List of people from Delaware
State Flag of Delaware
This is a list of all people prominent enough to be contained in Wikipedia who were associated with the state of Delaware, including those who were born, lived or were otherwise associated with locally performed activities in a recognizable way.
A
- Wilbur L. Adams (1884–1937), U.S. Representative from Delaware
- J. Edward Addicks (1841–1919), gas tycoon whose attempts to buy a Senate seat bolstered support for the 17th Amendment
- Richard Allen (1760-1831), founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
- William F. Allen (1883–1946), U.S. Representative from Delaware
- J. Frank Allee (1857–1938), jeweler and U.S Senator from Delaware
- Ann Althouse (born 1951), law professor, legal blogger; born in Wilmington
- Thomas L. Ambro (born 1949), Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals
- John Andrews (1746–1813), minister and academic
- Anthony J. Arduengo, III (born 1952), chemist, material scientist, discoverer of Stable Carbenes
- Adrienne Arsht (born 1942), lawyer and philanthropist
B
- Walter W. Bacon (1879–1962), Mayor of Wilmington and Governor of Delaware
- John Backus (1924–2007), computer scientist, invented Fortran and Backus–Naur Form
- L. Heisler Ball (1861–1932), U.S. Representative and Senator from Delaware
- Samuel Bancroft (1840-1915), industrialist and art philanthropist
- William Poole Bancroft (1835-1928), industrialist and land conservationist
- Phineas Banning (1830–1885), businessman and entrepreneur in Delaware and California
- Richard Bassett (1745–1815), U.S. Senator and Governor of Delaware
- Alice M. Batchelder (born 1944), attorney and judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- Martin W. Bates (1786–1869), State Representative and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Alexis I. du Pont Bayard (1918–1985), veteran of World War II and Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
- James A. Bayard, Sr. (1767–1815), U.S. Representative and Senator from Delaware
- James A. Bayard, Jr. (1799–1880), U.S. Attorney and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Richard H. Bayard (1796–1868), Chief Justice and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Thomas F. Bayard (1828–1898), U.S. Senator from Delaware and U.S. Secretary of State
- Thomas F. Bayard, Jr. (1868–1942), U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Gunning Bedford, Sr. (1742–1797), Revolutionary officer and Governor of Delaware
- Gunning Bedford, Jr. (1747–1812), lawyer and Continental Congressman from Delaware
- Caleb P. Bennett (1758–1836), Revolutionary officer and Governor of Delaware
- Sheena Benton (born 1982), Miss Delaware USA in 2005
- Valerie Bertinelli (born 1960), actress (One Day at a Time, Hot in Cleveland)
- Mahlon Betts (1795-1867), banker and transportation businessman
- Stephen Biddle (born 1959), author, historian, policy analyst and columnist
- Jill Biden (born 1951), college professor, Second Lady of the United States
- Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (born 1942), 47th Vice President of the United States and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III (born 1969), lawyer and Attorney General of Delaware
- Benjamin T. Biggs (1821–1893), U.S. Representative and Governor of Delaware
- John Biggs, Jr. (1895-1979), former Chief Judge of the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
- Clyde Bishop, U.S. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands
- Emily Bissell (1861-1948), anti-suffragist, introduced Christmas seals to the U.S.
- Cedella Booker (1926–2008), singer, Jamaica native, mother of singer Bob Marley
- Nicole Bosso (born 1986), Miss Delaware USA 2007
- J. Caleb Boggs (1909–1993), Governor and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- William H. Boyce (1855–1942), Justice of the Superior Court and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- John Walter Bratton (1867–1947), Tin Pan Alley composer
- Madison Brengle, (born 1990) tennis player and 2007 Juniors Wimbledon runner-up
- Jay Briscoe, (born 1984), Professional wrestler and 8 time ROH World Tag Team Champion with his brother Mark
- Mark Briscoe (born 1985), Professional wrestler and 8 time ROH World Tag Team Champion with his brother Jay
- Dennis Brockenborough, trombone player
- Franklin Brockson (1865–1942), State Representative and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- James M. Broom (1776–1850), lawyer and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Hugh T. Broomall (born 1948], Major General, Delaware Air National Guard
- Clifford Brown (1930–1956), influential jazz trumpeter
- C. Douglass Buck (1890–1965), Governor and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- David P. Buckson (born 1920), Attorney General and Governor of Delaware
- Edward G. Budd (1870-1946), automotive inventor, founder of the Budd Company
- Colin Burns, (born 1982), professional soccer player in Norway
- Hiram R. Burton, (1841–1927), physician and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- William Burton, (1789–1866), physician and Governor of Delaware
- William Sharp Bush (17??–1812), U.S. Marine award winner in the War of 1812
C
- Henry Seidel Canby (1878-1961), educator and editor of The Saturday Review of Literature
- Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941), pioneering female astronomer
- Philip L. Cannon (1850–1929), Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
- William Cannon (1809–1865), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Joseph M. Carey (1845–1924), lawyer and politician from Wyoming, born in Delaware
- John Carney (born 1956), U.S. Representative for Delaware
- Wallace Carothers (1896-1937), chemist, inventor of neoprene and nylon
- Charles I. Carpenter (1906-1994), Major General and the first Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force
- R. R. M. Carpenter (1877-1949), businessman, DuPont executive, owner of the Philadelphia Phillies
- R. R. M. Carpenter, Jr. (1915-1990), owner of the Philadelphia Phillies
- Ruly Carpenter (born 1940), former owner of the Philadelphia Phillies
- Walter S. Carpenter, Jr. (1888-1976), businessman, oversaw construction of Manhattan Project facilities
- Thomas R. Carper (born 1947), Governor and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Vincenza Carrieri-Russo Miss Delaware USA 2008, Miss United State 2014 2nd Runner Up
- Elbert N. Carvel (1910–2005), businessman and Governor of Delaware
- Michael N. Castle (born 1939), U.S. Representative and Governor of Delaware
- John W. Causey (1841–1908), farmer and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Peter F. Causey (1801–1871), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- John T. Chain, Jr. (born 1934), U.S. Air Force General, commander of Strategic Air Command
- Alfred D. Chandler, Jr. (1918–2007), business history at Harvard, born of Guyencourt, Delaware
- Thomas H. Chilton (1899-1972), pioneer of modern chemical engineering, member of the Manhattan Project
- Uma Chowdhry (born 1947), scientist
- Anne Rogers Clark (1929–2006), dog breeder and trainer, associate in Delaware
- John Clark (1761–1821), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- John M. Clayton (1796–1856), U.S. Senator from Delaware and U.S. Secretary of State
- Joshua Clayton (1744–1798), Governor and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Thomas Clayton (1777–1854), Chief Justice and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- John P. Cochran (1809–1898), farmer and Governor of Delaware
- Ashley Coleman (born 1981), Miss Teen 1999 of Delaware
- Isaac Collins (1746-1817), early American printer, freedom of the press activist
- John Collins (1776–1822), manufacturer and Governor of Delaware
- Thomas Collins (1732–1789), General Assembly and as President of Delaware
- Cornelius P. Comegys (1780–1851), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Joseph P. Comegys (1813–1893), U.S. Senator and Chief Justice of Delaware
- John Cook (1730–1789), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Charles "Tarzan" Cooper (1907–1980), Philadelphia professional basketball player
- Thomas Cooper (1764–1829), General Assembly and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- William B. Cooper (1777–1849), General Assembly and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Lammot du Pont Copeland (1905-1983), head of the DuPont Company from 1962-1967, co-founder of Population Action International
- Junnie Cross (born 1978), Miss Delaware 2000
- Louise E. du Pont Crowninshield (1877-1958), philanthropist, preservationist, founding trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
- Robert Crumb (born 1943), artist and illustrator lived in Milford and Dover, Delaware
- Elisha D. Cullen (1799–1862), lawyer and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- Nancy Currie (born 1958), astronaut
D
- Carl A. Danberg (born 1964), lawyer and Attorney General of Delaware
- F. O. C. Darley (1822-1888), painter and illustrator
- Jessica Darlin (born 1976), porn star, born in Delaware
- Samuel Davies (1723-1761), writer, preacher, 4th President of Princeton University
- Jehu Davis (1738–1802), General Assembly and President of Delaware
- Elena Delle Donne (born 1989), WNBA basketball player
- Matthew P. Denn (born 1966), Insurance Commissioner and Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
- William D. Denney (1873–1953), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Delino DeShields (born 1969), major league baseball player, born in Delaware
- John Dickinson (1732–1808), President of Delaware and of Pennsylvania
- Mary Norris Dickinson (1740-1803), owner of one of the largest libraries in colonial America
- Philemon Dickinson (1739–1809), Continental Congressman from Delaware and U. S. Senator from New Jersey
- John Dossett, actor and singer
- Dave Douglas (1918–1978), professional golfer in the 1940s and 1950s from Delaware
- Alexis Felix du Pont, Jr. (1905-1996), aviator, co-founder of the predecessor of US Airways
- Alfred I. du Pont (1864-1935), businessman, philanthropist who established the Nemours Foundation
- Alfred V. du Pont (1798-1856), head of the DuPont Company from 1837-1850
- Charles I. du Pont (1797–1869), manufacturer and the Delaware General Assembly
- E. Paul du Pont (1887-1950), founder of Du Pont Motors, president of Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company
- Éleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834), founder of the DuPont Company
- Eugene du Pont (1840-1902), head of the DuPont Company from 1889-1902
- Henry du Pont (1812-1889), head of the DuPont Company, Major General during the Civil War
- Henry A. du Pont (1838–1926), veteran of the Civil War and U. S. Senator from Delaware
- Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969), art collector, established the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library
- Irénée du Pont (1876-1963), head of the DuPont Company from 1919-1926
- Lammot du Pont I (1831-1884), scientist, inventor, soldier during the Civil War
- Lammot du Pont II (1880-1952), head of the DuPont Company from 1926-1940
- Pierre S. du Pont (1870-1954), inventor, President of DuPont Company and General Motors
- Pierre S. du Pont, IV (born 1935), U. S. Representative and Governor of Delaware
- Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817), helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris and the Louisiana Purchase
- Richard C. du Pont (1911-1943), aviator, co-founder of the predecessor of US Airways
- Samuel Francis Du Pont (1803–1865), Rear Admiral in the United States Navy
- T. Coleman du Pont (1863–1930), President of DuPont Company and U. S. Senator from Delaware
- Victor Marie du Pont (1767–1827), manufacturer and the Delaware General Assembly
- Sara Dylan (born 1939), first wife of Bob Dylan, born in Delaware
E
- Mark Eaton (born 1977), professional ice hockey player born in Delaware
- Richard H. Ellis (1919–1989), General and commander in chief of the Strategic Air Command, from Delaware
- Raúl Esparza (born 1970), actor, born in Delaware
- Oliver Evans (1755–1819), inventor, born in Delaware
- Thomas B. Evans, Jr. (born 1931), lawyer and U. S. Representative from Delaware
F
- George P. Fisher (1817–1899), U. S. Representative from Delaware and Justice of District Court
- William H. Forwood (1838-1915), 19th Surgeon General of the United States Army
- Wayne Franklin (born 1974), professional baseball player born in Wilmington
- Louis Freeh (born 1950), fifth Director of the FBI, lives in Wilmington
- Yvette Freeman (born 1957), actress, born in Wilmington
- J. Allen Frear, Jr. (1903–1993), WWII veteran and U.S. Senator from Delaware
G
- Thomas Garrett (1789–1871), abolitionist and leader in the Underground Railroad
- Michael Gibson (1944 - 2005), Broadway trombonist and musical arranger; born in Wilmington
- Commodore John P. Gillis (1803–1873), officer in the United States Navy, born in Wilmington
- Bill Gore (1912–1986), scientist, founder of W. L. Gore and Associates
- Robert W. Gore (born 1937), businessman, inventor of Gore-Tex
- Joseph (Joey) Graham (born 1982), professional basketball player, born in Wilmington
- Stephen Graham (born 1982), professional basketball player, born in Wilmington
- George Gray (1840–1925), Judge of U.S. Court of Appeals and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Dallas Green (born 1934), former pitcher, manager, and executive in Major League Baseball; born in Newport
- Crawford Hallock Greenewalt (1902-1993), president of the DuPont Company and the American Philosophical Society
- Crawford Hallock Greenewalt, Jr. (1937-2012), award-winning archaeologist
H
- David Hall (1752–1817), Continental Army officer and Governor of Delaware
- John W. Hall (1817–1893), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Willard Hall (1780–1875), U. S. Representative and Justice for the United States District Court
- L. Irving Handy (1861–1922), educator and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- Kwame Harris (born 1982), professional football player; born in Newark
- Orien Harris (born 1983), professional football player; born in Newark
- John Haslet (c. 1727–1777) Revolutionary War soldier from Milford
- Joseph Haslet (1769–1823), farmer and Governor of Delaware
- Harry G. Haskell, Jr. (born 1921), businessman and U.S. Representative from Delaware.
- Daniel O. Hastings (1874–1966) lawyer and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- David Hazzard (1781–1864), Associate Justice and Governor of Delaware
- Walt Hazzard (born 1942), college, Olympic and professional basketball player; college basketball coach; born in Wilmington
- William H. Heald (1864–1939), lawyer and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- Henry Heimlich (born 1920), physician, invented the Heimlich Maneuver; born in Wilmington
- Anthony Higgins (1840–1912), lawyer and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- John H. Hoffecker (1827–1900), engineer and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- Walter O. Hoffecker (1854–1934), businessman and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- General Thomas Holcomb (1879–1965), 17th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps; born in New Castle
- Outerbridge Horsey (1777–1842), General Assembly and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Cisco Houston (1918–1961), folk singer closely associated with Woody Guthrie, born in Wilmington
- Henry A. Houston (1847–1925), businessman and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- John W. Houston (1814–1896), U.S. Representative and Justice of Delaware Superior Court
- Robert G. Houston (1867–1946), lawyer and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Richard Howell (1754-1802), 3rd Governor of New Jersey, born in Newark
- James H. Hughes (1867–1953), lawyer and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- John Hunn (1818–1894), farmer and abolitionist, from Odessa
- John Hunn (1849–1926), businessman and Governor of Delaware
- Doug Hutchison (born 1960), actor, born in Dover
J
- John Johns (1796-1876), college president, bishop, brother of Kensey Johns, Jr
- Kensey Johns, Jr. (1791–1857), U.S. Representative and Chancellor of Delaware
- Eldridge R. Johnson (1867–1945), co-created the Victor Talking Machine Company, born in Wilmington
- Judy Johnson (1899-1989), acclaimed player in Negro league baseball, baseball Hall of Famer
- Absalom Jones (1746-1818), abolitionist, minister
- Commodore Jacob Jones (1768–1850), officer in the U.S. Navy; born near Smyrna
- Kent A. Jordan (born 1957), Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals
K
- Dorothy Andrews Elston Kabis (1917-1971), Treasurer of the United States
- Edward E. Kaufman (born 1939), U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Dyre Kearney (died 1791), lawyer and delegate to the Continental Congress from Delaware
- Pat Kenney (born 1968), professional wrestler (stage name: Simon Diamond); born in Wilmington, Delaware
- Richard R. Kenney (1856–1931), lawyer and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Patrick Kerr (born 1956), television actor; born in Wilmington, Delaware
- Muqtedar Khan (born 1966), Islamic intellectual and Professor at the University of Delaware
- Robert Kirkwood (1746-1791), officer during the Revolutionary War
- Horace G. Knowles (1863-1937), U.S. Ambassador to five countries under three different presidents
- Ellen J. Kullman (born 1956), president and CEO of DuPont Company
- Stephanie Kwolek (1923-2014), scientist, inventor of Kevlar
L
- Henry Latimer (1752–1819), U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Caleb R. Layton (1851–1930), physician and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- Daniel J. Layton (1879–1960), Chief Justice and Attorney General of Delaware
- Isaac Lea (1792–1886), conchologist, geologist, business man; born in Wilmington
- Preston Lea (1841–1916), businessman and Governor of Delaware.
- Jennifer Leigh (Born August 10, 1983), Also known and Jennicide, professional poker player, playboy model.
- Judith LeClair (born 1958), bassoonist (New York Philharmonic), of faculty of Juilliard School; from Newark
- Warren Lewis (1882–1975), prominent chemical engineer and MIT professor
- John Bernard "Hans" Lobert (1881–1968), Major League Baseball player, coach, manager and scout; born in Wilmington
- Henry Hayes Lockwood (1814-1899), co-founder of the US Naval Academy, Brigadier General during the Civil War
- James R. Lofland (1823–1894), lawyer and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- Edward L. Loper, Sr. (1916-2011), impressionist and colorist artist from Wilmington, Delaware
- Charles B. Lore (1831–1911), lawyer and U. S. Representative from Delaware
M
- John Mabry (born 1970), professional baseball player; born in Wilmington
- Isaac J. MacCollum (1889–1968), physician and Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
- Thomas MacDonough (1783- 1825), United States Navy commodore, victor of the Battle of Lake Champlain in the War of 1812
- Jack A. Markell (born 1960), State Treasurer and Governor of Delaware
- Edward L. Martin (1837–1897), lawyer and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- Joshua H. Marvil (1825–1895), merchant and Governor of Delaware
- Joseph Maull (1781–1846), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Thomas M'Clintock (1792-1876), abolitionist, women's rights activist
- James D. McGinnis (1932–2009), realtor and Lieutenant Governor of Delaware.
- Eleazer McComb (died 1798), Continental soldier and Continental Congressman from Delaware
- Harris B. McDowell, Jr. (1906–1988), General Assembly and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- Bill McGowan (1896-1954), Baseball Hall of Fame umpire
- Bernie McInerney (born 1936), actor; born in Wilmington
- Thomas McKean (1734–1817), Chief Justice and Governor of Pennsylvania
- Thomas McKean Thompson McKennan (1794–1852), 2nd U.S. Secretary of the Interior
- John McKinly (1721–1796), General Assembly and President of Delaware
- Marshall Kirk McKusick (born 1954), computer scientist
- Louis McLane (1786–1857), U.S. Representative from Delaware, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and U.S. Secretary of State
- Robert Milligan McLane (1815-1898), ambassador to Mexico, France, and China, governor of Maryland, son of Louis McLane
- Richard C. McMullen (1868–1944), manufacturer and Governor of Delaware
- William Medill (1802-1865), Governor of Ohio, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Comptroller of the U.S. Treasury
- Charles R. Miller (1857–1927), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Thomas W. Miller (1886–1973), lawyer and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Henry Milligan (born 1958) AAU heavyweight boxing champion in1983
- John J. Milligan (1795–1875), lawyer and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- David L. Mills (born 1938), computer engineer and internet pioneer
- Ruth Ann Minner (born 1935), Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Delaware
- Nathaniel Mitchell (1753–1815), Continental Congressman and Governor of Delaware
- Roxanne Modafferi (born 1982), mixed martial artist, born in Wilmington
- Henry Molleston (1762–1819), General Assembly and elected Governor of Delaware
- Hugh Montgomery (died 1780), sea captain, raised the first American flag in a foreign port
- Jacob Moore, Attorney General of Delaware
- John Bassett Moore (1860-1947), member of the Hague Tribunal, first American judge on the World Court
- Morgan Morgan (1688-1766), pioneer
- Hugh M. Morris, federal judge
N
- Daniel Nathans (1928-1999), scientist, winner of the Nobel Prize
- Arnold Naudain (1790–1892), General Assembly and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Alice Dunbar Nelson (1875-1935), poet, journalist, anti-lynching activist
- David M. Nelson (1920-1991), football coach in the College Football Hall of Fame
- John A. Nicholson (1827–1906), lawyer and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- Garrett Neff (born 1984), model
O
- John W. O'Daniel, United States Army general, commander of the Third Infantry Division during World War II
- Christine O'Donnell (born 1969), Republican candidate for Senate in 2006, 2008, and 2010
- Ed Oliver (1915-1961), professional golfer
- Montell Owens, professional football player
- Mehmet Oz, surgeon, television personality. Attended Tower Hill School
P
- William Jackson Palmer (1836–1909) Civil War general, railroad developer, and philanthropist, born in Leipsic
- Rudolph Pariser (born 1923), scientist, formulator of the Pariser–Parr–Pople method
- George Parshall (born 1929), scientist, chemical weapons destruction activist
- John Patten (1746–1800), General Assembly and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Samuel Paynter (1768–1845), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Charles J. Pedersen (1904-1989), winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, lived in Delaware from 1927-1969
- William Peery (1743–1800), General Assembly and Continental Congressman from Delaware
- John B. Penington (1825–1902), Attorney General and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- Simeon S. Pennewill (1867–1935), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Russell W. Peterson (born 1916), scientist and Governor of Delaware, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, president of the National Audubon Society
- Daniel Pfeiffer (born 1975), Senior Advisor to the President under President Barack Obama
- Ryan Phillippe (born 1974), actor, born in New Castle
- Aubrey Plaza (born 1984), actress, comedienne, April Ludgate on Parks and Recreation
- David Plouffe (born 1967), Senior Adviser to the Obama administration; born in Wilmington
- Albert F. Polk (1869–1955), lawyer and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Charles Polk, Jr. (1788–1857), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Teri Polo (born 1969), actress; born in Dover
- James Ponder (1819–1897), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- William Poole (born 1937), member of the Council of Economic Advisers, chief executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
- Bill Press (born 1940), talk radio host, liberal commentator, author
- Ellen Bernard Thompson Pyle (1876-1936), illustrator of covers for The Saturday Evening Post; student and sister-in-law of Howard Pyle
- Howard Pyle (1853–1911), illustrator and author, founder of the Brandywine School
- Katharine Pyle (1863-1938), illustrator and author
- Joe Pyne, broadcaster
R
- John J. Raskob (1879-1950), businessman and builder of the Empire State Building
- Harold R. "Tubby" Raymond (born 1926), football coach in the College Football Hall of Fame
- George Read (1733–1798), U.S. Senator from Delaware and Chief Justice of Delaware
- George Read, Jr. (1765-1836), U.S. Attorney from Delaware, built the Read House and Gardens
- Thomas Read (1740-1788), the first Commodore in the Continental Navy
- Louis L. Redding (1901-1998), civil rights attorney, participant in the Brown v. Board of Education case
- Judge Reinhold (born 1957), actor, born in Wilmington
- Eugene Reybold (1884–1961), Chief of Engineers (Army Corps of Engineers)during World War II
- Robert J. Reynolds (1838–1909), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Harry A. Richardson (1853–1928), businessman and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- John E. Rickards (1848-1927), 2nd Governor of Montana
- George R. Riddle (1817–1867), U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Henry M. Ridgely (1779–1847), U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Robert P. Robinson (1869–1939), banker and Governor of Delaware
- Thomas Robinson, Jr. (1800–1843), lawyer and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Caesar Rodney (1728–1784), Continental Congressman and President of Delaware
- Caesar A. Rodney (1772–1824), U.S. Senator from Delaware and U.S. Attorney General
- Caleb Rodney (1767–1840), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware.
- Daniel Rodney (1764–1846), Governor and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- George B. Rodney (1803–1883), lawyer and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Thomas Rodney (1744–1811),General Assembly and Continental Congressman from Delaware
- Daniel Rogers (1754–1806), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- John W. Rollins (1916–2000), businessman and Lieutenant Governor of Delaware.
- David Roselle (born 1939), mathematician and academic administrator
- George Ross (1730-1779), represented Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress
- William H. H. Ross (1814–1887), farmer and Governor of Delaware
- Jane Richards Roth (born 1935), Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals
- William V. Roth, Jr. (1923–2003), U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator from Delaware, and namesake of the Roth IRA and the Roth 401(k) retirement savings plans.
- Cynthia Rothrock (born 1957), martial artist, actress
S
- Eli M. Saulsbury (1817–1893), General Assembly and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Gove Saulsbury (1815–1881), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware.
- Willard Saulsbury, Sr. (1820–1892), Chancellor of Delaware and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Willard Saulsbury, Jr. (1861–1927), lawyer and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Frank Schoonover (1877-1972), prominent illustrator of the Brandywine School
- Marion duPont Scott (1894-1983), preservationist, last private owner of James Madison's Montpelier, born in Wilmington
- Collins J. Seitz (1914-1998), U.S. Court of Appeals judge, presided over Gebhart v. Belton case
- Virginia A. Seitz (born 1956), U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel
- Frederic Kimber Seward (1878-1943), corporate attorney, survivor of the Titanic
- Mary Ann Shadd (1823–1893), educator, newspaper publisher, abolitionist and suffragist; born in Wilmington
- Dave Sheridan (born 1969), actor
- Chris Short, Major League Baseball player
- Andrew Shue (born 1967), actor; born in Wilmington
- Elisabeth Shue (born 1963), actress; born in Wilmington
- John C. Sigler (born 1945), former president of the NRA
- Helen Farr Sloan (1911-2005), art philanthropist, former wife of John French Sloan
- Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
- Devin Smith, professional basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv
- Nathaniel B. Smithers (1818–1896), lawyer and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- Thomas Alfred Smyth, last Union General killed in the Civil War
- Ian Snell (born 1981), Major League Baseball player.
- Peter Spencer (1782-1843), founder of the A.U.M.P. Church
- Presley Spruance (1785–1863), General Assembly and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- E. R. Squibb (1819-1900), pharmaceutical inventor, founder of the predecessor of Bristol-Myers Squibb
- W. Laird Stabler, Jr. (1930–2008), lawyer and Attorney General of Delaware
- Walter King Stapleton (born 1934), Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals
- J. George Stewart (1890–1970), architect and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Michael Stewart (born 1977), professional boxer
- Charles C. Stockley (1819–1901), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Thomas Stockton (1781–1846), soldier and Governor of Delaware
- Jacob Stout (1764–1857), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware.
- Susan Stroman (born 1954), choreographer, director; born in Wilmington
- George Sykes (1822-1880), Major General during the Civil War
- James Sykes (1725–1792), General Assembly and Continental Congress
- James Sykes (1761–1822), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware.
T
- William Temple (1814–1863), Governor and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Charles L. Terry, Jr. (1900–1970), Chief Justice and Governor of Delaware
- William Tharp (1803–1865), General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware
- Charles Thomas (1790–1848), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Lorenzo Thomas, (1804-18750), United States Army Adjutant General, acting U.S. Secretary of War
- Sean Patrick Thomas (born 1970), actor; born in Wilmington
- Jim Thompson (born 1906), businessman; born in Greenville
- George Thorogood (born 1951), blues-rock musician; from Wilmington
- James Tilton (1745–1822), 7th Surgeon General of the United States Army, delegate in the Continental Congress; from Dover
- Alfred Thomas Archimedes Torbert (1833–1880); Union Army General and U.S. diplomat; born in Georgetown
- Reorus Torkillus (1608–1643), first Swedish Lutheran Minister to New Sweden
- Jeff Townes, AKA DJ Jazzy Jeff (born 1965), hip hop, R&B disc jockey, record producer, turntablist and actor, has lived in Delaware since 2004.
- John G. Townsend, Jr. (1871–1964), Governor and U. S. Senator from Delaware
- Philip A. Traynor (1874–1962), dentist and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Sherman W. Tribbitt (born 1922), Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Delaware
- George Truitt (1756–1818), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Ebe W. Tunnell (1844–1917), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- James M. Tunnell (1879–1957), lawyer and U.S. Senator from Delaware
V
- Nicholas Van Dyke (1738–1789), Continental Congressman and President of Delaware
- Nicholas Van Dyke (1770–1826), U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- James C. Van Sice, Rear Admiral in the U.S. Coast Guard; born in Wilmington
- Francis D. Vavala, (1947–), Major General, National Guard Adjutant General
- Tom Verlaine, musician
- Mabel Vernon (1883-1975), leader of the women's suffrage movement in the 1910s
- John M. Vining (1758–1802), U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Delaware
W
- John Wales (1783–1863), lawyer and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Herbert B. Warburton (1916–1983), lawyer and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- Herta Ware (1917–2005), actress and political activist; born in Wilmington
- William T. Watson (1849–1917), General Assembly and Governor of Delaware
- Dave Weigel, journalist
- Johnny Weir (born 1984), figure skater, three-time U.S. national champion
- William H. Wells (176–1829) General Assembly and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Samuel Wharton (1732–1800), merchant and Continental Congressman
- John P. Wheeler III (1944-2010), government official, chair of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
- William G. Whiteley (1819–1886), Mayor of Wilmington and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- Randy White (American football), football player, NFL Hall of Famer
- Samuel White (1770–1809), lawyer and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Kathleen Widdoes (born 1939), actress; born in Wilmington
- Earle D. Willey (1889–1950), lawyer and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- George S. Williams (1877–1961), businessman and U.S. Representative from Delaware
- James Williams (1825–1899), General Assembly and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- John J Williams (1904–1988), businessman and U.S. Senator from Delaware
- Jonathan S. Willis (1830–1903), minister and U. S. Representative from Delaware
- James H. Wilson (1837-1925), Major General in the Civil War, captured Jefferson Davis and Henry Wirz
- Josiah O. Wolcott (1877–1938), U.S. Senator and Chancellor of Delaware
- Dale E. Wolf (born 1924), Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Delaware
- Shien Biau Woo (born 1937), professor and Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
- Daniel Woodall (1841-1880), Brigadier General during the Civil War
- Victor Baynard Woolley (1867-1945), Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals
- Paul Worrilow (born 1990), professional football player; born in Wilmington
- Thomas Wynne (1627–1691), physician, Justice of Sussex County from 1687–1691
Y
- Cori Yarckin (born 1982), actress and singer; born in Seaford
Z
- Aleksandra Ziolkowska-Boehm (born 1949), writer of Polish origin, lives in Wilmington
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