| John Ray | British botanist | 1627–1705 |
| Johnnie Ray | American singer, actor, songw… | 1927–1990 |
| Man Ray | American artist and photograp… | 1890–1976 |
| Rachael Ray | American businessman | 1968 |
| Reginald Ray | Buddhist teacher | 1942 |
| Satyajit Ray | Indian author, poet, composer… | 1921–1992 |
| Arulselvam Rayappan | Indian prelate | 1960 |
| Deanna Raybourn | American writer | 1968 |
| Sam Rayburn | lawmaker from Bonham, Texas | 1882–1961 |
| Martha Raye | American comic actress and si… | 1916–1994 |
| John Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh | English physicist | 1842–1919 |
| Ali Raymi | Boxing Knockout Artist | 1973–2015 |
| Carol Raymond | researcher | |
| Eric S. Raymond | American computer programmer,… | 1957 |
| Tania Raymonde | American actress | 1988 |
| Claire Rayner | British writer | 1931–2010 |
| S. H. Raza | Indian artist | 1922–2016 |
| Najib Razak | Malaysian politician | 1953 |
| Chris Rea | English singer-songwriter | 1951 |
| David H. C. Read | British chaplain | 1910–2001 |
| Herbert Read | English anarchist, poet, and … | 1893–1968 |
| Leonard E. Read | American academic | 1898–1983 |
| Miss Read | English novelist | 1913–2012 |
| Thomas Buchanan Read | American artist | 1822–1872 |
| Charles Reade | British writer | 1814–1884 |
| William Winwood Reade | British historian | 1838–1875 |
| Jacob Astley, 1st Baron Astley of Reading | British Royalist commander | 1579–1652 |
| Nancy Reagan | actress and first lady of the… | 1921–2016 |
| Ron Reagan | talk radio host and political… | 1958 |
| Ronald Reagan | American politician, 40th pre… | 1911–2004 |
| Pauline Réage | French journalist and novelist | 1907–1998 |
| Richard Realf | American poet | 1832–1878 |
| Sean Reardon | American sociologist | |
| Rex Reason | American actor | 1928–2015 |
| Deborah Reber | American writer | |
| Élisée Reclus | French geographer and writer | 1830–1905 |
| Otis Redding | American singer, songwriter a… | 1941–1967 |
| Raymond Reddington | | |
| Helen Reddy | Australian actress | 1941 |
| Neelam Sanjiva Reddy | sixth President of India | 1913–1996 |
| James Redfield | American author, lecturer, sc… | 1950 |
| Robert Redford | actor and film director from … | 1936 |
| Vanessa Redgrave | English actress | 1937 |
| Peter Redgrove | English writer | 1932–2003 |
| Odilon Redon | French painter | 1840–1916 |
| Paul Rée | Prussian Doctor | 1849–1901 |
| Alec Reed | British businessman | 1934 |
| Ishmael Reed | writer | 1938 |
| Jamie Reed | | |
| Lou Reed | American musician | 1942–2013 |
| Robert P. Reed | American auxiliary bishop and… | 1959 |
| Talbot Baines Reed | English author | 1852–1893 |
| Thomas Brackett Reed | U.S. Representative from Main… | 1839–1902 |
| Douglas Reeman | British author | 1924–2017 |
| Albert Rees | American economist | 1921–1992 |
| Celia Rees | English author | 1949 |
| Martin J. Rees | cosmologist, astrophysicist, … | 1942 |
| Nigel Rees | British writer and broadcaster | 1944 |
| Charley Reese | American journalist | 1937–2013 |
| Jacy Reese | American social scientist | 1992 |
| Jacob Rees-Mogg | British politician | 1969 |
| Christopher Reeve | actor, director, producer, sc… | 1952–2004 |
| Dana Reeve | Actress, singer, activist | 1961–2006 |
| Philip Reeve | English children's writer and… | 1966 |
| Hubert Reeves | Canadian astrophysicist and p… | 1932 |
| Keanu Reeves | Canadian actor, director, pro… | 1964 |
| Tom Regan | American philosopher | 1938–2017 |
| Max Reger | German composer, pianist and … | 1873–1916 |
| Waheeda Rehman | Indian actress | 1938 |
| Joseph Indrias Rehmat | | 1966 |
| Khalid Rehmat | Pakistani Catholic apostolic … | 1968 |
| Olli Rehn | Finnish politician | 1962 |
| William H. Rehnquist | Chief Justice of the United S… | 1924–2005 |
| Charles A. Reich | American lawyer | 1928–2019 |
| Robert B. Reich | American political economist | 1946 |
| Steve Reich | American composer | 1936 |
| Wilhelm Reich | Austrian-American psychoanaly… | 1897–1957 |
| Hans Reichenbach | American philosopher | 1891–1953 |
| Stephen Joseph Reichert | American priest | 1943 |
| Kathy Reichs | American writer | 1948 |
| Harry Reid | American politician | 1939 |
| Tara Reid | American actress | 1975 |
| Thomas Reid | Scottish philosopher | 1710–1796 |
| Theodor Reik | austrian-american psychoanaly… | 1888–1969 |
| Daniel Patrick Reilly | Roman Catholic bishop | 1928 |
| John C. Reilly | American actor | 1965 |
| Matthew Reilly | Australian author | 1974 |
| Günter Reimann | German economist | 1904–2005 |
| Hermann Samuel Reimarus | German philosopher | 1694–1768 |
| Carl Reiner | American actor, film director… | 1922 |
| Ariana Reines | American writer | 1982 |
| Fredrik Reinfeldt | 32nd Prime Minister of Sweden | 1965 |
| Ad Reinhardt | American painter | 1913–1967 |
| Aurelia Henry Reinhardt | American educator and social … | 1877–1948 |
| Tanya Reinhart | Israeli journalist | 1943–2007 |
| Hans Reiser | American computer programmer,… | 1963 |
| Paul Reiser | American actor and comedian | 1957 |
| Garrett Reisman | American astronaut | 1968 |
| George Reisman | American economist | 1937 |
| Hanna Reitsch | German aviator | 1912–1979 |
