List of Famous people born in North Carolina, United States of America

John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes and was at the forefront of free jazz. He led at least fifty recording sessions and appeared on many albums by other musicians, including trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist Thelonious Monk. Over the course of his career, Coltrane's music took on an increasingly spiritual dimension. He remains one of the most influential saxophonists in music history. He received numerous posthumous awards, including canonization by the African Orthodox Church and a Pulitzer Prize in 2007. His second wife was pianist and harpist Alice Coltrane. The couple had three children: John Jr. (1964–1982), a bassist; Ravi, a saxophonist; and Oran, also a saxophonist.

Nicholas Alan Searcy is an American character actor best known for portraying Chief Deputy United States Marshal Art Mullen on FX's Justified. He also had a major role in the Tom Hanks–produced miniseries From the Earth to the Moon as Deke Slayton. He also directed Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer, a film released on October 12, 2018.

Thomas Henry "Tom" Marshburn is an American physician and a NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of two spaceflights to the International Space Station.

George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 1st congressional district since 2004. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected in a special election after the resignation of Frank Ballance.

Chris Chavis is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. He is part of the Lumbee tribe. He is best known for his work with the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Tatanka from 1991 to 1996 and 2005 to 2007. His ring name is a Lakota word that means "buffalo".

Brandon Spikes is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for the University of Florida, was recognized as an All-American twice and was a member of two BCS National Championship teams. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Brian Willis Gutekunst is an American football executive who is currently the general manager for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL).

Otis Junior Nixon is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1983), Cleveland Indians (1984–87), Montreal Expos (1988–90), Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox (1994), Texas Rangers (1995), Toronto Blue Jays (1996–97), Los Angeles Dodgers (1997), Minnesota Twins (1998) and a final return to the Atlanta Braves (1999), in a career that spanned from 1983 to 1999. Nixon has the most career stolen bases (620) for a player who never appeared in an MLB All-Star game since the All-Star Game began in 1933.

Jeffrey Keith Varner is a former American real estate agent and television personality, a news anchor and reporter, a former entertainment reporter, and a veteran contestant on three seasons of the CBS reality television series, Survivor: The Australian Outback, Survivor: Cambodia, and Survivor: Game Changers.

Asha Jaquilla Degree went missing at the age of nine from Shelby, North Carolina, United States. In the early morning hours of February 14, 2000, for reasons unknown, she packed her bookbag, left her family home north of the city and began walking along nearby North Carolina Highway 18 despite heavy rain and wind. Several passing motorists saw her; when one turned around at a point 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from her home and began to approach her, she left the roadside and ran into a wooded area. In the morning, her parents discovered her absence. No one has seen her since.