Here are lists of some notable personalities associated with BDSM, arranged by field of activity. Some people may appear under more than one category.

Activists

• Patrick Califia
• Viola Johnson
• Jack McGeorge
• Lord Morpheous
• Desmond Ravenstone
• Gayle Rubin
• Cynthia Slater
• Mollena Williams-Haas

Art

• Artists
• Authors
• Photographers

Bondage riggers

• Go Arisue
• Matthias T. J. Grimme
• Jeff Gord
• Lee Harrington
• Seiu Ito
• Irving Klaw
• Randa Mai
• Midori
• Jay Wiseman

Dominatrices

• Asa Akira
• Charlotte Bach
• CoCo Brown
• Melissa Febos
• Leslie Fish
• Mistress Matisse
• Domenica Niehoff
• Eva Norvind
• Betty Paërl

Models

• Dana DeArmond
• Sharon Kane
• Eri Kikuchi
• Lorelei Lee
• Bettie Page
• Princess Donna
• Madison Young

Notable BDSM video directors

• Jeff Gord (of House of Gord and Naked Gord)
• Peter Acworth (of Kink.com and Public Disgrace)

Nikkatsu SM Queens

• Junko Mabuki
• Ran Masaki
• Nami Matsukawa
• Izumi Shima
• Miki Takakura
• Naomi Tani