List of people from Tennessee

The following is a list of prominent people who were born in the U.S. state of Tennessee, live (or lived) in Tennessee, or for whom Tennessee is significant part of their identity:

A

 * Roy Acuff (1903–1992), musician; born in Maynardville
 * Charlie Adams, drummer
 * Lily Afshar, classical guitarist, University of Memphis music professor
 * James Agee (1909–1955); Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, screenwriter, poet, critic; born in Knoxville
 * The Aldridge Sisters, singing duo on The Lawrence Welk Show (1977–1982)
 * Jessi Alexander (born 1976), singer-songwriter; born in Jackson
 * Lamar Alexander (born 1940), lawyer and U.S. Senator; born in Maryville
 * Duane Allman (1946–1971), guitarist; born in Nashville
 * Gregg Allman (born 1947), singer-songwriter, musician; born in Nashville
 * Jarrod Alonge (born 1993), comedian and musician; lives in Chattanooga
 * Monroe Dunaway Anderson, banker, cotton trader; from Jackson
 * William R. Anderson (1921–2007), naval officer, politician; born in Humphreys County
 * Jessica Andrews (born 1983), singer
 * Jill Andrews, singer-songwriter, musician, born in Johnson City
 * Lil Hardin Armstrong, jazz musician, wife of Louis Armstrong; from Memphis
 * Eddy Arnold (1918–2008), singer; born in Henderson
 * Victor Ashe, Knoxville mayor, Ambassador to Poland; born in Knoxville
 * Chet Atkins (1924–2001), guitarist and record producer; born in Luttrell
 * Doug Atkins (born 1930), Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end primarily with Chicago Bears
 * Rodney Atkins (born 1969), singer; born in Knoxville

B

 * DeFord Bailey (1897–1982), musician, Grand Ole Opry performer; from Smith County
 * Howard Baker (1925–2014), politician, U.S. Senator and White House Chief of Staff; born in Huntsville
 * Robert Baker (born 1979), actor; born in Memphis
 * Nathan L. Bachman (1878–1937), U.S. Senator
 * Ed Bailey (1931–2007), baseball player
 * Kelsea Ballerini (born 1993), singer; born in Mascot, grew up in Knoxville
 * George Franklin Barber (1854–1915), architect; lived in Knoxville
 * Ronnie Barrett (born 1954), firearms manufacturer; born in Murfreesboro
 * Ross Bass (1918–1993), U.S. Senator
 * William M. Bass (born 1928), forensic anthropologist
 * William B. Bate (1826–1905), governor and U.S. Senator
 * Daren Bates (born 1990), football player; born in Memphis
 * Kathy Bates (born 1948), Academy Award-winning actress; born in Memphis
 * Kate Batts (also known as The Bell Witch), mythic poltergeist
 * Robin Beard (1939–2007), politician; born in Knoxville
 * Casey Beathard, songwriter; from Spring Hill
 * Brian Bell (born 1968), guitarist; from Knoxville
 * John Bell (1796–1869), politician, Secretary of War under William Henry Harrison; from Mill Creek
 * Bill Belichick (born 1952), head coach of New England Patriots; born in Nashville
 * Jeff Bennett (born 1980), baseball pitcher; born in Donelson
 * Aaron Benward (born 1973), singer
 * Polly Bergen (born 1930), actress, singer, entrepreneur; born in Knoxville
 * Steven Berk (born 1949), physician and author; lived in Johnson City
 * George L. Berry (1882–1948), U.S. Senator
 * Mookie Betts (born 1992), baseball player; born in Brentwood
 * Greg Bird (born 1992), baseball player; born in Memphis
 * Tarik Black, basketball player
 * Joe Blanton (born 1980), baseball pitcher; born in Nashville
 * Jerry Blevins (born 1983), baseball pitcher; born in Johnson City
 * William Blount (1749–1800), statesman, governor and senator
 * Willie Blount (1768–1835), early governor of Tennessee
 * Julian Bond (1940–2015), activist, politician; born in Nashville
 * Alexander Bonnyman, Jr. (1910–1943), decorated U.S. Marine; raised in Knoxville
 * Arna W. Bontemps (1902–1973), poet and novelist
 * Maci Bookout, reality-TV personality
 * Pat Boone (born 1934), singer and actor; raised in Nashville
 * Rachel Boston (born 1982), actress; born in Chattanooga
 * Charles Boyce, syndicated cartoonist
 * Craig Wayne Boyd (born 1978), singer, winner of NBC's The Voice season 7; resides in Nashville
 * Richard Henry Boyd (1843–1922), founder, National Baptist Publishing Board
 * Jarrett Boykin (born 1989), football player; born in Chattanooga
 * Rod Brasfield (1910–1958), comedian
 * Corey Brewer (born 1986), basketball player; from Portland
 * Bill Brock (born 1930), U.S. Senator and U.S. Secretary of Labor
 * Rex Brothers (born 1987), baseball player; born in Murfreesboro
 * Clarence Brown (1890–1987), film director; attended school in Knoxville
 * John C. Brown (1827–1889), governor
 * Marlon Brown (born 1991), football player; born in Memphis
 * Neill S. Brown (1810–1896), governor
 * Gordon Browning (1889–1976), governor
 * Jonathan Browning (1805–1879), maker of firearms; born in Sumner County
 * William Gannaway Brownlow (1805–1877), editor and governor
 * James M. Buchanan, economist, Nobel laureate
 * John P. Buchanan (1847–1930), governor
 * Josh Bullocks (born 1983), football player; born in Chattanooga
 * Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924), English-born author; settled near Knoxville
 * Morgan Burnett, football player; born in Memphis
 * Kenneth C. Burns (1920–1989), musician, "Jethro" of Homer and Jethro
 * Charles Burson (born 1944), chief of staff for Al Gore; grew up in Shelby County
 * Jake Butcher (born 1936), banker and politician
 * Derrick Byars (born 1984), basketball player; born in Memphis
 * Joseph W. Byrns (1869–1936), 14-term congressman; born in Cedar Hill

C

 * Matt Cain, baseball pitcher
 * Mike Caldwell, football player
 * Duke Calhoun, football player
 * Mickey Callaway, baseball pitcher, coach
 * Archie Campbell, entertainer, Hee Haw star
 * William B. Campbell, governor
 * Guy Carawan, folk musician
 * Hattie Caraway, politician
 * Dixie Carter, actress
 * Kellye Cash, 1987 Miss America
 * June Carter Cash, singer
 * Rosanne Cash, singer
 * David Catching, singer
 * John Catron, Supreme Court justice
 * Tracy Caulkins, Olympic gold-medalist swimmer (born in Minnesota)
 * Benjamin F. Cheatham, Confederate general
 * Doc Cheatham, musician
 * Kitty Cheatham, singer
 * Richard Boone Cheatham, 19th-century mayor of Nashville
 * Richard Cheatham, 19th-century congressman
 * John R. Cherry III, film director
 * Kenny Chesney, singer
 * Henry Cho, comedian
 * Tyson Clabo, football player
 * Philander P. Claxton, educator
 * Jim Clayton, housing developer
 * Mark E. Clayton, politician
 * Frank G. Clement, governor of Tennessee
 * Chad Clifton, football player
 * Randall Cobb, football player
 * Fred Coe, television producer and director
 * Michael Coe, football player
 * Lynnette Cole, Miss USA 2000
 * Mark Collie, singer
 * Britton Colquitt, football player
 * Dustin Colquitt, punter for NFL's Kansas City Chiefs
 * Darby Conley, cartoonist
 * Lester Conner, basketball player and coach
 * John Cooper, musician, lead singer of Christian rock band Skillet
 * Prentice Cooper, governor
 * John I. Cox, governor
 * Morgan Cox, football player
 * Zack Cozart, baseball player
 * James Craig, actor
 * David "Davy" Crockett, frontiersman, politician, hero of the Alamo
 * Dixie Lee Crosby, early 19th-century entertainer
 * Edward Hull "Boss" Crump, politician, former mayor of Memphis
 * John Cullum, actor
 * Benny Cunningham, football player
 * Lowell Cunningham, comic-book writer
 * Miley Cyrus, singer

D

 * Orleans Darkwa, football player
 * Jeremy Davis, musician (originally from Arkansas)
 * Bill Dedman, journalist
 * Beauford Delaney, painter
 * Tony Delk, basketball player
 * Rick Dempsey, baseball player
 * George Roby Dempster, inventor
 * Jamie Denton, actor
 * Dale Dickey, actress
 * R.A. Dickey, baseball pitcher
 * Bobby Dodd, football coach
 * Shannen Doherty, actress
 * Andrew Jackson Donelson, diplomat
 * Desmond Doss, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, WWII
 * Aaron Douglas, painter
 * Josh Drake, music educator
 * Johnny Duncan, singer
 * King Dunlap, football player
 * Natalia Dyer, actress

E

 * Justin Townes Earle, musician
 * Edward H. East, acting governor
 * William Edmondson, folk art sculptor
 * Dan Evins, founder of Cracker Barrel

F

 * Nikki Fargas, basketball coach; grew up in Oak Ridge
 * David Farragut, admiral
 * Josh Farro, musician
 * Zac Farro, musician
 * Jerome Felton, football player
 * Larry Finch, basketball player
 * Ric Flair, wrestler
 * Lester Flatt, musician
 * Bruce Fleisher, golfer
 * Shelby Foote, author
 * Harold Ford, Jr., politician
 * Tennessee Ernie Ford, entertainer
 * Nathan Bedford Forrest, American Civil War officer, founder of the Ku Klux Klan
 * Logan Forsythe, baseball player
 * Abe Fortas, U.S. Supreme Court justice
 * Ramon Foster, football player
 * Megan Fox, actress
 * Aretha Franklin, singer
 * Aubrayo Franklin
 * James B. Frazier, governor
 * Morgan Freeman, Academy Award-winning actor
 * Bill Frist, physician and politician
 * Phillip Fulmer, football coach

G

 * A. H. Garland (1832–1899), politician; born in Tipton County
 * Phil Garner, baseball player and manager
 * Marc Gasol, basketball player
 * Jim Gilliam, baseball player
 * Nikki Giovanni, educator
 * Guilford Glazer, land developer
 * Ernest William Goodpasture, physician
 * Ginnifer Goodwin, actress
 * Al Gore, former Tennessee Senator, 45th Vice President of the United States under Bill Clinton (1993–2001), and 2000 Democratic nominee for president
 * Albert Gore, Sr., politician, senator, father of Al Gore
 * Yo Gotti, rapper
 * Lou Graham, golfer, 1975 U.S. Open champion
 * Aaron Grant, football player
 * Sonny Gray, baseball player
 * Justin Grimm, baseball player
 * Red Grooms, artist

H

 * Wayne Haddix, football player
 * Lucy Hale, actress and singer; Pretty Little Liars
 * Alex Haley, author
 * George Hamilton, actor
 * Ken Hamlin, football player
 * W.C. Handy, composer
 * Anne Haney, actress
 * William Happer, physicist
 * Penny Hardaway, basketball player
 * Chris Hardwick, comedian, actor, television personality, and host of At Midnight with Chris Hardwick; born in Kentucky but raised in Memphis
 * Greg Hardy, football player
 * Bob Harper, personal trainer
 * George "Two Ton" Harris, wrestler
 * Isham G. Harris, governor and U.S. Senator
 * Mary Styles Harris, biologist, geneticist
 * Phil Harris, actor, singer, bandleader
 * Nicole Taylor Hart, songwriter
 * Dennis Haskins, actor
 * James Haslam Jr., businessman, owner of NFL's Cleveland Browns
 * Trenton Hassell, basketball player
 * Donald Hawkins, football player
 * Whit Haydn, magician
 * Isaac Hayes, musician and actor
 * Henry D. Haynes, "Homer" of Homer and Jethro
 * Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns, boxer
 * Todd Helton, baseball player
 * Christina Hendricks, actress
 * Elaine Hendrix, actress
 * Jim Hickman, baseball player
 * Dont'a Hightower, football player
 * Hunter Hillenmeyer, football player
 * Thomas C. Hindman, Confederate general
 * Will Hoge, musician
 * Charles O. (Chad) Holliday, chief executive officer of Bank of America
 * Rick Honeycutt, baseball pitcher and coach
 * The Honky Tonk Man, professional wrestler
 * John Jay Hooker, attorney
 * Benjamin Hooks, minister, NAACP director
 * Ben W. Hooper, governor
 * Ed Hooper, author
 * Myles Horton, educator
 * Sam Houston, soldier and politician
 * Bailey Howell, basketball player
 * Allan B. Hubbard, National Economic Council Director
 * Dakota Hudson, baseball player
 * Dick Hudson, football player
 * Thomas Hughes, English author of Tom Brown's School Days; founded Rugby, Tennessee
 * Yolanda Hughes-Heying, IFBB professional bodybuilder
 * Cordell Hull, U.S. Secretary of State; recipient, Nobel Peace Prize
 * Claude Humphrey, football player
 * Con Hunley, singer
 * Courtney Hunt, screenwriter and director
 * Alberta Hunter, blues singer
 * Les Hunter, basketball player
 * Dennis Hwang, graphic artist

J

 * Juicy J, rapper and producer
 * Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States (1829–1837)
 * Howell Edmunds Jackson, Supreme Court Justice
 * Quinton Jackson, former UFC light heavyweight champion; born in Memphis
 * Samuel L. Jackson, actor
 * Mark Jacoby, performer
 * Claude Jarman Jr., actor
 * Jeff Jarrett, wrestler
 * Josh Jasper (born 1987), All-American college football player (placekicker)
 * Chad Jenkins, baseball player
 * John Jenkins, basketball player
 * William L. Jenkins, U.S. House of Representatives (R-TN-01) (1997–2007)
 * John Jerry, football player
 * Peria Jerry, football player
 * Michael Jeter, actor
 * Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States (1865–1869)
 * Thomas Johnson, football player
 * Cave Johnson, politician and U.S. Postmaster General (1865–1869)
 * Allan Jones, businessman and founder of Check Into Cash
 * Cherry Jones, actress
 * Christopher Jones, actor
 * Ed "Too Tall" Jones, football player
 * Jesse Holman Jones, politician
 * Popeye Jones, basketball player
 * Van Jones, environmental advocate
 * Caleb Joseph, baseball player

K

 * Josh Kear, songwriter
 * Estes Kefauver, U.S. Senator
 * David Keith, actor
 * Frank B. Kelso II, admiral
 * K.Michelle, singer
 * Kem, singer
 * Tony Kemp, baseball player
 * Kesha, singer
 * Daniel Kilgore, football player
 * Johnny Knoxville, actor
 * Bill Kovach, journalist
 * Joseph Wood Krutch, naturalist

L

 * Dan Landrum, hammered-dulcimer player
 * Walter Lang, film director
 * Lucille La Verne, actress
 * Jerry "The King" Lawler, professional wrestler
 * William P. Lawrence, U.S. Navy Vice admiral (United States)
 * Arthur Lee, musician
 * Clyde Lee, basketball player
 * Kai-Fu Lee, Google executive
 * Adriane Lenox, actress
 * Steve Liddle, baseball coach
 * Sondra Locke, actress
 * Z. Alexander Looby, lawyer
 * Horace Harmon Lurton, Supreme Court justice
 * Dustin Lynch, singer
 * Andrew Nelson Lytle, novelist

M

 * Jean (Faircloth) MacArthur, heiress, wife of General Douglas MacArthur
 * "Uncle Dave" Macon, musician and comedian
 * Bill Madlock, baseball player
 * Matt Mahaffey, musician
 * Johnny Majors, football coach
 * Delbert Mann, screenwriter and director
 * Shawn Marion, basketball player
 * Sterling Marlin, two-time Daytona 500 winner
 * Wink Martindale, television personality
 * Shaq Mason, football player
 * Christopher Massey, actor, rapper
 * Mike Massey, professional pool player
 * Matthew Fontaine Maury, oceanographer, astronomer
 * William Gibbs McAdoo, politician
 * Hill McAlister, governor
 * Macon McCalman, actor
 * Cormac McCarthy, novelist
 * Tim McCarver, baseball player and broadcaster
 * Ted McClain, basketball player
 * Jacques McClendon, football player
 * Michael McDonald, singer
 * Brownie McGhee, musician
 * Stick McGhee, musician
 * Ralph McGill, journalist
 * Kenneth McKellar, politician
 * Reggie McKenzie, football player and executive
 * Bill McKinney, basketball player
 * Jon Meacham, publishing executive
 * Jodie Meeks, basketball player
 * Edward J. Meeman, journalist
 * Ron Mercer, basketball player
 * Cary Middlecoff, golfer
 * Jerry Minor, actor
 * Mike Minor, baseball pitcher
 * John Mitchell, baseball pitcher
 * Chris Moneymaker, poker player; from Knoxville
 * Ashley Monroe, singer
 * Grace Moore, opera soprano
 * Shelly Moore, Miss Teen USA 1997
 * Craig Morgan, singer
 * Lorrie Morgan, singer
 * Bryan Morris, baseball player
 * Gideon Morris, trans-Appalachian pioneer and founder of Morristown, Tennessee
 * Ricky Morton, wrestler
 * Anson Mount, writer
 * James Cole Mountflorence, 19th-century diplomat
 * Mary Noailles Murfree
 * Robert Myers, football player

N

 * Elise Neal, actress
 * Patricia Neal, Academy Award-winning actress
 * Lindsey Nelson, sportscaster
 * Johnny Neumann, basketball player
 * Josef Newgarden, Indy Car driver
 * Robert Neyland, UT Vols football coach, namesake for Neyland Stadium
 * Alfred O. P. Nicholson, politician
 * Bishop James Daniel Niedergeses, clergyman
 * Kenneth Nixon, musician

O

 * Adolph Ochs, publisher
 * Oconostota
 * Joe O'Donnell, photojournalist
 * Michael Oher, football player
 * Joe Oliver, baseball player
 * Frank Omiyale, football player
 * Randall Keith Orton, professional wrestler
 * Claude Osteen, baseball pitcher
 * Jimmy Outlaw, baseball player
 * Park Overall, actress
 * Major Owens, politician

P

 * Bettie Page, model
 * John Palmer, television journalist
 * Matt Palmer, baseball pitcher
 * Hermes Pan, choreographer
 * Paramore, four members from Franklin
 * Cindy Parlow, soccer player and coach
 * Chris Parnell, comedian
 * Wes Parsons, baseball pitcher
 * Hope Partlow, singer
 * Dolly Parton, singer and actress
 * Randy Parton, singer
 * Stella Parton, actress
 * Elizabeth Patterson, actress
 * Quinton Patton, NFL player
 * Cameron Payne, NBA player
 * Minnie Pearl, comedian and Grand Ole Opry star
 * Puggy Pearson, professional poker player
 * Chad Pennington, NFL player
 * Sydney Penny, actress
 * Carl Perkins, musician
 * John J. Pettus, 23rd Governor of Mississippi (1859–1863)
 * John M. Pickard, actor
 * Vada Pinson, baseball player
 * Dontari Poe, NFL player
 * James K. Polk, 11th President of the United States (1845–1849)
 * Leonidas Polk, bishop
 * Sarah Childress Polk, First Lady of the United States, wife of President James K. Polk
 * Drew Pomeranz, baseball pitcher
 * James D. Porter, governor
 * Annie Potts, actress
 * Elvis Presley, "king of rock and roll", actor
 * David Price, baseball pitcher
 * Tommy Prothro, football coach
 * Will Provine, historian of science
 * Missi Pyle, actress and singer

Q

 * DJ Qualls, actor
 * Jimmy Quillen, politician

R

 * Dave Ramsey, author, motivational speaker
 * John Rankin, abolitionist
 * John Crow Ransom, educator and critic
 * Isaiah Rashad, rapper and songwriter
 * Wendell Rawls, Jr., journalist
 * Robbie Ray, baseball player
 * Sam Rayburn, politician
 * J. J. Redick, basketball player
 * B. Carroll Reece
 * Florence Patton Reece, folk singer
 * Jerry Reese, football executive
 * Brad Renfro, actor
 * Garrett Reynolds, football player
 * Grantland Rice, sportswriter
 * Herb Rich (1928–2008), 2x All-Pro NFL football player
 * John S. Roane, 4th Governor of Arkansas (1849–1852)
 * Lee Roberson, educator
 * Rick Roberson, basketball player
 * Albert H. Roberts, governor
 * James Robertson, explorer
 * Oscar Robertson, basketball player
 * Pat Robertson, televangelist
 * Charles P. Roland, historian
 * John Ross, Cherokee chief
 * Mitch Rouse, actor and director
 * Vic Rouse, basketball player
 * Mason Rudolph, golfer
 * Wilma Rudolph, athlete, Olympic gold medalist
 * Campy Russell, basketball player
 * Fred Russell, sportswriter
 * Thomas Clarke Rye, governor

S

 * Christine Sadler, journalist
 * Shane Salerno, screenwriter
 * Chip Saltsman, politician
 * William Sanderson, actor, Newhart, Deadwood, True Blood
 * Clarence Saunders, grocer
 * Dan Schneider, television producer
 * Aaron Schoenfeld (born 1990), Major League Soccer player
 * Tom Schulman, screenwriter
 * John T. Scopes, schoolteacher
 * Alvin Scott, basketball player
 * Hillary Scott, lead singer of Lady Antebellum
 * Josey Scott, lead singer of Saliva
 * Rhea Seddon, astronaut
 * John Seigenthaler, television journalist
 * John Michael Seigenthaler, television journalist
 * Gerald Sensabaugh, football player
 * Dewitt Clinton Senter, governor
 * Sequoyah
 * John Sevier, one of Tennessee's founding fathers
 * Paul Shanklin, satirist
 * Vicellous Reon Shannon, actor, The Hurricane, 24 Season 1
 * Cybill Shepherd, actress
 * William Shepherd, astronaut
 * T. G. Sheppard, singer
 * George Sherrill, baseball pitcher
 * John K. Shields, U.S. Senator
 * Dinah Shore, singer, actress and television personality
 * Daniel Simberloff, biologist
 * Benjamin "Pap" Singleton, activist
 * Jonathan Singleton, singer-songwriter
 * Bessie Smith, singer
 * Bingo Smith, basketball player
 * Brent Smith, lead singer of Shinedown
 * Daniel Smith, surveyor
 * Lane Smith, actor
 * Lee Smith, football player
 * Rachel Smith, Miss USA 2007
 * Bobby Sowell (born 1947), musician, songwriter
 * Richard Speight, Jr., actor
 * Steve Spurrier, football coach
 * Andrew Stevens, actor and producer
 * Tom Stewart, U.S. Senator
 * James Stone, football player
 * John M. Stone, politician
 * Harry Stonecipher, aviation executive
 * Thomas S. Stribling, writer
 * Samuel Stritch, archbishop
 * Pat Summitt, basketball coach
 * Frank Sutton, actor
 * Grady Sutton, actor
 * Lynn Swann, football player
 * Taylor Swift, singer-songwriter and record producer
 * Austin Swift, actor, brother of Taylor Swift

T

 * George Taliaferro, football player
 * Edward Talley, soldier; Medal of Honor recipient
 * Roscoe Tanner, tennis player
 * James Tappan (1825–1906), politician, lawyer, and Confederate general; born in Franklin
 * Quentin Tarantino, film director, actor, and screenwriter; born in Knoxville
 * Allen Tate, poet
 * Golden Tate, football player
 * Alfred A. Taylor, governor
 * Jordan Taylor, youtuber
 * Peter Taylor, author
 * Robert Love Taylor, governor and U.S. Senator
 * Jamie Teachenor, singer-songwriter
 * Three 6 Mafia
 * Jake Thomas, actor
 * Hugh F. Thomason (1826–1893), politician; born in Smith County
 * Fred Dalton Thompson, politician and actor
 * Faye Throneberry, baseball player
 * Marv Throneberry, baseball player
 * Isaac Tigrett, businessman, founder of Hard Rock Cafe
 * Justin Timberlake, singer and actor
 * Mageina Tovah, actress; Joan of Arcadia, the Spider-Man films
 * Andrew Triggs, baseball player
 * Elston Turner, basketball player
 * Tina Turner, singer
 * Peter Turney, governor

U

 * Usher, entertainer

V

 * Gore Verbinski, actor and director
 * Lark Voorhies, actress

W

 * Bill Wade, football player
 * Leon Wagner, baseball player
 * Barbara Jo Walker, Miss America 1947
 * William Walker, lawyer, journalist
 * Randall Wallace, screenwriter and director
 * Herbert S. Walters, U.S. Senator
 * Darrell Waltrip, auto racer, winner of 1989 Daytona 500
 * Calvin Ward, soldier; Medal of Honor recipient
 * Koko B. Ware, professional wrestler
 * Taylor Ware, singer
 * William W. Watkins (1826–1898), politician; born in Jefferson County
 * Cameron Watson, actor and director
 * Robert Penn Warren, author
 * David Weathers, baseball pitcher
 * Lucy Webb, comedian
 * Ida B. Wells, journalist (Originally from Mississippi)
 * Kitty Wells, singer
 * Scott Wells, football player
 * David West, baseball pitcher
 * Red West, stuntman, actor, associate of Elvis Presley
 * James Westerfield, actor
 * Kent Whitaker, culinary writer, chef (born in Kentucky, raised in Nashville)
 * Hugh Lawson White, politician
 * Reggie White, football player, Hall of Famer
 * Ed Whitson, baseball pitcher
 * John S. Wilder, politician
 * Snootie Wild, rapper
 * Dan Williams, football player
 * Elliot Williams, basketball player
 * Hayley Williams, singer for Paramore (originally from Mississippi)
 * Louis Williams, basketball player
 * Shawne Williams, basketball player
 * Sonny Boy Williamson, blues musician
 * Patrick Willis, football player
 * Cedrick Wilson, football player
 * E. Bright Wilson, chemist
 * Oprah Winfrey, talk show host, actress, producer (originally from Mississippi)
 * Don Wise, saxophonist, music producer, songwriter
 * Tim Wise, activist
 * Reese Witherspoon, Academy Award-winning actress
 * Jason Witten, football player, Dallas Cowboys
 * Brandan Wright, basketball player
 * Clyde Wright, baseball pitcher
 * K. J. Wright, football player

Y

 * Alvin York, World War I soldier who captured 132 Germans almost single-handedly, Sergeant York
 * Taylor York, guitarist
 * Young Buck, rapper
 * Chris Young, singer, winner of Nashville Star
 * Thaddeus Young, basketball player

Z

 * Chris Zachary, baseball player
 * Felix Zollicoffer, American Civil War general, congressman

Fictional characters

 * Anthony Stark