage, actress
 * Sadie Stanley, actress
 * Josh Stolberg, screenwriter
 * Robin Swicord, screenwriter
 * Jonny Weston, actor
 * Lee Thompson Young, actor

Education

 * Clarissa Minnie Thompson Allen, writer and educator
 * Mary Haskell, educator
 * Elias Marks, founder of Barhamville Institute
 * Steve Pettit, fifth president of Bob Jones University
 * Sophie Sosnowski, founder of young women's schools

Activism

 * Sarah Mae Flemming, civil rights activist
 * Kevin Alexander Gray, activist
 * Taylor Richardson, advocate, activist, speaker, student and philanthropist
 * Modjeska Monteith Simkins, civil rights activist, Secretary of the South Carolina NAACP
 * Tom Turnipseed, activist, formerly of State Senate

Music

 * Nickolas Ashford of Ashford & Simpson r&b duo, born in Fairfield County
 * Atlas Road Crew, alternative rock, Southern rock band
 * Bored Suburban Youth, hardcore punk band
 * Pi'erre Bourne, producer and rapper
 * Speaker Knockerz, producer and rapper
 * Ben Bridwell, lead singer of Band of Horses, alternative rock band
 * Phillip Bush, pianist
 * Crossfade, alternative metal/hard rock band
 * Danny!, musician
 * From Safety To Where, rock band
 * Hootie & the Blowfish, band
 * Danielle Howle, musician and songwriter
 * Iron & Wine (Samuel Beam), indie rock musician
 * JetsonMade, producer
 * Alexis Jordan, singer
 * Lil Ru, singer
 * Linda Martell first black female country singer, from Batesburg-Leesville
 * The Movement, reggae band
 * Chris Potter, musician
 * The Sequence, first female hip-hop group in 1979
 * Zachary Stevens, heavy metal singer
 * Angie Stone, singer
 * Stretch Arm Strong, hardcore punk band
 * Toro y Moi, musician and songwriter
 * Ron Westray, trombonist
 * Young Jeezy, rapper, born in Columbia

Art

 * Eugene Dovilliers, artist
 * Larry Francis Lebby, artist
 * Alicia Leeke, artist
 * Guy Lipscomb, artist
 * Brooklyn Mack, ballet dancer
 * Ashley Tuttle, ballet dancer

Science and medicine

 * Charles F. Bolden, Jr., astronaut
 * Tyrone Hayes, biologist
 * Alonzo Clifton McClennan, doctor
 * Kary Mullis, scientist (Nobel Prize winner/graduate of Dreher High School)
 * John H. Yardley, pathologist

Military

 * Charles W. Bagnal, military officer and lawyer
 * Arthur C. Davis, Navy admiral
 * Maxcy Gregg, Civil War veteran
 * Alexander Cheves Haskell, Civil War veteran
 * Lloyd E. Jones, Army major general

Literature and publishing

 * Annie Maria Barnes, journalist, editor, and author
 * James Dickey, poet, author of Deliverance in 1970, #42 on Modern Library's list of the 100 best 20th-century novels
 * William Price Fox, novelist
 * Terrance Hayes, poet
 * Ed Madden, poet, professor, and editor
 * Ryan Magee, editor
 * John Henry McCray, African American newspaper journalist and publisher, politician, and civil rights activist
 * Ray McManus, poet
 * Tom Poland, author
 * Julian Selby, printer, journalist and writer

Sports

 * Ike Anderson, Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler
 * Zinn Beck, MLB player, manager
 * Ryan Bethea, professional football wide receiver
 * Michael Boulware, NFL safety
 * Peter Boulware, NFL linebacker, 4-time Pro Bowl, Super Bowl champion
 * Bob Bowman, swim coach, best known as coach of Michael Phelps
 * Zack Bowman, NFL cornerback
 * Bruce Chen, Major League Baseball pitcher
 * Tyrone Corbin, NBA player and coach
 * Dennis Daley, NFL offensive tackle
 * Brad Edwards, NFL defensive back
 * Alex English, NBA forward, member of Basketball Hall of Fame
 * The Fabulous Moolah, WWE/WWF wrestler
 * Samkon Gado, NFL running back
 * Grayson Greiner, MLB catcher
 * Kirby Higbe, MLB pitcher
 * LaMarr Hoyt, MLB pitcher, AL Cy Young Award winner
 * Hal Jeffcoat, MLB player
 * Dustin Johnson, professional golfer
 * Erik Kimrey, college football coach
 * Savannah McCaskill, soccer player, member of USWNT
 * Xavier McDaniel, NBA player
 * BJ McKie, professional basketball player
 * Jermaine O'Neal, NBA player, 6-time All-Star
 * The Patriot, real name Del Wilkes, pro wrestler
 * Zach Prince, USL Championship soccer player
 * Brian Quick, NFL player
 * Andre Roberts, NFL wide receiver, All-Pro kick returner
 * Darell Scott, NFL defensive tackle
 * Richard Seymour, NFL defensive tackle, 7-time Pro Bowl, 3-time Super Bowl champion
 * Duce Staley, NFL player and coach
 * Freddie Summers, NFL defensive back
 * Channing Tindall, NFL linebacker
 * Trick Williams, professional wrestler, WWE NXT (NXT Champion)
 * A'ja Wilson, WNBA power forward for the Las Vegas Aces
 * Wesley Bryan, professional golfer

Other

 * Kimberly Clarice Aiken, Miss USA 1994
 * Joseph Bernardin, Catholic cardinal
 * Marie Boozer, adventuress from Civil War era
 * Mark Cerney, founder of the Next of Kin Registry (NOKR)
 * Ainsley Earhardt, news anchor
 * Craig Melvin, news anchor
 * Dylann Roof, terrorist and white supremacist mass murderer behind the Charleston church shooting