List of people from Nebraska

The following are notable people who were born in, raised in, or have lived for a significant period of time in the U.S. state of Nebraska.

Native Americans

 * Joba Chamberlain, pitcher for Detroit Tigers; Ho-Chunk
 * Crazy Horse (1838–1877), great warrior of the Oglala Lakota Sioux pre-statehood
 * Angel De Cora Dietz Hinook-Mahiwi-Kalinaka (Fleecy Cloud Floating in Place), painter, illustrator, American Indian advocate
 * Chief Waukon Decorah
 * He Dog
 * Hononegah, Ho-Chunk
 * Francis La Flesche Zhogaxe (1857–1932), first Native American anthropologist, author; Omaha people
 * Susan La Flesche Picotte, born on Omaha Reservation 1865; first Native American woman to earn a medical degree
 * Susette LaFlesche Tibbles, "Bright Eyes", born in Bellvue, 1854; writer (published in New York Tribune, Omaha World-Herald); trial translator and media source for the plight of the Ponca people and Standing Bear during the Trial of Standing Bear, May 1879; Omaha/Ponca
 * Little Hawk
 * Mountain Wolf Woman, Ho-Chunk
 * Red Bird
 * Red Cloud (1822–1909), chief of the Oglala Sioux
 * Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr.
 * Chief Standing Bear (1829?–1908), civil rights leader and at the fore of the petition to stay on traditional homelands post-removal as documented in The Trial of Standing Bear; in this trial the state was led to recognize that Native Americans are human beings
 * John Trudell, civil rights activist, community activist, speaker, poet, performer, musician, actor; Santee
 * Yellow Thunder
 * Kim Winona (1930–1978), actress
 * Raymond Yellow Thunder, ranch hand killed in a notable hate crime in 1972 in Gordon; Oglala Lakota
 * James Young Deer

Public office

 * Frank Aloysius Barrett (1892–1962), Congressman, Wyoming, 1943–1950; Governor of Wyoming, 1951–1953; Senator of Wyoming, 1953–1959
 * Herbert Brownell Jr. (1904–1996), United States Attorney General in President Eisenhower's cabinet, 1952–1957
 * William Jennings Bryan (1860–1925), United States Secretary of State; U.S. Representative; Democratic Party nominee for President in 1896, 1900, and 1908; prosecuting attorney in Scopes Trial
 * Hugh A. Butler (1878–1954), U.S. Senator
 * James Vincenzo Capone (1892–1952), federal Prohibition agent; oldest brother of gangster Al Capone; changed name to Richard James Hart
 * Ernie Chambers (born 1937 in Omaha), Nebraska State Senator; Nebraska State Legislature; civil rights activist
 * Dick Cheney (born 1941), former U.S. Secretary of Defense under George HW Bush, and 46th Vice President of the United States under George W Bush
 * George E. Cryer (1875–1961), 32nd Mayor of Los Angeles, 1921–1929
 * Glenn Cunningham (1912–2003), U.S. Representative and mayor of Omaha
 * Carl Curtis (1905–2000), U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator
 * Samuel Gordon Daily (1823–1866), U.S. Representative for three terms
 * Robert Vernon Denney (1916–1981), U.S. Representative and United States district court judge
 * Jane English (born 1940), Republican member of the Arkansas State Senate
 * J. James Exon (1921–2005), Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senator
 * Gerald Ford (1913–2006), 38th President of the United States (born in Omaha, raised in Michigan)
 * Dwight Griswold (1893–1954), Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senator
 * Chuck Hagel (born 1946), U.S. Senator and 24th U.S. Secretary of Defense
 * Robert Dinsmore Harrison (1897–1977), U.S. Representative
 * Edgar Howard (1858–1951), private secretary to William Jennings Bryan; Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska; U.S. Representative
 * Bob Kerrey (born 1943), Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senator
 * Julius Sterling Morton (1832–1902), United States Secretary of Agriculture; founder of Arbor Day
 * Kay A. Orr (born 1939), first Republican woman governor (Nebraska) in United States history (1987–1991)
 * Pete Peterson (born 1935), U.S. Representative for Florida, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam
 * Peter George Peterson (born 1926), U.S. Secretary of Commerce under Richard Nixon; Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Chair of the Council on Foreign Relations
 * Donald Pike (1925–2008), Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner
 * Leo Ryan (1925–1978), U.S. Representative (Democrat–California; born in Lincoln)
 * Ted Sorensen (1928–2010), speechwriter and special counsel to President John F. Kennedy
 * Charles Thone (born 1924), Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Representative
 * Kenneth S. Wherry (1892–1951), U.S. Senator

Military and war

 * Buffalo Bill Cody (1845–1917), iconic western figure; lived in Nebraska (born in Iowa Territory) while working as a scout for the 5th Cavalry; on July 17, 1876, at War Bonnet Creek, while dressed in his Wild West stage clothing, he killed and scalped Chief Yellow Hair (Cheyenne), claiming it a revenge for Custer; took up residence in Scout's Rest Ranch in 1886
 * Alfred Gruenther (1899–1983), youngest four-star general in United States history; Supreme Allied Commander Europe
 * Galen B. Jackman (born 1951), United States Army major general (retired); Nancy Reagan's escort throughout the death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan; first commanding general of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region
 * Bob Kerrey (born 1943), United States Navy, LT(JG); commanded a Navy SEAL team in Vietnam; Medal of Honor recipient
 * Francis P. Matthews (1887–1952), 49th United States Secretary of the Navy during the administration of President Harry Truman
 * Butler B. Miltonberger (1897–1977), commanded the 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division during World War II
 * Jarvis Offutt (1894–1918), World War I aviator, namesake of Offutt Air Force Base
 * John J. Pershing (1860–1948), General of the Armies, led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I
 * Forrest S. Petersen (1922–1990), Navy and NASA test pilot, head of Naval Air Systems Command
 * James G. Roudebush (born c. 1949), United States Air Force lieutenant general and doctor of medicine, current Surgeon General of the United States Air Force
 * Albert Coady Wedemeyer (1897–1989), military planner and strategist

Film and theater

 * A–M


 * Wesley Addy (1913–1996), actor, Network, The Verdict
 * Adele Astaire (1897–1981), dancer and entertainer
 * Fred Astaire (1899–1987), dancer and actor, The Band Wagon, Funny Face, The Towering Inferno, That's Entertainment!
 * Pamela Austin (born 1941), actress, Kissin' Cousins
 * Ray Baker (born 1948), actor, Silverado, Total Recall
 * John Beasley (born 1943), actor, Everwood
 * Michael Biehn (born 1956), actor, The Terminator, Tombstone
 * Moon Bloodgood (born 1975), actress, Terminator Salvation, Falling Skies
 * Ward Bond (1903–1960), actor, The Searchers, The Quiet Man, Rio Bravo
 * Marlon Brando (1924–2004), Academy Award-winning actor, The Godfather, On the Waterfront, Last Tango in Paris, Apocalypse Now
 * Justin Bruening (born 1979), actor, All My Children, Knight Rider
 * Montgomery Clift (1920–1966), 4-time Oscar-nominated actor, From Here to Eternity, The Misfits, Red River, Judgement at Nuremberg
 * Abbie Cobb, actress, Suburgatory
 * James Coburn (1928–2002), Academy Award-winning actor, Our Man Flint, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Affliction
 * James M. Connor (born 1960), actor
 * Lucas Cruikshank (born 1993), actor
 * Sandy Dennis (1937–1992), Academy Award-winning actress, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Sweet November, The Out-of-Towners
 * David Doyle (1929–1997), actor, Charlie's Angels
 * Mary Doyle (1931–1995), actress
 * Christopher B. Duncan (born 1964), actor, The Jamie Foxx Show, The District, Aliens in America
 * Leslie Easterbrook (born 1949), actress, Police Academy films
 * Ruth Etting (1896–1978), singer and actress
 * Jim Fitzpatrick (born 1959), actor, All My Children
 * Henry Fonda (1905–1982), Academy Award-winning actor, Mister Roberts, 12 Angry Men, The Grapes of Wrath, On Golden Pond
 * Hoot Gibson (1892–1962), actor and rodeo cowboy
 * Randy J. Goodwin (born 1967), actor and director, The Vampire Diaries, Girlfriends, Grey's Anatomy
 * Ashley Graham (born October 30, 1987), model
 * Coleen Gray (born 1922), actress, Kiss of Death, Red River
 * Bryan Greenberg (born 1978), actor, musician, One Tree Hill, October Road, How to Make It in America
 * Leland Hayward (1902–1971), Hollywood and Broadway agent and producer
 * Jean Heather (1921–1995), actress, Double Indemnity
 * Marg Helgenberger (born 1958), actress, CSI
 * Brad William Henke (born 1971), actor, October Road, Nikki, Lost
 * Hallee Hirsh (born 1987), actress, Flight 29 Down, JAG, ER
 * Virginia Huston (1925–1981), actress, Out of the Past
 * David Janssen (1931–1980), actor, The Fugitive
 * Jay Karnes (born 1963), actor, Det. "Dutch" Wagenbach on The Shield
 * Jaime King (born 1979), actress
 * Emily Kinney (born 1985), actress, singer, The Walking Dead
 * Swoosie Kurtz (born 1944), actress, Sisters, Mike & Molly
 * Bill Lee, overdub singer whose voice was used instead of Christopher Plummer's in the film version of The Sound of Music
 * Harold Lloyd (1893–1971), silent film actor and comedian
 * Pierce Lyden (1908–1998), actor
 * Gordon MacRae (1921–1986), actor and singer, Oklahoma!, Carousel
 * Irish McCalla (1928–2002), actress
 * Holt McCallany (born 1964), actor, Lights Out, Freedom, CSI: Miami
 * Dorothy McGuire (1916–2001), Oscar-nominated actress, Gentleman's Agreement, Friendly Persuasion, Old Yeller


 * N–Z


 * Fred Niblo (1874–1948), actor, director, and producer
 * Nick Nolte (born 1941), Oscar-nominated actor and producer, 48 Hrs., The Prince of Tides, Cape Fear
 * Alexander Payne (born 1961), Oscar-nominated director and screenwriter, Nebraska, The Descendants, Sideways
 * Lenka Peterson (born 1925), actress
 * Scott Porter (born 1979), actor, Friday Night Lights, The Good Wife
 * Anne Ramsey (1929–1988), Oscar-nominated actress
 * Thurl Ravenscroft (1914–2005), voice actor and singer
 * Julie Sommars (born 1942), actress, Matlock
 * Rebecca Staab (born 1961), actress, former beauty queen, Live Shot
 * Hilary Swank (born 1974), two-time Academy Award-winning actress, Boys Don't Cry, Million Dollar Baby
 * Inga Swenson (born 1932), actress, Benson, Advise and Consent
 * Robert Taylor (1911–1969), actor, Ivanhoe, Quo Vadis, Camille
 * Janine Turner (born 1962), actress, Northern Exposure
 * John Trudell (born 1946), actor, subject of documentary
 * Gabrielle Union (born 1973), actress, Bring It On, Bad Boys II
 * Lucky Vanous (born 1961), model, actor, Pacific Palisades
 * Charles Weidman (1901–1975), dancer and choreographer
 * Irene Worth (1916–2002), Tony Award-winning actress, Nicholas and Alexandra, Lost in Yonkers, Deathtrap
 * David Yost (born 1969), actor and producer, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
 * Darryl F. Zanuck (1902–1979), Hollywood studio mogul, producer and director

Comedians and humorists

 * James Adomian (born 1980), actor, stand-up comedian
 * Johnny Carson (1925–2005), comedian
 * Adam DeVine, actor, comedian, writer, Workaholics
 * Godfrey (born 1969), comedian, actor
 * Larry the Cable Guy (born 1963), comedian
 * Angela V. Shelton, actress, comedian
 * Skip Stephenson (1940–1992), comedian, actor
 * Roger Welsch (born 1936), author, humorist, and folklorist

Television and radio

 * Dick Cavett (born 1936), television talk show host
 * Vivi Janiss (1911–1988), theatre, film, and television actress
 * Floyd Kalber (1924–2004), television journalist and anchorman
 * Lindsey Shaw (born 1989), child actor for Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, born in Lincoln
 * Kim Winona (1930–1978), actress who portrayed Morning Star on CBS's Brave Eagle (1955–1956)
 * Paula Zahn (born 1956), television journalist

Music

 * Kianna Alarid (born 1978), lead singer for band Tilly and the Wall
 * Roni Benise, flamenco guitarist
 * Dave Beste (born 1978), Bassist for band Rival Sons
 * Chip Davis (born 1947), singer-songwriter, founder of Mannheim Steamroller, and president and CEO of American Gramaphone
 * Ruth Etting (1896–1976), singer and actress
 * Rick Evans, member of rock duo Zager and Evans, made famous by song "In the Year 2525" in 1969
 * Todd Fink (born 1974), member of the band The Faint
 * Jack Gilinsky (born 1996), musician, rap artist, 1 out of 2 in the rap duo Jack & Jack with best friend since kindergarten, Jack Johnson, their song, "Like That" went viral currently with over 24 million views on YouTube.
 * Howard Hanson (1896–1981), composer and conductor
 * Wynonie "Mr. Blues" Harris (1915–1969), rhythm and blues singer
 * Neal Hefti (born 1922), jazz trumpeter and composer
 * Amy Heidemann, member of the band Karmin, graduated from Seward High School in Seward, Nebraska
 * Nick Hexum, member of band 311
 * Neely Jenkins (born 1974), member of band Tilly and the Wall
 * Tim Kasher (born 1976), singer
 * Matty Lewis (born 1975), singer, guitarist
 * Randy Meisner (born 1946), singer-songwriter, bassist former member of the Eagles and Poco
 * Conor Oberst (born 1980), singer-songwriter with Bright Eyes
 * Bryan Olesen (born 1973), singer, guitarist of VOTA, former member of Newsboys
 * Jamie Pressnall (born 1976), member of band Tilly and the Wall
 * Paul Revere (born 1938), born in Harvard, Clay County; musician, teen idol, founder Paul Revere and the Raiders
 * Ann Ronell (1906 or 1908–1993), jazz composer and lyricist
 * Josh Rouse (born 1972), singer-songwriter
 * Jason Shaw (born 1975), fiddle player
 * Elliott Smith (1969–2003), singer-songwriter
 * Ryland Steen (born 1980), Reel Big Fish drummer
 * Matthew Sweet (born 1964), rock musician
 * John Trudell (born 1946), poet, performer, musician, leader AKA Graffiti Band
 * James Valentine (born 1978), Maroon 5 guitarist
 * Paul Williams (born 1940), singer-songwriter
 * Roger Williams (born 1925), pianist
 * Denny Zager, member of rock duo Zager and Evans, made famous by song "In the Year 2525" in 1969

Art, literature, and journalism

 * Bess Streeter Aldrich (1881–1954), author of 200 short stories and 13 novels including Miss Bishop
 * Hartley Burr Alexander (1873–1939), writer, educator, scholar, philosopher, poet, and iconographer
 * Kurt Andersen (born 1954), co-founder of Spy Magazine
 * Gutzon Borglum (1867–1941), painter, sculptor, designer and engineer of the presidential busts on Mount Rushmore
 * Solon Borglum (1869–1922), sculptor, younger brother of Gutzon Borglum
 * Jennine Capó Crucet (born 1981), novelist, short story writer, essayist, professor, and cultural critic
 * Willa Cather (1873–1947), author
 * Raymond Chandler (1888–1959), detective fiction author, The Big Sleep, grew up in Plattsmouth, Nebraska
 * Earle D. Chesney (1900–1966), cartoonist
 * Ana Marie Cox (born 1972), founder and editor of the political blog Wonkette
 * Loren Eiseley (1907–1977), anthropologist, science writer, ecologist, and poet, born in Lincoln
 * Angel De Cora Dietz Hinook-Mahiwi-Kalinaka (Fleecy Cloud Floating in Place), painter, illustrator, American Indian advocate, Carlisle Boarding School teacher (1871–1919); Ho-Chunk
 * John Philip Falter (1910–1982), artist known for many Saturday Evening Post covers
 * Ernest K. Gann (1910–1991), pioneer airline pilot, aviation writer, author of The High and the Mighty
 * Roxane Gay (born 1974), feminist writer, professor, editor and commentator
 * Terry Goodkind (born 1948), best-selling fantasy author
 * Robert Henri (1865–1929), painter
 * M. Miriam Herrera, poet
 * Clifton Hillegass (1918–2001), publisher and founder of CliffsNotes
 * L. Ron Hubbard (1911–1986), science fiction author and founder of Scientology
 * Lew Hunter (born 1935), screenwriter
 * Weldon Kees (1914–1955), poet, novelist, and short story writer
 * Ted Kooser (born 1939), former Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress; former Poet Laureate of the United States; Pulitzer Prize winner
 * Stephen R. Lawhead (born 1950), best-selling author of fantasy and historical fiction
 * Francis La Flesche Zhogaxe (1857–1932), author
 * Susette LaFlesche Tibbles, "Bright Eyes"; born in Bellevue, 1854; writer; Omaha/Ponca
 * Christopher Lasch (1932–1994), historian, moralist, and social critic
 * Jefferson Machamer (1900–1960), illustrator
 * DeBarra Mayo (born 1953), writer and author
 * Wright Morris (1910–1998), novelist, photographer, and essayist
 * John Neihardt (1881–1973), poet, dubbed the "Poet Laureate of Nebraska and the Plains" by the Nebraska State Legislature in 1921
 * Tillie Olsen (1912–2007), author
 * Rose O'Neill (1874–1944), illustrator, writer, and creator of the Kewpie doll
 * Jean Potts (1910–1999), mystery writer
 * Daniel Quinn (born 1935), author of the philosophical novel Ishmael and its sequels
 * Edward Ruscha (born 1937), artist
 * Brandon Sanderson (born 1975), best-selling science fiction and fantasy author
 * Mari Sandoz (1896–1966), novelist, biographer, lecturer, and teacher; author of Old Jules, Cheyenne Autumn, Slogum House
 * Joel Sartore, National Geographic photographer
 * Nicholas Sparks (born 1965), author
 * Anna Louise Strong (1885–1970), journalist and author
 * John Trudell (born 1946), author

Business

 * Howard F. Ahmanson Sr. (1906–1968), financier and philanthropist
 * Walter Behlen (1905–1994), founder of the Behlen Manufacturing Company in Columbus, Nebraska
 * Warren Buffett (born 1930), "Oracle of Omaha", investor; Forbes' 2008 Richest Man in the World
 * Richard N. Cabela (born 1936), entrepreneur, founder of Cabela's sporting goods store
 * Paul Endacott, Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (University of Kansas), president of Phillips Petroleum Company
 * Joyce Hall (1891–1982), founder of Hallmark Cards
 * Andrew Higgins (1886–1952), industrialist and shipbuilder; owner and founder of Higgins Industries; manufacturer of "Higgins boats"
 * Peter Kiewit (1900–1979), contractor, investor, and philanthropist
 * C. Edward McVaney (born 1940), founder of JD Edwards
 * William Norris (1911–2006), pioneering CEO of Control Data Corporation
 * Edwin Perkins (1889–1961), inventor of Kool-Aid; philanthropist
 * Frank Phillips (1873–1950), co-founder of Phillips Petroleum
 * Michael J. Saylor (born 1965), founder and CEO of MicroStrategy
 * Walter Scott Jr. (born 1931), civil engineer and philanthropist
 * Carl A. Swanson (1879–1949), founder of Swanson
 * Evan Williams (born 1972), creator of Blogger; CEO of Twitter

Science and medicine

 * Clayton Anderson (born 1959), NASA astronaut assigned to International Space Station Expedition 15
 * Nancy Coover Andreasen, neuroscientist and neuropsychiatrist
 * Barry Barish (born 1936), Nobel prize in physics 2017 for discovery of gravity waves
 * Henry Beachell (1906–2006), developer of hybrid rice
 * George Wells Beadle (1903–1989), geneticist, 1958 Nobel Prize winner
 * Charles Edwin Bessey (1845–1915), botanist, responsible for planting of the Nebraska National Forest
 * Leon Douglass (1869–1940), inventor; co–founder of the Victor Talking Machine Company
 * John R. Dunning (1907–1975), physicist, played an instrumental role in the development of the atomic bomb
 * Harold "Doc" Edgerton (1903–1990), professor at MIT, pioneer in stroboscopic photography
 * Rollins A. Emerson (1873–1947), geneticist, pioneer in researching the genetics of maize
 * Val Fitch (1923–2015), nuclear physicist, 1980 Nobel Prize winner
 * Jay Wright Forrester (born 1918), pioneer of computer engineering
 * Daniel Freeman (1826–1908), homesteader, physician and American Civil War veteran, first person to file for a claim under the Homestead Act of 1862
 * Edmund Jaeger (1887–1983), biologist
 * Jay Keasling (born 1964), synthetic biology pioneer
 * Francis La Flesche (1857–1932), first Native American anthropologist; author
 * Susan La Flesche Picotte (1865–1915), first person to receive federal aid for education; first American Indian woman to become a "western medicine" physician in the United States
 * Max Mathews (1926–2011), wrote first computer music program
 * Victor Mills (1897–1997), chemical engineer, inventor of the modern disposable diaper
 * Donald Othmer (1904–1995), chemical engineer
 * Joel Stebbins (1878-1966), astronomer
 * Ivan Sutherland (born 1938), inventor of the Sketchpad

Athletics

 * A–M


 * Grover Cleveland Alexander (1887–1950), Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher
 * Houston Alexander (born 1972), mixed martial artist
 * Barry Alvarez (born 1946), Wisconsin Badgers football coach and athletic director
 * Heather Armbrust (born 1977), IFBB professional bodybuilder
 * Max Baer (1909–1959), former heavyweight boxing champion
 * George Baird (1907–2004), 1928 Olympic gold medalist in track and field
 * Brad Beckman (1964–1989), professional football player, 1988–1989
 * Wade Boggs (born 1958), professional baseball player, 1982–1999; 5x American League batting champion
 * Craig Bohl (born 1958), college football coach
 * Steve Borden "Sting" (born 1959), professional wrestler for CWA, UWF, NWA, WCW, WWA, TNA, and WWE
 * Bob Boozer (1937–2012), NBA All-Star (1968) and Olympian (Rome, 1960)
 * Dan Carpenter (born 1985), placekicker for the Buffalo Bills
 * Bob Cerv (1926–2017), professional baseball player, 1951–1962
 * Joba Chamberlain (born 1985), professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers
 * Jeromey Clary (born 1983), offensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers
 * Sam Crawford (1880–1968), Baseball Hall of Fame, 2x Home run champion (1901, 1908), and 3x AL RBI champion (1910, 1914, 1915)
 * Gene Cronin (born 1933), lineman for 1957 NFL champion Detroit Lions
 * Brian Deegan (born 1975), motocross racer
 * Bob Devaney (1915–1997), football coach for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers
 * Ted "The Million Dollar Man" DiBiase (born 1954), professional wrestler
 * Jake Diekman (born 1987), relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks
 * Brian Duensing (born 1983), relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins
 * David Erb (born 1923), jockey, winner of 1956 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes
 * Chad Fleischer (born 1972), Alpine skier who competed in the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics
 * Rulon Gardner (born 1971), Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling
 * Bob Gibson (born 1935), Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals
 * Johnny Goodman (1909–1970), last amateur golfer to win U.S. Open
 * Alex Gordon (born 1984), left fielder for the Kansas City Royals
 * Ahman Green (born 1977), football player for the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and Houston Texans
 * Ron Hansen (born 1938), professional baseball player for six MLB teams
 * Mel Harder (1909–2002), pitcher and manager for the Cleveland Indians
 * Alex Henery (born 1987), placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles
 * Opal Hill (1892–1981), golfer and LPGA co-founder
 * Russ Hochstein (born 1977), guard for the Denver Broncos
 * Jeremy Horn (born 1975), mixed martial arts fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
 * Chris Kelsay (born 1979), outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills
 * Monte Kiffin (born 1940), football coach
 * Bill Kinnamon (1919–2011), MLB umpire
 * Sam Koch (born 1982), punter for Baltimore Ravens
 * Manny Lawson (born 1984), outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills
 * Frank Leahy (1908–1973), football player, coach, and College Football Hall of Famer
 * Sean McDermott (born 1974), Head Coach for the Buffalo Bills
 * Zach Miller (born 1984), tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars
 * Clarence Mitchell (1891–1963), professional baseball pitcher
 * Darrell Mudra (born 1929), college football coach


 * N–Z


 * Gregg Olson (born 1966), MLB pitcher, 1989 Rookie of the Year
 * Jed Ortmeyer (born 1978), professional hockey player for the Minnesota Wild
 * Tom Osborne (born 1937), former football coach for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers
 * Zach Potter (born 1986), tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars
 * Ron Prince (born 1969), assistant offensive line coach for the Indianapolis Colts
 * James Raschke (born 1940), professional wrestler
 * Andy Roddick (born 1982), tennis star
 * Gale Sayers (born 1943), Football Hall of Fame running back for the Chicago Bears
 * Scott Shanle (born 1979), outside linebacker for the New Orleans Saints
 * Billy Southworth (1893–1969), manager of two World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals teams
 * George Stone (1876–1945), Major League Baseball left fielder; 1906 American League batting champion
 * Curtis Tomasevicz (born 1980), 2006 U.S. Olympic bobsledder and former Nebraska Cornhuskers football player
 * Jack Van Berg (1936–2017), Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer
 * "Gorgeous George" Wagner (1915–1963), professional wrestler
 * Dan Warthen (born 1952), former MLB pitcher and current pitching coach for the New York Mets
 * Danny Woodhead (born 1983), running back for the San Diego Chargers, attended Chadron State College
 * Jerry Zimmerman (1934–1998), MLB catcher for the Minnesota Twins
 * Greg Zuerlein (born 1987), placekicker for the St. Louis Rams

Fictional

 * "Penny", from The Big Bang Theory TV series, played by actress Kaley Cuoco
 * "Brock Samson", an OSI agent born in Omaha, on the Adult Swim show The Venture Bros.
 * "Warren Schmidt", an insurance agent from Omaha in the film About Schmidt, played by Jack Nicholson
 * "Ryan Bingham", the Omaha-based principal character from the film Up in the Air, played by George Clooney
 * "Tracy Flick" (Reese Witherspoon) and "Jim McAllister" (Matthew Broderick), student and teacher in Omaha suburb from Election
 * "Clara Allen", who owns a ranch near Ogallala, in the miniseries Lonesome Dove, played by Anjelica Huston
 * "Emma Greenway", a woman living in Kearney and hospitalized in Lincoln from the film Terms of Endearment, played by Debra Winger
 * "Whitey Marsh" (Mickey Rooney) and other characters in the Omaha-set 1938 film Boys Town, based on a true story
 * Members of the Strategic Air Command based in Omaha in the 1964 film Fail-Safe

Other

 * David Phelps Abbott (1863–1934), magician and author
 * Edith Abbott (1876–1957), economist, social worker, educator, and author
 * Grace Abbott (1878–1939), social worker and child welfare reformer
 * Walter Brueggemann (born 1933), Protestant Old Testament scholar and theologian
 * Lucas Cruikshank, maker of internet videos
 * Frank W. Cyr (1900–1995), educator, author, and "Father of the Yellow School Bus"
 * K. G. William Dahl (1883–1917), Lutheran minister and founder of the Bethphage Inner Mission in Axtell
 * Clayton Danks (1879–1970), inspiration of the cowboy on the Wyoming trademark, Bucking Horse and Rider, with the gelding horse Steamboat; born in O'Neill in Holt County, Nebraska
 * William Eugene Galbraith (1926–2012), businessman and National Commander of The American Legion (1967–68)
 * Merle Elwin Hansen (1919–2009), farmer and conservationist
 * Carmelita Hinton (1890–1983), progressive educator
 * John L. Loos (1918–2011), historian of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
 * Malcolm X (1925–1965), civil rights leader
 * Roscoe Pound (1870–1964), botanist, lawyer, and law professor and theorist
 * Teresa Scanlan (born 1993), Miss America 2011
 * Charles Starkweather (1938–1959), spree killer who murdered 11 victims
 * Brandon Teena (1972–1993), a trans man whose murder was the basis of the movie Boys Don't Cry
 * Virginia Lamp Thomas (born 1957), consultant for The Heritage Foundation; wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
 * Robert B. Wilson (born 1937), economist