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

Axel Rudi Pell is a German heavy metal guitar player. He commenced his musical career with Steeler (1984–88) before leaving in 1988 for a solo career. During this time, he has played with such drummers as Jörg Michael and Mike Terrana, and singers Charlie Huhn, Johnny Gioeli of Hardline, Jeff Scott Soto, and Rob Rock. Gioeli remains the longest surviving vocalist of the band, having joined the group since 1998 on the album Oceans of Time, Gioeli's first musical appearance since the 1992 Hardline album Double Eclipse.

Michael Niedrig is a German former footballer. He made his professional debut for 1. FC Köln in the 2003–04 season.

Horst Steffen is a German football coach and a former player. He currently manages SV Elversberg.

Salih Özcan is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for 1. FC Köln.

Giovanni Federico is a German–born Italian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

Dilek Gürsoy is a German heart surgeon of Turkish descent. In 2012, she became the first female surgeon in Europe to implant an artificial heart.

Christian Pander is a German footballer who plays as a left back. He is currently a free agent, having most recently served Hannover 96 of the Bundesliga. He is known for his powerful left-foot free-kicks and willingness to burst up the left wing.

Ann-Kristin Achleitner is a German economist, currently a professor at Technical University of Munich.

Annike Berit Krahn is a former German footballer who played as a centre back.

Stephan Luckhaus is a German mathematician who is a professor at the University of Leipzig working in pure and applied analysis. His PhD was obtained in 1978 under the supervision of Willi Jäger at the University of Heidelberg. He was elected to the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in 2007.