James Brown is the name of several notable people:

• James Brown, soul and funk singer and bandleader, born 1933
• James Brown, American TV personality, born 1955
• James Brown, U.S. Senator from Louisiana (1766-1835)
• James Brown , British music journalist and magazine editor
• Jim Brown, né James Nathaniel Brown, American football player and film actor
• Jimmy White, British snooker player who officially changed his name by deed poll to James Brown to tie in with his sponsor, HP Sauce, a manufacturer of brown sauce.