List of Famous people born in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Marcel Heller is a German footballer who plays as a winger for SC Paderborn 07.

Willem Gerard "Willi" Lippens is a former football player. He is nicknamed "Ente" due to his waddling. Born in Germany, he represented the Netherlands national football team.

Britta Jänicke is a paralympic athlete from Germany competing mainly in category F46 throwing events.

Horst Ludwig Georg Erich Wessel, commonly known as Horst Wessel, was a Berlin Sturmführer of the Sturmabteilung (SA), the Nazi Party's stormtroopers. After his murder in 1930, he was made into a martyr for the Nazi cause by Joseph Goebbels.

Wolfgang Overath is a former West German footballer. A true one-club man, Overath spent his entire professional career at 1. FC Köln. He represented his country three times in World Cup finals, culminating in 1974 with the 2–1 victory over the Netherlands on home soil. Primarily an attacking midfielder, Overath was known for his passing ability, technique and outstanding left foot.

Lary is a German singer, model and producer.

Manfred Ommer was a German sprinter. He competed in the men's 200 metres at the 1972 Summer Olympics representing West Germany.

David Wolf is a German professional ice hockey player who currently plays for Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He played five seasons in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) for the Hannover Scorpions and Hamburg Freezers between 2009 and 2014 before moving over to North America. Internationally, Wolf has represented Germany at both the junior and senior levels.

Michael Schrader is a German decathlete. He finished tenth at the 2008 Olympic Games. His personal best score is 8670 points, winning him the silver medal at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.

Sylvia Löhrmann is a German politician of the Green Party.