34.4348° N, 81.0284° W

CHARLESTON

Most Famous People Born in Charleston, United States

Notable people
749
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1920
Most distinctive
Baseball 4.5×

Charleston's profile is frozen in antebellum amber: an outsized Lawyer and Judge class built by the planter bar that dominated South Carolina politics from secession through Reconstruction, with an Officer bench propped up by the Citadel and the Confederate officer corps. The smaller, stranger note is the Novelist thread — Charleston Renaissance writers like DuBose Heyward, whose Porgy became the seed for American opera.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Charleston during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 63 notable births.

What Charleston Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Charleston's biggest profession — 22% of all notables (166).

Charleston over-indexes on baseball4.5× the global rate.

Charleston under-produces writer — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Politician166
  2. Football58
  3. Lawyer52
  4. Actor48
  5. Baseball38
  6. Basket27
  7. Painter19
  8. Music18
  1. Baseball384.5×
  2. Lawyer524.0×
  3. Judge123.4×
  4. Novelist103.4×
  5. Officer153.0×
  6. Basket272.9×
  7. Politician1661.9×
  8. Music181.7×
  1. Writer150.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Charleston's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

1700175018001850190019502000
  • Politics & Law
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
All749
Sort By

749 notable people

0601 ACADEMIC

Watson B. Duncan III

1915 - 1991

Preview
0602 SINGER

Kelontae Gavin

Born 1999

Preview
0603 OFFICER

Arthur L. Bristol

1886 - 1942

Preview
0604 FOOTBALL

Chad Hamilton

Born 1991

Preview
0605 BASEBALL

Eddie Shokes

1920 - 2002

Preview
0606 BASKET

Milton Jennings

Born 1990

Preview
0607 OFFICER

George Huber Wheeler

1881 - 1957

Preview
0608 SOLDIER

Thomas Pinckney (American Civil War)

1828 - 1915

Preview
0609 SOCIOLOGIST

Rutledge Dennis

Born 1939

Preview
0610 ACADEMIC

Alvin Bowman

-

Preview
0611 FOOTBALL

Jim Champion

Born 1926

Preview
0612 PRIEST

Edward Bunker (Mormon)

1822 - 1901

Preview
0613 DIPLOMAT

James Irvin Gadsden

Born 1948

Preview
0614 BASEBALL

Tom Colcolough

1870 - 1919

Preview
0615 MISSING

Joseph Henderson (pilot)

1826 - 1890

Preview
0616 BASEBALL

Fred Jordan (baseball coach)

Born 1950

Preview
0617 BASEBALL

Charles William Smith

1937 - 1994

Preview
0618 BASEBALL

Ken Gerhart

Born 1961

Preview
0619 ARMY

Barnwell R. Legge

1891 - 1949

Preview
0620 BASEBALL

Fritz Von Kolnitz

1893 - 1948

Preview
0621 FOOTBALL

Doug Goodwin

Born 1942

Preview
0622 FOOTBALL

James Lynah

1881 - 1956

Preview
0623 PIANIST

Jade Simmons

Born 1978

Preview
0624 ZOOLOGIST

John McCrady

1831 - 1881

Preview
0625 FOOTBALL

Tom Blake (American football)

Born 1927

Preview
0626 BASEBALL

Ed Kenna

1877 - 1912

Preview
0627 POLITICIAN

Brooks McCabe

Born 1949

Preview
0628 BASEBALL

Bill Harper (baseball)

1889 - 1951

Preview
0629 GOVERNOR

Robert A. Barber Jr.

Born 1949

Preview
0630 WRITER

Lee Cohen Harby

1849 - 1918

Preview
0631 POLITICIAN

Chrissy Adams

1967 - 2016

Preview
0632 FOOTBALL

Fadol Brown

Born 1993

Preview
0633 FOOTBALL

Rick Nuzum

Born 1952

Preview
0634 LAWYER

Ivor F. Boiarsky

1920 - 1971

Preview
0635 OFFICER

John P. Bankhead

1821 - 1867

Preview
0636 FOOTBALL

Greg Adkins

Born 1968

Preview
0637 BASEBALL

Rosie Rosebraugh

1875 - 1930

Preview
0638 POLITICIAN

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (Vizegouverneur) – W

1789 - 1865

Preview
0639 LAWYER

Henry Augustus Middleton Smith

1853 - 1924

Preview
0640 DRIVER

Tom Delaney

1911 - 2006

Preview
0641 MILITAR

Henry Nehemiah Nickerson

1888 - 1979

Preview
0642 BASEBALL

Bill Hall (pitcher)

1894 - 1947

Preview
0643 MODEL

Nikki DuBose

Born 1985

Preview
0644 AUTHOR

William Henry Timrod

1792 - 1838

Preview
0645 ARMY

Lewis S. Turner

1888 - 1951

Preview
0646 MARINE

Jesse G. Vincent

1880 - 1962

Preview
0647 OFFICER

Carlos Talbott

1920 - 2015

Preview
0648 ARTIST

Louise Hammond Willis Snead

1870 - 1958

Preview
0649 MISSING

Sarah Visanska

1870 - 1926

Preview
0650 BASKET

Tre' McLean

Born 1993

Preview
0651 CHIEF OF STAFF

DeRosey Caroll Cabell

1861 - 1924

Preview
0652 MILITAR

Walter Reed Weaver

1885 - 1944

Preview
0653 POLITICIAN

Don Bowen

Born 1945

Preview
0654 POLITICIAN

Fred Ogilvie

1887 - 1946

Preview
0655 WRITER

Sallie F. Chapin

1830 - 1896

Preview
0656 POLITICIAN

Cornelius C. White

1870 - 1940

Preview
0657 GOLF

Todd Gleaton

Born 1968

Preview
0658 POLITICIAN

Doug Skaff

Born 1976

Preview
0659 ENGINEER

W. Hasell Wilson

1811 - 1902

Preview
0660 JUDGE

Boston Jenkins Drayton

1821 - 1866

Preview
0661 POLITICIAN

Jacob Æmilius Irving

1797 - 1856

Preview
0662 POLITICIAN

George Bradley (Minnesota politician)

1833 - 1879

Preview
0663 LAWYER

George Seabrook Bryan

1809 - 1905

Preview
0664 BASKET

Jon Elmore

Born 1996

Preview
0665 POLITICIAN

James Ladson

1753 - 1812

Preview
0666 LAWYER

Solomon Heydenfeldt

1816 - 1890

Preview
0667 BALLET

Peter Frame

1957 - 2018

Preview
0668 PLAYER

Lily Kahumoku

Born 1981

Preview
0669 POET

G. F. Zaimis

-

Preview
0670 FOOTBALL

Jim Washington (Canadian football)

1951 - 2018

Preview
0671 IMPRESARIO

Maxx Kidd

1941 - 2017

Preview
0672 POLITICIAN

Virgil Fludd

Born 1958

Preview
0673 INVENTOR

Frank Atwood Huntington

1836 - 1925

Preview
0674 POLITICIAN

Roger Hanshaw

Born 1980

Preview
0675 CARTOONIST

Brad Diller

Born 1955

Preview
0676 ENGINEER

Lee R. Scherer

1919 - 2011

Preview
0677 POLITICAL

Frances Rollin Whipper

1840 - 1901

Preview
0678 POLITICIAN

Moore Capito

Born 1982

Preview
0679 FOOTBALL

Rick Sherrod

Born 1979

Preview
0680 SINGER

Desmond Pringle

Born 1970

Preview
0681 SINGER

Hayes McMullan

1902 - 1986

Preview
0682 POLITICIAN

Seth Whipper

Born 1949

Preview
0683 BALLET

Robert Carter (ballet dancer)

-

Preview
0684 FOOTBALL

Ed Hamilton (American football)

Born 1880

Preview
0685 ACTOR

Beverley Sitgreaves

1863 - 1943

Preview
0686 SCULPTOR

Arthur Rose Sr.

1921 - 1995

Preview
0687 NAVY

Edward Middleton

1810 - 1883

Preview
0688 POLITICIAN

J. Palmer Gaillard Jr.

1920 - 2006

Preview
0689 POLITICIAN

Randy White (West Virginia politician)

Born 1955

Preview
0690 GOVERNMENT

Bobby Hitt

Born 1949

Preview
0691 POLITICIAN

Thomas Reynolds II

Born 1954

Preview
0692 MANAGER

Carol Baker Tharp

1952 - 2007

Preview
0693 EDUCATOR

Louis H. Galbreath

1861 - 1899

Preview
0694 LAWYER

Charles Breckenridge Faris

1867 - 1938

Preview
0695 TEACHER

Cecelia Cabaniss Saunders

1879 - 1966

Preview
0696 BASKET

Sonny Moran

1926 - 2016

Preview
0697 POLITICIAN

Linda Whittington

Born 1950

Preview
0698 POLITICIAN

Thomas Young Simons

1828 - 1878

Preview
0699 FATHER

Isaac E. Smith

1858 - 1940

Preview
0700 PAINTER

Ralph Leon Bagley

1913 - 2008

Preview
0701 BASEBALL

Al Jones (baseball)

Born 1959

Preview
0702 DESIGNER

Candice Held

Born 1973

Preview
0703 POLITICIAN

Jack Buckalew

1932 - 2016

Preview
0704 INVENTOR

William Henry Cling

1866 - 1937

Preview
0705 EDUCATOR

Charles L. Purce

1856 - 1905

Preview
0706 BASEBALL

Larry Lester

Born 1949

Preview
0707 POLITICAL

Wesley Donehue

-

Preview
0708 POLITICIAN

James Adger Smyth

1837 - 1920

Preview
0709 POLITICIAN

Mike Woodard (politician)

Born 1959

Preview
0710 LAWYER

James Kay Thomas

1902 - 1969

Preview
0711 HUMANITARIAN

Fannie Cobb Carter

1872 - 1973

Preview
0712 LAW

Paula Casey

Born 1960

Preview
0713 COMPOSER

Marie Siegling

1824 - 1920

Preview
0714 POLITICIAN

Mike Pushkin

-

Preview
0715 SONGWRITER

Iris Bell

1934 - 2008

Preview
0716 OFFICER

Henry C. Kellers

1874 - 1954

Preview
0717 REPUBLICAN

Mark Drennan

Born 1972

Preview
0718 POET

Gertrude P. McBrown

1898 - 1989

Preview
0719 BALLET

Paul Frame

Born 1957

Preview
0720 BASKET

Dave Slifer

-

Preview
0721 PAINTER

Lawrence Ludlow Cohen

1836 - 1918

Preview
0722 BASKET

Dennis Williams

Born 1965

Preview
0723 PHYSICIAN

Charles Drayton

1743 - 1820

Preview
0724 LAWYER

Joseph W. Morris (educator)

1850 - 1913

Preview
0725 BANDLEADER

Lottie Hightower

Born 1891

Preview
0726 POLITICIAN

Chip Campsen

Born 1959

Preview
0727 MUSIC

William Lawrence (Pianist)

1895 - 1981

Preview
0728 POLITICIAN

John Schnierle

1808 - 1861

Preview
0729 POLITICIAN

William W. Sale

Born 1819

Preview
0730 POLITICIAN

Henrietta Cotton Wilson

1847 - 1915

Preview
0731 LAWYER

Robert Budd Gilchrist

1796 - 1856

Preview
0732 ACTOR

Carlotta Freeman

1877 - 1954

Preview
0733 POLITICIAN

George D. Bryan

1845 - 1919

Preview
0734 MUSIC

Earl Songer

1916 - 1972

Preview
0735 BASEBALL

Tom Williams (negro leagues)

1896 - 1937

Preview
0736 POLITICIAN

Richard A. Pettigrew

Born 1930

Preview
0737 MISSING

Albert Eger Brown

1889 - 1984

Preview
0738 LAWYER

Isaac Stockton Keith Ogier

1819 - 1861

Preview
0739 BASKET

Steven Johnson (Basketballspieler)

Born 1966

Preview
0740 POLITICIAN

Belle Goshorn MacCorkle

1841 - 1923

Preview
0741 BUSINESS

Della Hardman

1922 - 2005

Preview
0742 POLITICIAN

Leonard Krawcheck

Born 1941

Preview
0743 POLITICIAN

J. Sidi Limehouse III

Born 1938

Preview
0744 DEPUTY

Eivind Johansen

1927 - 2012

Preview
0745 BASEBALL

George Fiall

1900 - 1936

Preview
0746 BISHOP

Charlie F. McNutt

-

Preview
0747 RACING

James E. Bracken

1918 - 2008

Preview
0748 BISHOP

William Hall Moreland

1861 - 1946

Preview
0749 LAWYER

Wheeler Mellette Tillman

Born 1941

Preview