| Jan Zaanen | Dutch physicist | 1957 |
| Sade Andria Zabala | | |
| Benjamin Zablocki | American sociologist | 1941 |
| David Zabriskie | road bicycle racer | 1979 |
| Grace Zabriskie | American actress | 1941 |
| Karen Zacarias | Mexican-American playwright | 1969 |
| Stephanie Zacharek | American film critic | 1963 |
| Ravi Zacharias | Indian philosopher | 1946 |
| John Zachman | American computer scientist | 1934 |
| Lotfi A. Zadeh | Electrical engineer and compu… | 1921–2017 |
| Ossip Zadkine | French sculptor | 1890–1967 |
| Bahadur Shah Zafar | Mughal emperor | 1775–1862 |
| Carlos Ruiz Zafón | Spanish writer | 1964 |
| Adam Zagajewski | Poet | 1945 |
| Diane Zahler | | |
| Timothy Zahn | science fiction novelist | 1951 |
| Howard Zahniser | American environmentalist | 1906–1964 |
| Zhang Zai | Chinese philosopher | 1020–1077 |
| Gabriel Zaid | Mexican writer | 1934 |
| Koren Zailckas | American writer | 1980 |
| Hill Zaini | Bruneian singer | 1987 |
| Zain-ul-Abidin | | |
| Fareed Zakaria | Indian-American journalist an… | 1964 |
| Matvei Zakharov | Soviet military commander | 1898–1972 |
| Maria Zakharova | Russian diplomat and journali… | 1975 |
| Carlos Zambrano | Venezuelan baseball pitcher | 1981 |
| Ludoviko Lazaro Zamenhof | Polish ophthalmologist and in… | 1859–1917 |
| Louis Zamperini | Italian-American middle dista… | 1917–2014 |
| Yevgeny Zamyatin | Russian author | 1884–1937 |
| Stephie Pahlavi Zan | | |
| Benjamin Zander | English conductor | 1939 |
| Townes Van Zandt | singer-songwriter | 1944–1997 |
| Israel Zangwill | British writer | 1864–1926 |
| Francesco Maria Zanotti | Italian philosopher | 1692–1777 |
| Frank Weston (bishop of Zanzibar) | | |
| Emiliano Zapata | Mexican Revolutionary | 1879–1919 |
| José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero | Former Prime Minister of Spain | 1960 |
| Hermann Zapf | German type-designer, calligr… | 1918–2015 |
| Peter Wessel Zapffe | Norwegian philosopher, mounta… | 1899–1990 |
| Frank Zappa | American musician, songwriter… | 1940–1993 |
| Asif Ali Zardari | politician in Pakistan | 1955 |
| Bilawal Bhutto Zardari | politician in Pakistan | 1988 |
| Mohammad Javad Zarif | Iranian politician | 1960 |
| Abu Musab Zarqawi | Jordanian jihadist | 1966–2006 |
| Sara Zarr | American children's writer | 1970 |
| Charles Zastrow | American sociologist | 1942 |
| Emil Zátopek | Czech Olympic long-distance r… | 1922–2000 |
| Jamie Zawinski | American programmer | 1968 |
| Joe Zawinul | austrian composer and pianist | 1932–2007 |
| Alfred de Zayas | American United Nations offic… | 1947 |
| David Zayas | Puerto Rican actor | 1962 |
| Vasily Zaytsev | Soviet sniper | 1915–1991 |
| Tom Zé | Brazilian songwriter, composer | 1936 |
| James, son of Zebedee | major religious figure in Chr… | |
| Henry Zebrowski | American actor and comedian | 1984 |
| Nick Zedd | American film maker | 1958 |
| Mao Zedong | Chairman of the Central Commi… | 1893–1976 |
| H. Dieter Zeh | German physicist | 1932–2018 |
| Doron Zeilberger | Israeli mathematician | 1950 |
| Anton Zeilinger | Austrian quantum physicist | 1945 |
| Manuel Zelaya | President of Honduras | 1952 |
| Roger Zelazny | American speculative fiction … | 1937–1995 |
| Lee Zeldin | New York state senator | 1980 |
| Theodore Zeldin | English academic | 1933 |
| Jeffrey Zeldman | Internet pioneer | 1955 |
| Olena Zelenska | Ukrainian architect and scree… | 1978 |
| Volodymyr Zelensky | 6th President of Ukraine | 1978 |
| Philip D. Zelikow | American diplomat | 1954 |
| Karel Zeman | Czech film director, artist a… | 1910–1989 |
| Jiang Zemin | former General Secretary of t… | 1926 |
| Éric Zemmour | French essayist | 1958 |
| Győző Zemplén | Hungarian physicist | 1879–1916 |
| Meles Zenawi | Ethiopian politician; Prime M… | 1955–2012 |
| Eric Zencey | American writer | 1953–2019 |
| Zendaya | American actress, singer, mod… | 1996 |
| John Peter Zenger | American printer | 1697–1746 |
| Yang Zengxin | | |
| Benjamin Zephaniah | English poet and author | 1958 |
| Jean Zerbo | Malian Roman Catholic cardinal | 1943 |
| Frits Zernike | Dutch physicist | 1888–1966 |
| John Zerzan | American anarchist and primit… | 1943 |
| Clara Zetkin | German politician | 1857–1933 |
| Sarah Zettel | American writer | 1966 |
| Gabrielle Zevin | American writer | 1977 |
| Warren Zevon | American singer-songwriter | 1947–2003 |
| Sahle-Work Zewde | President of Federal Democrat… | 1950 |
| Beiwen Zhang | badminton player | 1990 |
| Ma Zhanshan | Chinese politician | 1885–1950 |
| Chloé Zhao | Chinese film director, screen… | 1982 |
| Zhang Zhaozhong | Chinese admiral | 1952 |
| Andrei Zhdanov | Soviet politician | 1896–1948 |
| Yuan Zhen | | |
| Han Zheng | Chinese politician | 1954 |
| Ren Zhengfei | Chinese businessman | 1944 |
| Shi Zhengli | Chinese researcher | 1964 |
| Yu Zhengsheng | Chairman of the National Comm… | 1945 |
| Wang Zhihuan | Chinese poet | 688–742 |
| Zhang Zhijun | Chinese politician | 1953 |
| Pu Zhiqiang | A Chinese lawyer and activist… | 1965 |
| Vladimir Zhirinovsky | Russian politician and politi… | 1946–2022 |
