This is a list of notable persons who were born or spent important time in the American state of Minnesota. People not born in Minnesota are marked with §.

A

Johan Arnd Aasgaard (1876–1966) – president, Concordia College; president, Norwegian Lutheran Church of America Barkhad Abdi § – Somali-American actor Minnie F. Abrams § – missionary to India Ed Ackerson (1965–2019) – musician and producer (Polara, Flowers Studio) Corey Adam – stand-up comedian Amy Adams § (born 1974) – actress Anthony Adducci § (1937–2006) – inventor of the worlds first lithium-battery-powered pacemaker Peter Agre (born 1949) – co-recipient, 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (shared with Roderick MacKinnon) Faysal Ahmed (born 1985) – Somali-American actor Walden L. Ainsworth (1886–1960) – admiral, U.S. Navy Eddie Albert § (1906–2005) – actor, gardener and humanitarian activist Frank Albertson (1909–1964) – actor Grady Alderman § (1938–2018) – Minnesota Vikings football player Cole Aldrich (born 1988) – Minnesota Timberwolves basketball player Cyrus Aldrich § (1808–1871) – member of U.S. Congress John G. Alexander § (1893–1971) – member of U.S. Congress Brother Ali (Ali Newman) § (born 1977) – hip-hop artist Beau Allen (born 1991) – NFL nose tackle Bob Allison § (1934–1995) – Minnesota Twins baseball player Kyle Altman (born 1986) – soccer player Luis Walter Alvarez § (1911–1988) – experimental physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1968 Janis Amatuzio (born 1950) – forensic pathologist A. A. Ames § (1842–1911) – politician Elmer L. Andersen § (1909–2004) – 30th governor of Minnesota, businessman, philanthropist Herman Carl Andersen § (1897–1978) – member of U.S. Congress Alan Anderson (born 1982) – basketball player Barry Anderson (born 1954) – judge Brad Anderson (born 1969) – professional wrestler Clyde Elmer Anderson (1912–1998) – 28th governor of Minnesota; 30th and 33rd lieutenant governor of Minnesota Dan Anderson (1920–2003) – psychologist Eugenie Anderson (1909–1997) – U.S. ambassador to Denmark and Bulgaria; first woman appointed U.S. ambassador Frank Anderson (1870–1931) – South Dakota Supreme Court justice Gary Anderson § (born 1959) – Minnesota Vikings football player Gene Anderson (1933–1991) – professional wrestler Glen H. Anderson (born 1938) – former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives Larry Anderson (born 1952) – actor Liz Anderson (1927–2011) – songwriter Loni Anderson (born 1945) – actress (WKRP in Cincinnati), former wife of Burt Reynolds Louie Anderson (1953–2022) – comedian, television personality (Life with Louie, Family Feud) Marc Anderson – percussionist Nick Anderson (born 1990) – relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays Ole Anderson (born 1942) – professional wrestler Patricia Anderson (born 1966) – politician, business owner, 17th state auditor Paul Anderson (born 1943) – judge Richard Dean Anderson (born 1950) – television actor (MacGyver, Stargate SG-1) Russ Anderson – actor Russell A. Anderson (1942–2020) – judge Scott D. Anderson (1965–1999) – author, engineer, military aviator, Cirrus Airframe Parachute System test pilot Sydney Anderson (1881–1948) – member of U.S. Congress Wendell Anderson (1933–2016) – 33rd governor of Minnesota; U.S. senator August H. Andresen § (1890–1958) – member of U.S. Congress Christopher Columbus Andrews § (1829–1922) – soldier, diplomat, and author LaVerne Andrews (1911–1967) – contralto singer of 1940s sister act The Andrews Sisters Maxene Andrews (1916–1995) – soprano singer of The Andrews Sisters Patty Andrews (1918–2013) – lead singer of The Andrews Sisters Sacar Anim (born 1997) – basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Kofi Annan § (1938–2018) – 7th secretary-general of the United Nations Henry M. Arens § (1873–1963) – member of U.S. Congress; 26th lieutenant governor of Minnesota Richard Arlen (1899–1976) – actor Thomas H. Armstrong § (1826–1891) – banker, lawyer, legislator, 5th lieutenant governor of Minnesota Dave Arneson (1955–2009) – game designer, co-creator of D&D, creator of the first fantasy RPG world (Blackmoor) James Arness (1923–2011) – actor (Gunsmoke) Dorothy Arnold (Olson) (1917–1984) – film actress, first wife of baseball star Joe DiMaggio Jeanne Arth (born 1935) – tennis player Robert Asp (1923–1980) – builder and captain of the maiden voyage of the Hjemkomst Antoine Auguelle § – explorer Horace Austin § (1831–1905) – 6th governor of Minnesota Roger Awsumb § (1928–2002) – children's television host of Lunch With Casey Hy Averback (1920–1997) – director, producer, actor, and production manager John T. Averill § (1825–1889) – member of U.S. Congress Lew Ayres (1908–1996) – actor

B

Tim M. Babcock (1919–2015) – politician Michele Bachmann § (born 1956) – politician David Backes (born 1984) – hockey player Sarah Bacon (born 1996) – Olympic silver medalist, Diving 3m Synchro Tim Bagley (born 1957) – character actor, Strip Mall, Will & Grace Bill Baker (born 1956) – hockey player Melvin Baldwin § (1838–1901) – member of U.S. Congress Joseph H. Ball (1905–1993) – U.S. senator Keith Ballard (born 1982) – hockey player for the Vancouver Canucks Maria Bamford (born 1970) – comedian and actress Ann Bancroft (born 1955) – polar explorer, first female to reach both the North and South Poles Dominique Barber (born 1986) – Houston Texans football player Marion Barber III (1983–2022) – Dallas Cowboys football player Robert Baril – stand-up comedian Dean Barkley (born 1950) – U.S. senator Elizabeth A. Barnes – climate scientist Lynsey Bartilson (born 1983) – actress Alphonso Barto – 7th lieutenant governor of Minnesota Carol Bartz (born 1948) – president and chief executive officer of Yahoo! Emma Bates (born 1992) – long-distance runner Earl Battey § (1935–2003) – Minnesota Twins baseball player Elgin Baylor § (1934–2021) – basketball player Charles Baxter (born 1947) – author John C. Beale (born 1948) – EPA consultant, convicted felon Dick Beardsley (born 1956) – former world-class marathoner, motivational speaker Tracy Beckman (born 1945) – government official, politician, business owner and manager James Bede § (1856–1942) – member of U.S. Congress Nicholas Joseph Begich (1932–1972) – member of U.S. Congress James Ford Bell § (1879–1961) – business leader, philanthropist, founder of General Mills Troy Bell (born 1980) – basketball player Clyde Bellecourt (1936–2022) – Native American civil rights organizer Nick Bellore (born 1989) – Seattle Seahawks football player Sharon Sayles Belton (born 1951) – first African-American mayor of Minneapolis Charles "Chief" Bender (1884–1954) – Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Dorothy Benham (born 1955) – Miss America 1977 Paris Bennett § (born 1988) – singer Tony Benshoof (born 1975) – luger, Olympian Elmer Austin Benson (1895–1985) – 24th governor of Minnesota; U.S. senator Joanne Benson (born 1943) – 44th lieutenant governor of Minnesota William Benton (1900–1973) – U.S. senator Juan Berenguer § (born 1954) – Minnesota Twins baseball player Patty Berg (1918–2006) – golfer, founding member of the LPGA Carl Rudolf Berghult (1905–2000) – mayor of Duluth, Minnesota Robert Bergland (1928–2018) – U.S. secretary of agriculture; member of U.S. Congress Tim Bergland (born 1965) – hockey player Herb Bergson (1956–2022) – mayor of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin Nate Berkus (born 1971) – interior designer, author and television personality Jason Behr (born 1973) – actor John Bernard § (1893–1983) – member of U.S. Congress Philip Berrigan (1923–2002) – peace activist, Christian anarchist, and Roman Catholic priest Bill Berry (born 1958) – R.E.M. drummer Jessica Biel (born 1982) – actress (7th Heaven), married to Justin Timberlake Bernie Bierman § (1894–1977) – college football coach Big Eagle (c. 1827–1906) – leader of a band of Mdewakanton Sioux Indians John Binkowski (born 1979) – politician Matt Birk (born 1976) – Minnesota Vikings football player Andy Bisek (born 1986) – Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler, two-time world bronze medalist Harry Blackmun § (1908–1999) – associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Matt Blair § (1950–2020) – Minnesota Vikings football player Jason Blake (born 1973) – hockey player for the Anaheim Ducks John Blatnik (1911–1991) – member of the U.S. Congress Jerome Blatz – politician Kathleen A. Blatz (born 1954) – judge and politician Floyd E. Bloom (born 1936) – medical researcher specializing in chemical neuroanatomy Josh Blue § (born 1978) – comedian Carol Bly (1930–2007) – short-story writer Mary Bly (born 1962) – novelist and professor Robert Bly (1926–2021) – writer Bert Blyleven § (born 1951) – Minnesota Twins baseball player Eduard Bøckmann (1849–1927) – ophthalmologist, physician and inventor Haldor Boen § (1846–1936) – member of U.S. Congress Roman Bohnen (1901–1949) – actor Pat Boland (1906–1971) – football coach Greg Boll (born 1960) – politician, activist Brian Bonin (born 1973) – hockey player Jeremy Borash (born 1977) – wrestling announcer Madeleine Bordallo (born 1933) – politician Lorraine Borg (1923–2006) – All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player Norman Borlaug § (1914–2009) – agricultural scientist; recipient, 1970 Nobel Peace Prize Rudy Boschwitz § (born 1930) – U.S. senator Lyman Bostock § (1950–1978) – baseball player Todd Bouman (born 1972) – quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars Kevin Bowe (born 1961) – songwriter, record producer and musician Lloyd Wheaton Bowers § (1859–1910) – solicitor general Gregory A. Boyd (born 1957) – pastor, theologian, author Charles John Brand (1879–1949) – chief of the Bureau of Markets of the United States Department of Agriculture Joe Brinkman (born 1944) – umpire Ivar Brogger (born 1947) – actor, The Bold and the Beautiful and Invasion Herb Brooks (1937–2003) – 1980 Olympics ice hockey coach, Minnesota Golden Gophers coach, Minnesota North Stars coach Neal Broten (born 1959) – Minnesota North Stars ice-hockey player Jim Brower (born 1972) – baseball player Aaron Brown (born 1948) – broadcast journalist Bill Brown § (1938–2018) – Minnesota Vikings football player Brianna Brown (born 1979) – actress Joey Browner § (born 1960) – football player Brownmark (Brown Mark or Mark Brown) (born 1962) – musician and producer Bob Bruer § (born 1953) – football player and coach Tom Brunansky § (born 1960) – Minnesota Twins baseball player Bobby Bryant § (born 1944) – Minnesota Vikings football player Rich T. Buckler § (1865–1950) – member of U.S. Congress Clarence Buckman § (1851–1917) – member of U.S. Congress Paige Bueckers (born 2001) – Dallas Wings basketball player Warren E. Burger (1907–1995) – chief justice of the United States Michael C. Burgess (born 1950) – physician and politician Tom Burgmeier (born 1943) – baseball player Joseph A. A. Burnquist § (1879–1961) – 19th governor of Minnesota; 20th lieutenant governor of Minnesota Jerry Burns (1927–2021) – Minnesota Vikings football coach Tom Burnett (1963–2001) – passenger on United Airlines Flight 93 Archibald Bush - founder of Bush Foundation and early investor in 3M Pierce Butler (1866–1939) – associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Dominique Byrd (born 1984) – football player for the Arizona Cardinals Thomas R. Byrne – politician

C

Alex Call (born 1994) – baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers Melvin Calvin (1911–1997) – recipient, 1961 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Karlyn Kohrs Campbell (born 1937) – academic Gino Cappelletti (1934–2022) – former collegiate, AFL and NFL wide receiver Rod Carew § (born 1945) – Minnesota Twins baseball player Ron Carey – politician Arne Carlson § (born 1934) – 37th governor of Minnesota Bruce A. Carlson (born 1971) – commander, Air Force Materiel Command Curt Carlson (1914–1999) – businessperson (Carlson Companies, Radisson Hotels)