The following is a list of prominent women who were born in the U.S. state of South Carolina, lived in South Carolina, or for whom South Carolina is a significant part of their identity.
A–E Fannie Phelps Adams, (1917-2016), born in Columbia, SC; educator and activist Mattie Jean Adams, (1873-1947), born in Utopia; author and women's rights activist; first woman to graduate from South Carolina College Kimberly Aiken (born 1975), born in Columbia; Miss America 1994 Jaimie Alexander (born 1984), born in Greenville; actress, Kyle XY, Blindspot, the Thor movies Sarah Campbell Allan (1861-1954), born in Charleston; first female doctor in the state of South Carolina Dorothy Earlene Allison (1949-2024), born in Greenville; author Maria Frances Avery Maria Martin Bachman (1796-1863), born in Charleston; watercolor painter and scientific illustrator Ada White Bacot (1832-1911), born in Darlington District; Confederate nurse Augusta Braxton Baker (1911-1998), born in Baltimore, and worked in New York, but retired to South Carolina; Storyteller-in-Residence position at the University of South Carolina Anna DeCosta Banks (1869-1930), born in Charleston; nurse Annie Maria Barnes (1857 – unknown), born in Columbia; journalist, editor, and author Frances Elizabeth Barrow (1822–1894), born in Charleston; children's writer Margaret Catherine Moore Barry (1752-1823), born in County Antrim, Ireland; scout and guide during the American Revolutionary War Eleanor Beardsley born in Columbia; journalist and correspondent for NPR Linda Bell (epidemiologist) Mary McLeod Bethune (1875–1955), from Mayesville; civil rights leader and groundbreaking educator Betsey (gynecology) Gwen Bristow (1903-1980), born in Marion, SC; writer and journalist Crandall Close Bowles (born 1947) in Fort Mill; businesswoman Blanche McCrary Boyd (born 1945), in Charleston; novelist Laura Bragg (1891-1978), born in Massachusetts, lived in Charleston; first woman to run a publicly funded art museum in the US Laura Brodie (1908-2004), born at Rockwood Farm, near Leesville, SC; herpetologist Danielle Brooks (born 1989), raised in Simpsonville; actress Lucy Hughes Brown (1863-1911), born in Mebane, NC; SC's first African American female physician Floride Calhoun (1792–1866), born in Charleston; Second Lady of the United States Anna Camp (born 1982), born in Aiken; actress, The Help Sarah Flournoy Moore Chapin (1830-1896), born in Charleston; author and temperance worker Marshall Chapman (born 1949) in Spartanburg; singer-songwriter, author Martha Marshall Chapman, II (born 1949) in Spartanburg; musician Mary Boykin Chesnut (1823-1886) born near Stateburg, SC; diarist Arney Childs; author, Dean of Women at USC Alice Childress (1920–1994), born in Charleston; playwright who wrote about the struggles of poverty and racism Cema Sitton Chreitzberg (1888-1972) born in Autun, Anderson County; founder of the Bethlehem Center in Spartanburg Abigail Mandana Holmes Christensen (c. 1852-1938), born in Massachusetts, moved to South Carolina; collector of folklore Georgia Alden Cleveland (1851-1914), born in Laurensville, Georgia, lived in Spartanburg; writer, activist Elizabeth Clotworthy; Dean of Women at USC Catherine Coleman (born 1960), born in Charleston; chemist, former U.S. Air Force officer, current NASA astronaut Monique Coleman (born 1980), born in Orangeburg; actress Affra Harleston Coming (c. 1651-1698) pioneer in SC Angell Conwell (born 1983), born in Orangeburg and raised in Columbia; actress Madelyn Cline (born 1997), born in Goose Creek; actress Ann Pamela Cunningham (1816-1875), born on Rosemont Plantation; preservationist who founded The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association Ida Jane Dacus (1875-1964), born in Williamston; librarian Esther Dale (1885–1961), born in Beaufort; actress Beth Daniel (born 1956), born in Charleston; golfer, member of World Golf Hall of Fame Kristin Davis (born 1965), early in her childhood, she and her parents moved to Columbia; actress known for role as Charlotte York in Sex and the City Mary Elizabeth Moragne Davis (1815–1903), born in Oakwood, Abbeville District; diarist and author Viola Davis (born 1965), born in St. Matthews; actress, The Help Cara Delay Anna Peyre Dinnies (1805–1886), born in Georgetown; poet and writer Eugenia Thomas Slade Duke creator of Duke's mayonnaise Pam Durban (born 1947) in Aiken; novelist and short story writer Ainsley Earhardt (born 1976), grew up in Columbia, correspondent for Fox News Charity Adams Earley (1918-2002), born in Kittrell, NC, grew up in Columbia, SC; first African American woman to become an officer in the Women's Army Auxiliary Crops Marian Wright Edelman (born 1939), born in Bennettsville, activist for the rights of children Frances Ravenel Smythe Edmunds (1916-2019), born in Charleston; preservationist Leslie Jean Egnot (born 1963), born in Greenville, Olympic yachtswoman for New Zealand Irene Dillard Elliot (1892-1978), born in Laurens County; first female full professor and first female dean at USC Mary Gordon Ellis (1889-1934), born in Gourdin, SC; fist woman elected to the SC legislature Lilian Ellison (1923–2007), born in Kershaw County, female professional wrestler better known as the Fabulous Moolah Emily Plume Evans (1865-1942), born in Newark, NJ, moved to Spartanburg; activist and club woman Matilda Arabella Evans (1866-1935), born in Aiken; first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in SC
F–J Shannon Faulkner (born 1975), born in Powdersville, the first female cadet to enter The Citadel Mamie Garvin Fields (1888-1987), born in Charleston; teacher, civil rights and religious advocate, and memoirist Ruby Middleton Forsythe (1905-1992), born in Charleston; educator Grace Beacham Freeman (1916-2002), born in Spartanburg; poet, columnist short story writer, and educator Nancy Friday (1933–2017), grew up in Charleston, author, specializing in topics of female sexuality and liberation Susan Pringle Frost (1873-1960), born in Charleston; preservationist Love Gantt (1875-1935), born in Camden; physician Sarah Ann Haynsworth Gayle (1804-1835), born in Sumter County, diarist Emily Geiger (1765-1825), burn in Zurich, Switzerland, settled in Saxe Gotha; Patriot messenger during the American Revolutionary War Frances Guignard Gibbes (1870-1948), born in Columbia; first woman to enroll at South Carolina College Leeza Gibbons (born 1957), born in Hartsville, talk show host of Entertainment Tonight and other Hollywood news shows Rose Delores Gibbs (born 1946) in Moncks Corner; first female African American doctor to graduate from the Medical University of South Carolina, and the first black woman to serve as the chief medical officer in the Peace Corps Althea Gibson (1927–2003), born in Silver, Clarendon County, first African-American player to win Wimbledon and U.S. National tennis championships Lottie Gibson (1930-2016), born in Seneca; social activist Caroline Howard Gilman (1794-1888), born in Boston, moved to Charleston; author and advocate for slavery Vivian Glover (born 1947) in Orangeburg, NC, worked at Claflin University; writer, educator Lucile Godbold (1900-1981), born in Marion County, SC; track and field athlete Janie Glymph Goree (1921-2009), born in Newberry County; first female African-American to be elected mayor in South Carolina K. Lee Graham (born 1997), from Chapin, won the Miss Teen USA 2014 pageant Wil Lou Gray (1884-1984), born in Laurens County; educator Laura Ann Grey Mary Putnam Gridley (1850-1939), born in Hillston, Massachusetts, but lived in Greenville, SC; first female president of a cotton mill in SC Angelina Grimké (1805-1879), raised in Charleston, lived in New Jersey; abolitionist, political activist, suffragist Sarah Moore Grimké (1792-1873), born in Charleston; abolitionist, writer, feminist Jane Bruce Guignard (1876-1963), born in Aiken County; physician, suffragist, and philanthropist Nikki Haley (born 1972), born and raised in Bamberg, Indian-American politician, former Governor of South Carolina (2010–2017), and United States Ambassador to the United Nations since 2017 Shanola Hampton (born 1977), from Charleston, actress, on Showtime series Shameless Harriet Hancock Founded SC PFLAG, the first LGBTQ rights organization in SC, and helped to organize the first Pride march Emily Jane Liles Harris (1827-1899), lived in Spartanburg; farmer and writer Fanny Stanley Harris Esther Hill Hawks (1833-1906), born in Hooksett, New Hampshire, worked in Beaufort, SC; teacher, doctor, activist Katherine Heyward first female department head at USC Lauren Michelle Hill (born 1979), from Columbia, model, actress, Playboy Playmate Sophia Hume (1702-1774); author and preacher Josephine Humphreys (born 1945), from Charleston, author Samantha Hunter - First Black Miss SC Pride, drag queen and AIDS activist. There is a chapter on Hunter in Jim Sears' Rebels, Rubyfruit, Rhinestones Alberta Charlayne Hunter-Gault (born 1942), in Due West, SC; civil rights activist, journalist, former foreign correspondent for NPR Fiona Hutchison (born 1960), raised in Columbia and attended Clemson University, soap opera actress Lauren Hutton (born 1943), from Charleston, supermodel, actress Madison Iseman (born 1997), from Myrtle Beach, actress Sylvia Jefferies (born 1969), born in Greenwood, actress, Nashville Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (born 2001), born in Georgetown, Olympic gold and bronze medalist in track Caroline Howard Jervey (1823–1877), born in Charleston, author and poet Harriet Catherine Frazier Johnson (1889-1972), born in Pelzer; first woman ever elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives Alexis Jordan (born 1992), born in Columbia, R&B and pop singer Mary Camilla Judson (1874-1910) Lady Principle of Greenville Woman's College
K–P Clara Louise Kellogg (1842-1916) born in Sumterville, SC; opera singer Betsy King (born 1955), from Spartanburg, golfer, member of World Golf Hall of Fame Marie Kirkpatrick Eartha Kitt (1927–2008), actress, singer, and cabaret star Sallie Krawcheck (born 1964), from Charleston, former chairman and chief executive officer of Citi Global Wealth Management Emma LeConte Mary Elizabeth Lee (1813–1849), born in Charleston, writer Nina Littlejohn (1879-1963), born in Cherokee County; African American entrepreneur and health care advocate Martha Daniell Logan (1704-1779), born in St. Thomas Parish, SC; botanist LZ Love Lucy (genecology) Grace Lumpkin (1891-1980), born in Milledgeville, Georgia, moved to SC; writer, novelist Mother Mary Baptista Aloysius Lynch (1826–1887), born in Ireland, lived in Charleston; founding superior of the Ursuline community in Columbia Andie MacDowell (born 1958), born in Gaffney, model and actress Judith Giton Manigault (c. 1665-1711) born in La Voulte, Languedoc, France; immigrant, matriarch Allison Marsh born in Richmond, Virginia, lives in Columbia; public historian of technology Madame Ann Marson (Mason) Talvande Leah McClimans Catherine Mae McKee McCottry (1921-2018), born in Charlotte, NC; first female African American obstetrician and gynecologist in Charleston, South Carolina Annie Virginia McCracken (1868–?), born in Charleston; published a magazine while living in Summerville Carrie Allen McCray (1913-2008), born in Lynchburg, Virginia, but lived in Columbia; African American writer Grace McFadden (died 2004); first black female professor at the University of South Carolina's College of Humanities and Social Sciences Clelia Peronneau Mathewes McGowan (1865-1956); activist and politician Nina Mae McKinney (1912-1967) born in Lancaster; actress and singer Marian McKnight (born 1936), born in Manning, Miss America 1957, actress, producer and writer Patina Miller (born 1984), born in Pageland, actress, singer, Madam Secretary, All My Children, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay films