- Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Clay) (1942-), boxing legend, activist (born and raised in Louisville)
- James Lane Allen (1849-1925), author, called the state's first important novelist (born near Lexington)
- Alben W. Barkley (1877-1956) Vice President of the United States (born in Graves County, lived much of his adult life in Paducah)
- Ned Beatty (1937-), actor (born in Louisville)
- James Best (born Jules Guy) (1926-), actor (born in Powderly, Muhlenberg County)
- Stephanie Bond, romantic fiction writer for Avon/HarperCollins and for Harlequin Books (raised in Olive Hill)
- Louis Brandeis (1856-1941), Supreme Court Justice (born and raised in Louisville)
- Steven Curtis Chapman (1962-), contemporary Christian musician (born and raised in Paducah)
- George Clooney (1961-), actor (born in Lexington, raised in Augusta)
- Rosemary Clooney (1928-2002), actress, singer; George's aunt (born and raised in Maysville)
- Billy Ray Cyrus (1961-), country singer, actor (born in Flatwoods)
- Jefferson Davis (1808-1889), President of the Confederacy (born in Todd County)
- Johnny Depp (1963-), actor (born in Owensboro)
- Bob Edwards (1947-), NPR radio host (born in Louisville)
- Don Everly (1937-), Early rock-and-roll singer, member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame, (born in Brownie, near Central City, Muhlenberg County)
- Steve Finley (1965-), Major League Baseball player (raised in Paducah)
- Larry Flynt (1942-), Hustler magazine publisher (born in Magoffin County)
- Crystal Gayle (1951-), country singer; sister of Loretta Lynn (born in Paintsville, raised in Johnson County)
- D. W. Griffith (1875-1948), filmmaker (born in Crestwood)
- Tom T. Hall, (1936-) country singer/songwriter (born in Olive Hill, Kentucky)
- Lionel Hampton (1908-2002), jazz legend, vibraphonist (born in Louisville)
- Paul Hornung (1935-), Pro Football Hall of Famer (born and raised in Louisville)
- Silas House (1971-), writer (raised in Corbin and Hyden)
- Ashley Judd (1968-), actress (raised in Ashland)
- Naomi Judd (1946-), country singer; mother of Ashley and Wynonna (born and raised in Ashland)
- Wynonna Judd (1964-), country singer (born and raised in Ashland)
- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th President of the United States (born in Larue County)
- Brian Littrell (1975-), Member of the Backstreet Boys (born in Lexington, Kentucky)
- Loretta Lynn (1935-), country singer (born and raised in Johnson County)
- Joe Maggard (1955-), Ronald McDonald actor (born in Lynch)
- Victor Mature (1915-1999), actor (born in Louisville)
- Dwain Messer, country singer (raised in Olive Hill, Kentucky)
- Bill Monroe (1911-1996), "father of bluegrass music" and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, (born and raised in Ohio County)
- Garrett A. Morgan (1877-1963), traffic light inventor (born in Paris)
- Carry A. Nation, Prohibitionist (born in Garrard County)
- Warren Oates (1928-1982), actor (born in Depoy, Muhlenberg County)
- Joan Osborne (1963-), singer, songwriter (born in Anchorage, now a part of Louisville)
- Annie Potts (1952-), actress (born in Franklin)
- Pee Wee Reese (1918-1999), Baseball Hall of Famer (born and raised in Louisville)
- Kevin Richardson (1971-), member of the Backstreet Boys (born in Lexington, Kentucky)
- Don Rosa (1951-), Donald Duck illustrator, cartoonist (born in Louisville)
- Jeri Ryan, actress (raised in Paducah)
- Col. Harland Sanders (1890-1980), founder of KFC (lived most of his adult life in Corbin and Louisville)
- Diane Sawyer (1945-), TV journalist (born and raised in Glasgow)
- Ricky Skaggs (1954-), bluegrass/country artist (born and raised in Lawrence County)
- Harry Dean Stanton (1926-), actor (born in West Irvine, Estill County)
- Hunter S. Thompson (1931), journalist, writer (born in Louisville)
- Merle Travis (1917-1983), Country Music Legend and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, (born in Rosewood, Muhlenberg County)
- Gus Van Sant (1952-), director (born in Louisville)
- Jim Varney (1945-2000), comedian, actor (born in Lexington, Kentucky)
- Darrell Waltrip (1947-), former NASCAR driver, current NASCAR broadcaster (born and raised in Owensboro)
- Michael Waltrip (1963-), NASCAR driver; Darrell's brother (born and raised in Owensboro)
- Robert Penn Warren (1905-1989), poet, writer (born in Guthrie)
- Chuck Woolery (1940-), TV host (born in Ashland)
- Dwight Yoakam, country singer (raised in Pikeville)
|