This is a list of all people prominent enough to be contained in Wikipedia who were associated with the U.S. 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; his attempts to buy a U.S. Senate seat bolstered support for the Seventeenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; lived in Claymont, Delaware J. Frank Allee (1857–1938) – jeweler; senator from Delaware Richard Allen (1760–1831) – founder, African Methodist Episcopal Church William F. Allen (1883–1946) – U.S. representative 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; worked in Wilmington John Andrews (1746–1813) – minister; academic Anthony J. Arduengo (born 1952) – chemist; material scientist; discoverer of stable carbenes Adrienne Arsht (born 1942) – lawyer; philanthropist; born in Wilmington
B Ba–Bm
John Backus (1924–2007) – computer scientist; invented Fortran and Backus–Naur form; raised in Wilmington Walter W. Bacon (1879–1962) – mayor of Wilmington; governor of Delaware L. Heisler Ball (1861–1932) – U.S. representative and U.S. senator from Delaware Samuel Bancroft (1840–1915) – industrialist; art philanthropist; born in Wilmington William Poole Bancroft (1835–1928) – industrialist; land conservationist Phineas Banning (1830–1885) – businessman and entrepreneur in Delaware and California Richard Bassett (1745–1815) – U.S. senator from Delaware; governor of Delaware Alice M. Batchelder (born 1944) – attorney; judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Martin W. Bates (1786–1869) – state representative; U.S. senator from Delaware Alexis I. du Pont Bayard (1918–1985) – veteran, World War II; lieutenant governor of Delaware James A. Bayard Sr. (1767–1815) – U.S. representative; U.S. senator from Delaware James A. Bayard Jr. (1799–1880) – lawyer; U.S. senator from Delaware Richard H. Bayard (1796–1868) – chief justice, Delaware Supreme Court; U.S. senator from Delaware Thomas F. Bayard (1828–1898) – U.S. senator from Delaware; U.S. secretary of state Thomas F. Bayard Jr. (1868–1942) – U.S. senator from Delaware Gunning Bedford Sr. (1742–1797) – Revolutionary officer; governor of Delaware Gunning Bedford Jr. (1747–1812) – lawyer; Continental Congressman from Delaware Caleb P. Bennett (1758–1836) – Revolutionary officer; governor of Delaware Valerie Bertinelli (born 1960) – actress (One Day at a Time, Hot in Cleveland); born in Wilmington Huck Betts (1897–1987) – Major League Baseball player, born in Millsboro Mahlon Betts (1795–1867) – banker; transportation businessman Stephen Biddle (born 1959) – author; historian; policy analyst; columnist Beau Biden (1969–2015) – lawyer; attorney general of Delaware; son of Joe Biden Jill Biden (born 1951) – college professor; former First Lady of the United States Joe Biden (born 1942) – former president of the United States; former vice president of the United States (2009–2017); longtime senator from Delaware (1973–2009); (born in Scranton, PA) Benjamin T. Biggs (1821–1893) – U.S. representative; 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.
Bn–Bz
J. Caleb Boggs (1909–1993) – governor of Delaware; U.S. senator from Delaware Cedella Booker (1926–2008) – singer; Jamaica native, lived in Delaware; mother of singer Bob Marley Nicole Bosso (born 1986) – Miss Delaware USA 2007 William H. Boyce (1855–1942) – justice of the Superior Court; U.S. representative from Delaware John Walter Bratton (1867–1947) – Tin Pan Alley composer Madison Brengle (born 1990) – tennis player; 2007 Juniors Wimbledon runner-up Jay Briscoe (1984–2023) – professional wrestler; ROH World Champion and eight-time ROH World Tag Team Champion with his brother Mark Briscoe Mark Briscoe (born 1985) – professional wrestler; eight-time ROH World Tag Team Champion with 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) – jazz trumpeter, born in Wilmington C. Douglass Buck (1890–1965) – governor of Delaware; U.S. senator from Delaware David P. Buckson (1920–2017) – attorney general of Delaware; governor of Delaware Edward G. Budd (1870–1946) – automotive inventor; founder, 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 Randy Bush (born 1958) – MLB pitcher and executive; born in Dover William Sharp Bush (1786–1812) – U.S. Marine, recipient of silver medal, War of 1812; born in Wilmington
C Ca–Cm
Henry Seidel Canby (1878–1961) – educator; editor, 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 assemblyman; governor of Delaware Joseph M. Carey (1845–1924) – Wyoming politician; born in Delaware Louis Carlet (born 1966) – union activist John Carney (born 1956) – U.S. representative for Delaware, governor of Delaware, current mayor of Wilmington Wallace Carothers (1896–1937) – chemist; inventor of neoprene and nylon Charles I. Carpenter (1906–1994) – major general; first chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force R. R. M. Carpenter (1877–1949) – businessman; DuPont executive; owner, Philadelphia Phillies R. R. M. Carpenter Jr. (1915–1990) – owner, Philadelphia Phillies Ruly Carpenter (1940–2021) – former owner, Philadelphia Phillies Walter S. Carpenter Jr. (1888–1976) – businessman; oversaw construction of Manhattan Project facilities Thomas R. Carper (born 1947) – governor of Delaware; U.S. senator from Delaware Vincenza Carrieri-Russo – Miss Delaware USA 2008; second runner up, Miss United States 2014 Elbert N. Carvel (1910–2005) – businessman; governor of Delaware Michael N. Castle (born 1939) – U.S. representative; governor of Delaware John W. Causey (1841–1908) – farmer; U.S. representative from Delaware Peter F. Causey (1801–1871) – general assemblyman; governor of Delaware John T. Chain Jr. (born 1934) – U.S. Air Force general; commander, Strategic Air Command Alfred D. Chandler Jr. (1918–2007) – business history professor, Harvard University; born in Guyencourt Thomas H. Chilton (1899–1972) – pioneer, modern chemical engineering; member, Manhattan Project Uma Chowdhry (born 1947) – scientist Anne Rogers Clark (1929–2006) – dog breeder and trainer John Clark (1761–1821) – general assemblyman; governor of Delaware John M. Clayton (1796–1856) – U.S. senator from Delaware; U.S. secretary of state Joshua Clayton (1744–1798) – governor of Delaware; U.S. senator from Delaware Thomas Clayton (1777–1854) – chief justice; U.S. senator from Delaware
Cn–Cz
John P. Cochran (1809–1898) – farmer; governor of Delaware Ashley Coleman (born 1981) – Miss Teen USA 1999 John Collins (1776–1822) – manufacturer; governor of Delaware Thomas Collins (1732–1789) – general assemblymann; president of Delaware Cornelius P. Comegys (1780–1851) – general assemblyman; governor of Delaware Joseph P. Comegys (1813–1893) – U.S. senator from Delaware; chief justice of Delaware John Cook (1730–1789) – general assemblyman; governor of Delaware Charles "Tarzan" Cooper (1907–1980) – Philadelphia professional basketball player Thomas Cooper (1764–1829) – general assemblyman; U.S. representative from Delaware William B. Cooper (1777–1849) – general assemblyman and U.S. representative from Delaware Lammot du Pont Copeland (1905–1983) – president, DuPont (1962–1967); co-founder, Population Action International Louise E. du Pont Crowninshield (1877–1958) – philanthropist; preservationist; founding trustee, National Trust for Historic Preservation Robert Crumb (born 1943) – artist; illustrator; lived in Milford and Dover Elisha D. Cullen (1799–1862) – lawyer; U.S. representative from Delaware Nancy Currie (born 1958) – astronaut, born in Wilmington
D
Carl C. Danberg (born 1964) – lawyer; Attorney General of Delaware F. O. C. Darley (1822–1888) – painter; illustrator Samuel Davies (1723–1761) – writer, preacher, 4th president of Princeton University Jehu Davis (1738–1802) – general assemblyman; president of Delaware Elena Delle Donne (born 1989) – Women's National Basketball Association player Matthew P. Denn (born 1966) – insurance commissioner; lieutenant governor of Delaware William D. Denney (1873–1953) – general assemblyman; governor of Delaware Delino DeShields (born 1969) – Major League Baseball player; born in Delaware John Dickinson (1732–1808) – president of Delaware; president 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; U.S. senator from New Jersey Donte DiVincenzo (born 1997) – National Basketball Association shooting guard for the Milwaukee Bucks John Dossett – actor; singer Dave Douglas (1918–1978) – professional golfer (1940s and 1950s) A. Felix du Pont Jr. (1905–1996) – aviator; co-founder, predecessor of US Airways Alfred I. du Pont (1864–1935) – businessman; philanthropist; established the Nemours Foundation Alfred V. du Pont (1798–1856) – head of the DuPont Company (1837–1850) Charles I. du Pont (1797–1869) – manufacturer; Delaware General Assemblyman E. Paul du Pont (1887–1950) – founder, Du Pont Motors; president, Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company Éleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771–1834) – founder, DuPont Company Eugene du Pont (1840–1902) – head of the DuPont Company (1889–1902) Henry du Pont (1812–1889) – head of the DuPont Company; major general, American Civil War Henry A. du Pont (1838–1926) – veteran, American Civil War; 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) – president, DuPont Company (1919–1926) Lammot du Pont I (1831–1884) – scientist; inventor; soldier, American Civil War Lammot du Pont II (1880–1952) – president, DuPont Company (1926–1940) Pierre S. du Pont (1870–1954) – inventor; president, DuPont Company and General Motors Pierre S. du Pont IV (1935–2021) – U.S. representative; governor of Delaware Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739–1817) – helped negotiate the 1783 Treaty of Paris and the Louisiana Purchase Richard C. du Pont (1911–1943) – aviator, co-founder, All American Aviation, the forerunner of US Airways Samuel Francis Du Pont (1803–1865) – rear admiral, United States Navy T. Coleman du Pont (1863–1930) – president, DuPont Company; U.S. senator from Delaware Victor Marie du Pont (1767–1827) – manufacturer; Delaware general assemblyman 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; commander in chief, 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; U.S. representative from Delaware
F
George P. Fisher (1817–1899) – U.S. representative from Delaware; 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