List of people from Raleigh, North Carolina

This is a list of people who were born in, lived in, or are closely associated with Raleigh, North Carolina.

Academia

 * Carrie Lougee Broughton (1879–1957), librarian and first woman State Librarian
 * John Chavis (1763–1838), African-American educator and theologian; early integrationist (Raleigh's Chavis Park is named for him)
 * Anna J. Cooper (1858–1964), author, educator and scholar; fourth African-American woman to earn doctoral degree (in 1924)
 * Phillip Griffiths, mathematician, known for his work in the field of geometry
 * John E. Ivey, Jr., educator and founder of Southern Regional Education Board; co-creator of Peace Corps
 * Daniel McFadden, economist
 * Michael Munger, economist, Duke University political science professor
 * Mary Jane Patterson, first African-American woman to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree
 * Tom Regan, philosopher and animal-rights advocate
 * Vermont C. Royster (1914–1996), managing editor of Wall Street Journal, Pulitzer Prize winner, recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom
 * James E. Shepard, pharmacist, civil servant and educator; founder of what would become North Carolina Central University
 * Blake R. Van Leer, university president, dean of NC State University, inventor and civil rights advocate
 * James W. York, mathematical physicist; recipient of Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics from American Physical Society

Arts

 * Juliana Royster Busbee (died 1962) and Jaques Busbee (died 1947), artists and founders of Jugtown Pottery
 * Ariana DeBose, actor and dancer
 * Paul Friedrich, visual artist and cartoonist
 * Isabelle Bowen Henderson (1899–1969), painter and floriculturist
 * Herb Jackson, painter
 * Renaldo Kuhler, scientific illustrator for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
 * Rachel Nabors, gURL.com graphic designer
 * Martha Nichols, choreographer and dance instructor
 * Hunter Schafer, model and actress
 * Mel Tomlinson, ballet and modern dancer
 * Lea Ved, dancer and choreographer

Athletes

 * Nazmi Albadawi, professional soccer player
 * Loy Allen Jr., NASCAR Cup Series driver
 * Chris Archer, MLB pitcher for Pittsburgh Pirates
 * Hannah Aspden, youngest swimmer on Team USA to medal at either the Olympics or Paralympics in 2016
 * John Baker Jr. (1935–2007), National Football League athlete and longtime Wake County sheriff
 * Scott Bankhead, MLB player and pitcher for Team USA in the 1984 Olympic Games
 * Darrius Barnes, Major League Soccer (MLS) player for New England Revolution
 * Bates Battaglia, NHL player, played for Carolina Hurricanes 1997–2003
 * Braxton Berrios, NFL wide receiver
 * Rod Brind'Amour, NHL player, former Carolina Hurricanes player and current head coach
 * Bucky Brooks, former NFL athlete
 * Willie Burden, professional Canadian football player with Calgary Stampeders of Canadian Football League
 * Everett Case (1900–1966), NC State University men's basketball coach, member of N.C. Sports Hall of Fame and College Basketball Hall of Fame
 * Isadora Cerullo, Olympic rugby player for Brazil; graduated from Enloe High School
 * Bill Cowher, former professional American football coach and player
 * Ike Delock, Major League Baseball player
 * Randy Denton, NBA player
 * James L. Dickey III (born 1996), basketball player for Hapoel Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
 * Donald Evans, former NFL defensive end
 * David Fox, Olympic gold medalist in swimming
 * Ron Francis, NHL player (Carolina Hurricanes) 1998–2004, member of Hockey Hall of Fame
 * Jeff Galloway, Olympic long-distance runner and author
 * Justin Gatlin, Olympic sprinter
 * Michael Gracz, professional poker player
 * T. J. Graham, NFL wide receiver with New York Jets
 * Brian Gutekunst, NFL scout with Green Bay Packers
 * Chesson Hadley, professional golfer
 * Josh Hamilton, Major League Baseball player
 * Hardy Boyz, Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy, professional wrestlers
 * Antwan Harris, NFL player for New England Patriots' Super Bowl team
 * Leroy Harris, NFL player for Tennessee Titans
 * Bret Hedican, NHL player, played for Carolina Hurricanes 2001–2008
 * Gregory Helms, professional wrestler with WWE
 * Anne Henning, Olympic speed skater, 1972 gold and bronze medalist
 * Ryan Jeffers, MLB player
 * Curt Johnson, professional soccer player
 * Marion Jones, disgraced Olympic track athlete
 * Craig Keith, NFL player
 * Chad Larose, NHL player, played for Carolina Hurricanes 2005–2013
 * Roy Lassiter, professional soccer player for D.C. United and United States men's national soccer team
 * Pete Maravich (1947–1988), Hall of Fame basketball player; attended high school in Raleigh
 * Bruce Matthews, former NFL player for Tennessee Titans; 14-time Pro Bowl participant, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
 * Daniel McCullers, NFL defensive lineman
 * Nate McMillan, NBA player and head coach of Atlanta Hawks
 * Richard Medlin, NFL player
 * Ben Youssef Meite, sprinter, 3-time African champion in 100m
 * Jackie Moreland (1938–1971), pro basketball player
 * Kevin "PPMD" Nanney, professional Super Smash Bros. player
 * Chuck Nevitt, NBA player
 * Caleb Norkus, professional soccer player
 * Bob Perryman, NFL player for New England Patriots and Denver Broncos
 * Brandon Phillips, second baseman for Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds
 * Landon Powell, MLB player (Oakland Athletics)
 * Shavlik Randolph, NBA player (Philadelphia 76ers)
 * Greg Raymer, professional poker player
 * Shawan Robinson, professional basketball player with Newcastle Eagles in the British Basketball League
 * Randolph Ross, track athlete, 2020 Olympic gold medalist in the 4x400m relay
 * Anthony Rush, NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons
 * Paul Shuey, MLB pitcher
 * Webb Simpson, PGA Tour golfer
 * Isaiah Todd, NBA G-League player
 * Leigh Torrence, NFL player with Washington Redskins
 * P. J. Tucker (born 1985), NBA player and 2008 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP
 * Duane Underwood Jr., professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates
 * Jim Valvano (1946–1993), NC State University men's basketball coach, 1983 NCAA champion, TV commentator
 * John Wall, NBA player for Houston Rockets
 * Pat Watkins, MLB outfielder
 * Carson Wentz, quarterback for NFL's Indianapolis Colts
 * Chris Wilcox, NBA athlete
 * Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic figure skater, married to Bret Hedican
 * Danny Young, NBA player
 * Kay Yow (1942–2009), NC State University women's basketball coach, member of Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

Business

 * Louis Bacon, hedge fund manager
 * Jim Baen (1943–2006), science fiction writer; founded his own publishing house, Baen Books, in 1983
 * Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer of the popular Xbox 360 game Gears of War and co-founder of Boss Key Productions
 * Anderson Boyd, filmmaker
 * Needham B. Broughton, printer, temperance activist, and state senator
 * E. Lee Hennessee, pioneer hedge fund manager
 * Richard Jenrette, chairman of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and international philanthropist, awarded French Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur (National Order of the Legion of Honor) in 1996
 * Jesse Lowe, first mayor of Omaha, Nebraska; an important real estate agent in the early city, Lowe is credited with naming the city after the Omaha Tribe
 * Anand Lal Shimpi, employee of Apple Inc. and former CEO of AnandTech
 * Hubertus van der Vaart, co-founder/chairman of SEAF (Small Enterprise Assistance Funds)

Entertainment

 * Tyler Barnhardt, actor
 * Priscilla Block, singer
 * David J. Burke, screenwriter, film and television director
 * Godfrey Cheshire, film writer, director and critic, former chairman of New York Film Critics Circle Awards
 * Grady Cooper, director, producer, and Emmy-nominated film editor
 * Ariana DeBose, actor and dancer, West Side Story, Hamilton
 * Aubrey Dollar, actress
 * Caroline Dollar, actress
 * Rhoda Griffis, actress
 * Michael C. Hall, actor, Dexter, Six Feet Under
 * Lauren Kennedy, Broadway actress and singer
 * Sharon Lawrence, actress, NYPD Blue
 * Beth Leavel, Tony award-winning Broadway actress
 * Brandi Love, pornography actress
 * Robert Duncan McNeill, actor, movie and TV director
 * Daniella Monet, actress, singer and dancer
 * MrBeast, YouTuber
 * Karin Muller, writer, filmmaker and photographer for National Geographic Society and National Public Radio
 * Emily Procter, actress, CSI: Miami
 * Peyton Reed, film director, Ant-Man, The Break-Up, Bring It On
 * Hunter Schafer, model, actress, activist, Euphoria
 * Amy Sedaris, actress, writer and satirist
 * Liz Vassey, actress, CSI
 * Reginald VelJohnson, actor, Family Matters
 * Evan Rachel Wood, actress, Westworld
 * Ira David Wood III, actor and local theatre director

Military

 * David W. Bagley (1883–1960), admiral in the United States Navy during World War II
 * Worth Bagley (1874–1898), United States Navy officer during the Spanish–American War
 * Josephus Daniels (1862–1948), newspaper editor and publisher, United States Secretary of the Navy during World War I
 * George A. Fisher Jr. (born 1942), former United States Army officer
 * Vernon V. Haywood (1920–2003), former U.S. Army Air Force officer, combat fighter pilot/jet pilot, and commanding officer of Tuskegee Airmen's 302nd Fighter Squadron
 * Oscar F. Peatross (1916–1993), major general in the United States Marine Corps and recipient of the Navy Cross
 * Leonidas Polk (1806–1864), lieutenant-general in the Confederate States Army, killed at the Battle of Marietta, Georgia
 * Millie Dunn Veasey (1918–2018), served in the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) and later NAACP president of Wake County chapter

Musicians

 * Ryan Adams, singer-songwriter
 * Clay Aiken, singer/actor
 * Jeb Bishop, jazz musician
 * Dan Briggs, bassist for metal band Between the Buried and Me
 * Andrew Cadima, composer
 * Jason Michael Carroll, country musician
 * Caitlin Cary, alternative country singer
 * Travis Cherry, Grammy-nominated music producer
 * Cordae, hip-hop artist
 * John Custer, record producer
 * Steve Dobrogosz, pianist and composer
 * Robbie Fulks, alt-country singer
 * Rufus Harley (1936–2006), jazz musician
 * D. Kern Holoman, musicologist and conductor
 * Randy Jones (born 1952), original Village People cowboy, singer/actor
 * Jon Lindsay, recording artist, producer, activist
 * Little Brother, rap group
 * Tift Merritt, singer-songwriter
 * Pee Wee Moore, jazz musician
 * Mic Murphy, frontman for funk/soul group The System, moved to New York before career took off
 * NGHTMRE, real name Tyler Marenyi, DJ and trap producer
 * Anne-Claire Niver, singer-songwriter
 * Petey Pablo, hip-hop artist
 * Kate Rhudy, folk-pop and country singer-songwriter and musician
 * Blake Richardson, drummer for metal band Between the Buried and Me
 * Tommy Giles Rogers, Jr., lead vocalist for heavy metal band Between the Buried and Me
 * Rajan Somasundaram, composer, songwriter whose album made in collaboration with Durham Symphony and Academy-nominated singer Bombay Jayashri became an Amazon top-10 international best seller
 * Toosii, rapper and singer
 * Paul Waggoner, guitarist for metal band Between the Buried and Me
 * Dustie Waring, guitarist for metal band Between the Buried and Me
 * Woody Weatherman, musician

Bands and music groups

 * Alesana, post-hardcore band
 * American Aquarium, alternative country band
 * Between the Buried and Me, progressive metal band
 * Bowerbirds, freak folk band
 * Chatham County Line, bluegrass band
 * The Connells, 1980s indie rock band
 * Corrosion of Conformity, heavy metal band
 * Daylight Dies, doom metal band
 * Glass Moon, 1980s progressive rock band
 * Pivot, rock band
 * The Rosebuds, indie rock band
 * Selah Jubilee Singers, 1930s–40s gospel quartet
 * Troop 41, hip-hop ensemble
 * Whiskeytown, 1990s alternative country band

Politics and law

 * William H. Bobbitt (1900–1992), former Chief Justice of North Carolina Supreme Court
 * Alice Willson Broughton (1889–1980), former First Lady of North Carolina
 * J. Melville Broughton (1888–1949), former Governor of North Carolina
 * Bill Campbell, two-term mayor of Atlanta
 * Ralph Campbell, three-term State auditor and first African-American to hold statewide elected office in North Carolina
 * Paul Coble, 36th mayor of Raleigh (2006–2014)
 * Cate Edwards, attorney
 * Stormie Forte, lawyer, politician, radio host, and first African-American woman and first openly LGBTQ woman to serve on the Raleigh City Council
 * Jim Fulghum (1944–2014), physician and state legislator
 * James H. Harris (1832–1891), African-American politician, former slave, co-founder of North Carolina Republican Party
 * Winder R. Harris (1888–1973), Democratic United States Congressman
 * John Haywood, statesman and the longest-serving North Carolina State Treasurer (40 years)
 * William Henry Haywood, Jr. (1801–1852), early Democratic U.S. Senator
 * Jesse Helms (1921–2008), five-term Republican U.S. Senator
 * George Holding, Republican United States Congressman
 * Andrew Johnson (1808–1875), 17th President of the United States
 * Calvin Jones (1775–1846), Mayor of Raleigh, Adjutant General of North Carolina, and founder of Wake Forest College
 * I. Beverly Lake, former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
 * Clarence Lightner (1921–2002), mayor (1973–1975); Raleigh's first popularly elected African-American mayor and first of any major Southern city
 * Greg Murphy, physician and politician
 * Fred Smith, politician
 * Avery C. Upchurch (1928–1994), city's longest-serving mayor of the 20th century
 * Charles D. Walton (born 1948), first African American to serve in the Rhode Island Senate
 * George Smedes York, 33rd Mayor of Raleigh (1979–1983)
 * James H. Young, African-American politician; founder and editor of Raleigh Gazette, North Carolina's first black-owned newspaper

Writers

 * Edward A. Batchelor, sportswriter
 * Andrew Britton (1981–2008), novelist
 * Jonathan W. Daniels (1902–1981), author, editor; White House Press Secretary under presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman
 * Thomas Dixon, Jr. (1864–1946), novelist, playwright, minister and statesman
 * Charles Frazier, novelist, author of Cold Mountain
 * Kaye Gibbons, writer
 * Mary Robinette Kowal, author
 * Eleanor Frances Lattimore, children's writer and illustrator
 * Dorianne Laux, poet
 * Armistead Maupin, writer
 * Frances Gray Patton (1906–2000), writer, first woman to enroll at University of North Carolina
 * Lawson A. Scruggs, early African-American physician in North Carolina and noted publisher of biographies on African-American women
 * David Sedaris, author, humorist and satirist
 * Lee Smith, writer
 * Jan Cox Speas, author and novelist
 * Julia Montgomery Street (1898–1993), children's author and playwright

Other

 * Jennifer Berry, Miss America 2006 from Oklahoma
 * Bob Caudle, longtime WRAL news personality and host of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, later headed the Raleigh constituent office of U.S. Senator Jesse Helms
 * John Anthony Copeland, Jr. (1834–1859), freed slave, abolitionist and political activist
 * James A. Forbes, evangelist preacher, radio host
 * T. Adelaide Goodno, president, North Carolina Woman's Christian Temperance Union
 * Jacob Johnson, father of U.S. president Andrew Johnson
 * Cornelia Alice Norris, socialite and genealogist
 * Ray Price, motorcyclist
 * Olivia Raney, church organist
 * Jacob Tobia, LGBTQ activist
 * Max Yergan, African-American activist, first black college faculty member hired in state of New York