List of Famous people named J

Joanne Rowling, better known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She is best known for writing the Harry Potter fantasy series, which has won multiple awards and sold more than 500 million copies, becoming the best-selling book series in history. The books are the basis of a popular film series, over which Rowling had overall approval on the scripts and was a producer on the final films. She also writes crime fiction under the pen name Robert Galbraith.

Justin James Watt is an American football defensive end for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Wisconsin, and was drafted by the Texans in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

J. Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. Oppenheimer was the wartime head of the Los Alamos Laboratory and is among those who are credited with being the "father of the atomic bomb" for their role in the Manhattan Project, the World War II undertaking that developed the first nuclear weapons. The first atomic bomb was successfully detonated on July 16, 1945, in the Trinity test in New Mexico. Oppenheimer later remarked that it brought to mind words from the Bhagavad Gita: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." In August 1945, the weapons were used in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Jermaine Lamarr Cole is a German-born American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a musical career, he went on to release two additional mixtapes, The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010) both to critical acclaim, after signing to Jay-Z's Roc Nation imprint in 2009.

Earl Joseph "J. R." Smith III is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played high school basketball at New Jersey basketball powerhouse Saint Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark. He entered the NBA out of high school after being selected in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick by the New Orleans Hornets. He has also played for the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, as well as for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association. Smith has won two NBA Championships, with the Cavaliers in 2016 and with the Lakers in 2020.

Jeffrey Jacob Abrams is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for his work in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote or produced such films as Regarding Henry (1991), Forever Young (1992), Armageddon (1998), Cloverfield (2008), Star Trek (2009), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

Jonathan Clay "JJ" Redick is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected 11th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2006 NBA draft. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.

Julio Daniel Martinez is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played in MLB for the Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, and Arizona Diamondbacks. A right-handed thrower and batter, Martinez stands 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and weighs 221 pounds (100 kg).

José Álvaro Osorio Balvín, better known as J Balvin, is a Colombian reggaeton singer and songwriter. He has been referred to as the "Prince of Reggaeton", and is one of the best-selling Latin music artists with sales of more than 35 million records worldwide. Balvin was born in Medellín, Colombia. At age 17, he moved to the United States to learn English, where he lived in both Oklahoma and New York. He then returned to Medellín and gained popularity performing at clubs in the city.

Joshua Dobbie "J. D." McKissic is an American football running back for the Washington Football Team of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arkansas State, where he had 289 career receptions, which ranked first all-time in the Sun Belt Conference at the time of his graduation. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2016, and has also played for the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.