List of people from Maryland
The following are some notable or famous people from the U.S. state of Maryland, listed by field of their endeavor. (This list may not include Federal officials and members of the United States Congress who live in Maryland but are not actual natives).
Politicians, jurists, and statesmen
- Spiro T. Agnew, former Governor of Maryland and Vice President of the United States
- Charles Joseph Bonaparte, former Attorney General of the United States, founder of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, grand nephew of French emperor Napoleon I.
- John R. Bolton, 25th United States Ambassador to the United Nations
- Anthony G. Brown, current Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
- Charles Carroll of Carrollton, lawyer, politician, and signer of the Declaration of Independence
- Samuel Chase, United States Supreme Court Justice
- Frank J. Christensen, American Labor Leader
- J. Joseph Curran, Jr., state Attorney General and former Lieutenant Governor
- Frederick Douglass, abolitionist
- Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., Governor of Maryland 2003-2007
- John Hanson, ninth president of the Continental Congress; first elected under the Articles of Confederation
- Steny Hoyer, current House Minority Whip, U.S. House of Representatives
- Thurgood Marshall, civil rights leader and United States Supreme Court Justice
- Kweisi Mfume, NAACP leader and former Congressman
- Catherine Curran O'Malley, State District Judge and wife of Martin O'Malley
- Martin J. O'Malley, Current Governor of Maryland
- William Paca, signer of the Declaration of Independence
- Nancy Pelosi, 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
- William Donald Schaefer, former Governor
- Sargent Shriver, politician, former Vice Presidential candidate
- Michael S. Steele, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, 2003 - 2007
- Roger Taney, Chief Justice of the United States
- Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and oldest daughter of Robert F. Kennedy
- Jeffrey Zients, first U.S. Chief Performance Officer under President Barack Obama
- Dawn Zimmer, mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey
Architects
- Otto Eugene Adams
- George Archer (architect)
- Richard Snowden Andrews
- Ephraim Francis Baldwin
- Henry F. Brauns
- William Buckland (architect)
- Wright Butler
- Charles L. Carson
- Albert Cassell
- Charles E. Cassell
- Francis E. Davis
- Thomas Dixon (architect)
- George A. Frederick
- T. Buckler Ghequier architect of St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Washington, D.C.)
- Jackson C. Gott architect of Charles Theatre (Baltimore)
- Nathaniel Henry Hutton
- William Rich Hutton
- Thomas C. Kennedy
- Edmund George Lind
- Alfred Mason (architect), prolific designer of schools
- John Murdoch co-designer or Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church (Baltimore)
- J. Crawford Neilson
- John Rudolph Niernsee
- Edward L. Palmer, Jr.
- Josias Pennington, co-designer of Mount Royal Station (Baltimore)
- Theodore Wells Pietsch, architect of Stieff Silver Company Factory (Baltimore)
- Bruce Price
- Howard Van Doren Shaw (died in Baltimore)
- Gideon Shryock
- Mathias Shryock, (born in Frederick Maryland)
- Otto G. Simonson, supervised U.S. Custom House (Baltimore, Maryland), partner Simonson & Pietsch.
- Joseph Evans Sperry
- Douglas H. Thomas, architect of Belvedere Hotel (Baltimore)
- John Appleton Wilson
- James Bosley Noel Wyatt, architect of Baltimore City Courthouse and homes in Roland Park
Scientists and inventors
- Benjamin Banneker, surveyor, astronomer, mathematician and almanac author
- Brady Barr, herpetologist
- Dr. Ben Carson, neurosurgeon
- Rachel Carson, environmentalist
- George Dantzig, mathematical scientist
- Roger L. Easton, principal inventor of Global Positioning System
- Charles Fefferman, mathematician
- Henry Gantt, mechanical engineer
- Solomon Golomb, mathematician who invented pentominoes
- Michael Griffin, NASA administrator
- Arlo Hemphill, explorer/ocean conservationist
- Nick Katz, mathematician
- John Mauchly, physicist who, along with J. Presper Eckert, invented the first general-purpose electronic computer
- Ayub K. Ommaya, neurosurgeon
- Mila Rechcigl, biochemist
- Arthur William Savage, inventor of the Savage Model 99
- Paul Reed Smith, luthier
- John Archibald Wheeler, theoretical physicist
- Edward Witten, physicist/mathematician
Authors, journalists
- John Barth, author
- Carl Bernstein, journalist
- Hanne Blank, author
- Ann Brashares, author
- Pat Brown, author, criminal profiler
- Erin Burnett, journalist and CNN anchor
- James M. Cain, journalist and crime fiction author
- Kiran Chetry, journalist
- Connie Chung, journalist
- Tom Clancy, novelist
- Lucille Clifton, poet
- Frank Deford, journalist
- Matt Drudge, journalist, radio talk show host
- Roland Flint, poet
- Courtney Friel, entertainment reporter for Fox News
- Jesse Glass, poet, folklorist
- Meredith Goldstein, advice columnist and reporter
- Mary Downing Hahn, author
- Dashiell Hammett, detective fiction author
- Karen Hesse, author
- Zora Neale Hurston, author
- Sophie Kerr, author
- Michael Kimball, author
- Gayle King, editor
- Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN Analyst
- Munro Leaf, children's author
- Rick Leventhal, correspondent for Fox News
- H. L. Mencken, journalist and social critic
- Frank Miller, writer and artist
- Ogden Nash, humorous poet
- Suzan-Lori Parks, playwright and screenwriter
- Adrienne Rich, poet and feminist
- Nora Roberts, author
- Thomas Roberts, news anchor for MSNBC
- John Thomas Scharf, author, historian, lawyer, politician, and Confederate soldier and sailor
- Karl Shapiro, poet
- Upton Sinclair, author
- Norman Solomon, journalist, media critic
- Bud Sparhawk, science fiction author
- Anne Tyler, author
- Leon Uris, author
- Scott Van Pelt, ESPN anchor and radio host
- Fredricka Whitfield, CNN news room reporter and anchor
- James Wolcott, journalist, social critic
Musicians
Individuals
- Bernard Addison, jazz guitarist
- Tori Amos, singer/songwriter
- BT, electronic musician
- Niki Barr, singer/songwriter
- Keter Betts, jazz bassist
- Eubie Blake, ragtime, jazz and pop composer, lyricist
- Guy Blakeslee, AKA Entrance, singer/songwriter
- Bossman, rapper
- Toni Braxton, singer
- Mark Bryan, guitarist for the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish
- David Byrne, singer/guitarist of rock band Talking Heads
- Bill Callahan, singer/songwriter formerly known as Smog
- Cab Calloway, jazz singer and bandleader
- Eva Cassidy, singer/songwriter
- Cex, electronic musician
- Eric Hutchinson, musician
- JC Chasez, singer, songwriter and producer; former member of pop group N'Sync
- John Christ, former guitarist of the hard rock band Danzig
- Dan Deacon, electronic musician
- Adam Duritz, singer of rock band Counting Crows
- Cass Elliot, singer of pop band The Mamas & the Papas
- Sam Endicott, singer of rock band The Bravery
- John Fahey, folk/blues guitarist
- Mark Fax, composer
- Dean Felber, bass guitarist for the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish
- Danny Gatton, guitarist
- Ginuwine, R&B singer
- Philip Glass, composer
- Robert Gordon, rockabilly singer
- Tamyra Gray, singer/actress
- Billie Holiday, singer
- Ron Holloway, tenor saxophonist
- Scott Hull, guitarist, music producer
- Julienne Irwin, singer and America's Got Talent finalist
- LaKisha Jones, American Idol (season 6) finalist
- Tommy Keene, singer/songwriter
- Greg Kihn, New Wave and pop musician and singer
- Joe Lally, bassist of rock band Fugazi
- Nathan Larson, film soundtrack composer; guitarist of rock bands Shudder to Think and Hot One
- Rod Lee, Baltimore club producer/DJ
- Lisa Loeb, singer/songwriter
- Nils Lofgren, solo rock musician and guitarist with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band
- Benji Madden, guitarist for Good Charlotte
- Joel Madden, lead singer for Good Charlotte
- Spiro Malas, bass-baritone opera singer
- Mario, singer/songwriter
- Christina Milian, singer/songwriter/actress/dancer
- Mýa, singer/songwriter and dancer
- Ultra Naté, house music/dance-pop musician
- Ric Ocasek, former frontman of The Cars
- Barry Louis Polisar, singer/songwriter of children's music
- Greg Puciato, singer of metal band The Dillinger Escape Plan
- Gina Schock, drummer of rock band The Go-Go's
- Sisqó, lead singer of R&B group Dru Hill
- Noel Paul Stookey, singer with Peter, Paul and Mary
- Evan Taubenfeld, ex-guitarist and backup vocalist for pop star Avril Lavigne; singer and rhythm guitarist for The Black List Club
- Chad Taylor, guitarist for The Gracious Few and Live
- Chester Thompson, drummer, frequent collaborator with Genesis
- Chick Webb, jazz and swing drummer and bandleader
- Scott "Wino" Weinrich, doom metal guitarist and vocalist
- Erica Wheeler, folk singer/songwriter
- Erin Willett, The Voice Season 2 finalist
- Frank Zappa, singer, guitarist and composer
Musical groups
- A//Political
- All Time Low
- Animal Collective
- Beach House
- Black Tambourine
- Channels
- Clutch
- Dog Fashion Disco
- Dru Hill
- Dying Fetus
- Earthride
- Good Charlotte
- Half Japanese
- The Hated
- The Hidden Hand
- Internal Void
- Iron Man
- Jimmie's Chicken Shack
- Kix
- Lake Trout
- Laughing Colors
- Live Alien Broadcast
- Lungfish
- Mary Prankster
- Misery Index
- Moss Icon
- Pig Destroyer
- The Obsessed
- Oddzar
- Of A Revolution (O.A.R.)
- The Oranges Band
- The Orioles
- Reptile House
- Revelation
- The Royalettes
- Sixty Watt Shaman
- Spirit Caravan
- SR-71
- Trans Am
- Unorthodox
- Velocity Girl
- Void
- Wakefield
- Wilderness
- Wretched
Actors, filmmakers, and entertainers
- Chris Adler, actor
- Gbenga Akinnagbe, actor
- Lori Alan, voice actress
- Karen Allen, actress
- Bess Armstrong, actress
- Jay Ashley, pornographic film star
- John Astin, actor
- Noelle Beck, actress
- Lewis Black, comedian, actor
- Wolfgang Bodison, actor
- Edwin Booth, actor
- John Wilkes Booth, actor
- Julie Bowen, actress
- Kimberly J. Brown, actress
- Crystal Chappell, actress
- Josh Charles, actor
- Kevin Clash, puppeteer
- Josh Clark, actor
- Hans Conreid, voice actor
- Gaelan Connell, actor, singer
- Whitney Cummings, stand-up comedienne
- Tommy Davidson, actor, comedian
- Wendy Davis, actress
- Alexis Denisof, actor
- Eddie Deezen, actor
- Divine, actor, drag-queen
- David Drake, playwright, actor, stage director
- Mildred Dunnock
- Charles Dutton, actor
- Michael Ealy, actor
- Damon Evans, actor
- Anna Faris, actress
- Evan Farmer, actor/singer/television personality
- Lauren Faust, animator
- Faith Fay, actress
- Wayne Federman, comedian, actor, author
- Ben Feldman, actor
- Judah Friedlander, comedian, actor
- Kathie Lee Gifford, TV personality, actress, singer
- Anita Gillette, actress
- Larry Gilliard, Jr., actor
- Ira Glass, radio personality, producer
- John Glover, actor
- George O. Gore II, actor
- Alfred Gough, screenwriter and producer
- Holter Graham, actor
- Linda Hamilton, actress
- Brandon Hardesty, actor
- Linda Harrison, model, actress
- David Hasselhoff, actor
- Shawn Hatosy, actor
- Rondo Hatton, actor
- Goldie Hawn, actress
- Robert Hays, actor
- Taraji P. Henson, actor
- Russell Hicks, actor
- Brendan Hines, actor, singer
- Michael Hyatt, actress
- Mo'Nique Imes-Jackson, actress
- Thomas Jane, actor
- Rian Johnson, filmmaker
- Spike Jonze, music video director, filmmaker, and producer
- Kevin Kangas, writer, director of B-horror movies
- John Kassir, actor, comedian
- Stacy Keibler, actress, model, valet
- Kevin Kilner, actor
- Judy Kuhn, actress
- Martin Lawrence, actor, comedian, director and producer
- Barry Levinson, filmmaker
- Peyton List, actress, model
- Ernie Lively, actor
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus, actress
- William H. Macy, actor
- Paula Marshall, actress
- Dale Midkiff, actor
- Debra Monk, actress, singer
- Cookie Mueller, actress, writer
- Sean Murray, actor
- Mildred Natwick, actress
- Edward Norton, actor
- Devika Parikh, actress
- Jameson Parker, actor
- Nicole Ari Parker, actress
- Mark Pellington, film director
- Sam Phillips, actress, model, radio DJ
- David Pollock, actor
- Parker Posey, actress
- Robin Quivers, talk show host, radio personality
- Lance Reddick, actor
- Patricia Richardson, actress
- Howard Rollins, actor
- Mark Rolston, actor
- Jessica Lee Rose, actress
- John Rothman, actor
- Thomas Rothman, film executive
- Mike Rowe, TV show host
- Richard Schiff, actor
- Dwight Schultz, actor
- Teddy Sears, actor
- Anna Deavere Smith, actress, playwright
- Jada Pinkett Smith, actress
- Sylvester Stallone, actor
- Daniel Stern, actor
- Mink Stole, actress
- Missy Stone, pornographic film actress
- Wanda Sykes, comedienne, actress
- Tracie Thoms, actress
- Gil Wadsworth, producer
- Barbara Walsh, actress
- Jonathan Ward, actor
- John Waters, filmmaker
- Matthew Weiner, writer, director and producer
- Sean Whalen, actor
- Montel Williams, talk show host
Athletes
- Nick Adenhart, baseball player
- Joe Alexander, basketball player
- Brady Anderson, baseball player
- Carmelo Anthony, basketball player
- Harold Baines, baseball player
- Frank Baker, baseball player
- Ken Bannister, basketball player
- Steve Barber, baseball player
- Michael Beasley, basketball player
- Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots
- Len Bias, basketball player
- Lonny Baxter, basketball player
- Keith Bogans, basketball player
- Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues, basketball player
- Josh Boone, basketball player
- Riddick Bowe, world heavyweight champion boxer
- NaVorro Bowman, football player
- Charles Bradley, basketball player
- Dudley Bradley, basketball player
- Troy Brohawn, baseball player
- Andre Brown, football player
- Sam Cassell, basketball player
- Brett Cecil, baseball player
- Colin Cloherty, football player
- Dante Cunningham, basketball player
- Quintin Dailey, basketball player
- Adrian Dantley, basketball player
- Dominique Dawes, Olympic gymnast
- Juan Dixon, basketball player
- Joey Dorsey, basketball player
- Kevin Durant, basketball player
- Michel Faulkner, football player
- Duane Ferrell, basketball player
- Danny Ferry, basketball player
- Tony Fiammetta, football player
- Gavin Floyd, baseball player
- Moise Fokou, football player
- Domonique Foxworth, football player
- Jimmy Foxx, HOF baseball player
- Steve Francis, basketball player
- Rudy Gay, basketball player
- James Gist, basketball player
- Jeff Green, basketball player
- Donté Greene, basketball player
- Gabe Gross, baseball player
- Lefty Grove, HOF baseball player
- Jeff Halpern, hockey player
- Derrick Harvey, football player
- Darrius Heyward-Bey, football player
- Roy Hibbert, basketball player
- Calvin Hill, football player, father of Grant Hill
- Katie Hoff, swimmer
- Jarrett Jack, basketball player
- Tanard Jackson, football player
- Tracy Jackson, basketball player
- Bryant Johnson, football player
- Larry Johnson, football player
- Steve Johnson, baseball player
- Al Kaline, HOF baseball player
- Stacy Keibler, professional wrestler
- Linas Kleiza, basketball player
- Rick Knapp, pitching coach
- Aaron Laffey, baseball player
- Bucky Lasek, professional skateboarder
- Ty Lawson, basketball player
- Katie Ledecky, Olympic swimmer
- Sugar Ray Leonard, HOF boxer
- Reggie Lewis, basketball player
- Sidney Lowe, basketball player, assistant coach
- Matt Maloney, basketball player
- Roger Mason, basketball player
- Justin Maxwell, baseball player
- Leo Mazzone, former pitching coach with the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles
- Robert McClain, football player
- Kimmie Meissner, World Champion figure skater
- Shawne Merriman, football player
- Terence Morris, basketball player
- Daniel Muir, football player
- Jeff Nelson, baseball player
- Quinn Ojinnaka, football player
- Travis Pastrana, motorsport athlete
- Sam Perlozzo, baseball player, former manager of the Baltimore Orioles
- Julian Peterson, football player
- Michael Phelps, Olympic swimmer
- Tom Phoebus, baseball player
- Billy Ripken, baseball player
- Cal Ripken, Jr.,HOF baseball player
- Bob Robertson, baseball player
- Josh Roenicke, baseball player
- Axl Rotten, professional wrestler
- Babe Ruth, HOF baseball player
- Pete Sampras, tennis player
- Jim Schwartz, head coach - Detroit Lions
- Dennis Scott, basketball player
- Josh Selby, basketball player
- Kevin Shaffer, football player
- Visanthe Shiancoe, football player
- Pam Shriver, tennis player
- Gene Shue, basketball player
- Lawrence Sidbury, football player
- Dickey Simpkins, basketball player
- Ira Smith, collegiate baseball player
- Tubby Smith, basketball coach
- Larry Spriggs, basketball player
- Mike Sweetney, basketball player
- Ron Swoboda, baseball player - 1969 New York Mets World Series Champions
- Mark Teixeira, baseball player
- Greivis Vásquez, basketball player
- Marvin Webster, basketball player
- Delonte West, basketball player
- Brian Westbrook, football player - Philadelphia Eagles
- Byron Westbrook, football player - Washington Redskins
- Derrick Williams, football player
- LaQuan Williams, football player
- Madieu Williams, football player
- Reggie Williams, basketball player
- David Wingate, basketball player
- Kennard Winchester, basketball player
- Jay Witasick, baseball player
- Sam Young, basketball player
Visual artists
- Norman Carlberg - sculptor
- Frank Cho, comic book creator, writer and artist
- Jane Frank- painter, sculptor, mixed media artist, illustrator
- Lee Gatch - painter, mixed media artist
- Elaine Hamilton, painter
- Morris Louis, painter
- Anne Truitt, sculptor
- Bernie Wrightson, comic book artist
Miscellaneous
- Steve Bisciotti, majority owner of the Baltimore Ravens
- John Wilkes Booth, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln
- Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, First proprietary governor of the Maryland Colony
- John Carroll, first Roman Catholic archbishop in the US
- Robert Curbeam, astronaut
- Henry De Butts, United States Army officer, acting Adjutant General and acting Inspector General from 1792 to 1793
- Stephen Decatur, naval hero of the War of 1812
- Michel Faulkner, pastor and NYC politician
- Duff Goldman, owner of Charm City Cakes, star of Ace of Cakes
- Michael Hardt, literary theorist and political philosopher
- Ed Hale, businessman, owner Baltimore Blast
- Arlo Hemphill, wilderness advocate
- Matthew Henson, explorer
- Alger Hiss, UN official accused of being a Soviet spy in 1948, convicted of perjury in 1950.
- Johns Hopkins, businessman and philanthropist
- Francis Scott Key, writer of the national anthem
- Mel Kiper, Jr., ESPN football analyst, known especially for his draft coverage
- Little Albert, subject of John B. Watson's controversial case study on classical conditioning
- Jacob Lumbrozo, first Jew to permanently settle in the New World
- Charles A. May, U.S. Army cavalry officer, considered a hero of the Mexican War
- Samuel Mudd, physician convicted and imprisoned for aiding and conspiring with John Wilkes Booth
- Samuel J. Palmisano, president and CEO of IBM
- Bronza Parks, boatbuilder
- Bob Parsons, CEO and founder of Go Daddy
- George Peabody, founder of the Peabody Institute, philanthropist
- Frank Perdue, president of Perdue Farms
- Kevin Plank, CEO and founder of Under Armour
- John Rawls, philosopher
- Hilary Rhoda, model
- Cadwalader Ringgold 1802-1867, US Navy Officer during the Civil War, Explorer
- James Rouse, city planner
- Christian Siriano, winner of Season 4 of Project Runway
- Raymond A. Spruance, admiral
- Ben Stein, actor, author, economist, former political speechwriter
- Robert Stethem, U.S. Navy Seabee diver killed by Hezbollah militants during the hijacking of TWA Flight 847
- Harriet Tubman, leader on the Underground Railroad
- Matthew VanDyke, freedom fighter and Prisoner of War (POW) in the 2011 Libyan Civil War
- Bill Wilson, head of Americans for Limited Government
- George Young, NFL executive
