• 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)