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

Bright Akwo Arrey-Mbi is a German professional footballer who plays as a defender for Bayern Munich II.

Rainer Mausfeld is a retired German professor of psychology at Kiel University. He did research on the psychology of perception, cognitive science, and the history of psychology. His publications since 2015, about manipulation in media and politics and the transformation of representative democracy to neoliberal elite democracy, have gained considerable attention.

Bastian Oczipka is a German footballer who plays as a left back for Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga.

Helmut Kremers is a former German football player. His twin brother, Erwin Kremers, also played as a German international with the two brothers playing with each other regularly. Helmut and Erwin Kremers are the first ever twins to play in the Bundesliga.

Peter Schäfer is a prolific German scholar of ancient religious studies, who has made contributions to the field of ancient Judaism and early Christianity through monographs, co-edited volumes, numerous articles, and his trademark synoptic editions. He was a Professor of Religion and the Ronald O. Perelman Professor of Judaic Studies at Princeton University from 1998 to 2013. He was the director of the Jewish Museum of Berlin until June 2019 when he resigned amid criticism after a museum spokesperson issued a tweet critical of a Bundestag resolution that said the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement had an anti-semitic character. Subsequently, he received letters of support from 95 museum directors and curators, 445 Jewish studies scholars and 45 Talmudists.

Hülya Şahin, aka Julia "Sunshine" Sahin, is a German professional female boxer. She is a former world champion in kickboxing and was world champion in amateur boxing as well. As of September 1, 2007, she is the undefeated WIBF world junior flyweight (48 kg) champion. The 1.60 m tall sportswoman lives in Cologne, Germany. Hülya is an educated locksmith, working currently for the Cologne Transit Company (KVB) in the maintenance of ticket machines in trams.

Daniel Ginczek is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg. His paternal grandparents are from Poland.

Eva Anna Kotthaus was a German actress.

Stephan Paßlack is a German former football defender. At international level, he represented Germany playing for the U-21 team, the B team and the first team with whom he earned four caps scoring one goal.

Maximilian Lenz, known by his stage name WestBam, is a German DJ and musician. He is the co-founder of the record label Low Spirit.