Buchanan is a surname of Scottish origin (see Clan Buchanan) and is the surname of:
The Most Rev Alan Alexander Buchanan (1905–1984), Anglican bishop in Ireland
Alan Gilmore Buchanan (b. 1952), Canadian university administrator and former politician
Lieutenant-Colonel Alick Drummond Buchanan-Smith, Baron Balerno (1898-1984), British soldier and politician
Alick Laidlaw Buchanan-Smith (1932–1991), Scottish Conservative and Unionist politician
Allen Buchanan, the James B. Duke Professor of philosophy at Duke University
Allen Buchanan (Medal of Honor recipient), American Medal of Honor recipient
Andrew Buchanan (1780–1848), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Andrew Buchanan (1806-1877), member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from 1862 to 1874
Sir Andrew Buchanan, 1st Baronet, (1807–1882), British diplomat and baronet
Lieutenant Archibald Buchanan (born 1892, date of death unknown), American World War I flying ace, flying with the RAF
Archibald C. Buchanan (1890–1979), American lawyer and judge
Archie Buchanan, former association football player
Barry Buchanan (born 1968), American professional wrestler ("Bull Buchanan")
Bay Buchanan, sister to Pat Buchanan, and Treasurer of the United States
Bill Buchanan (1930-1996), American songwriter
Bill Buchanan (born 1961), Scots computer scientist, leads the Centre for Distributed Computing and Security at Edinburgh Napier University
Blake Buchanan, founder of Bahama Buck's
Brian James Buchanan (born 1973), Major League Baseball outfielder
Buchanan family, one of the main families in the American soap opera One Life to Live
Buck Buchanan (1940–1992), American football player
Cameron Buchanan (1928–2008), football player
Cameron Buchanan (born 1946), Scottish politician
Charles Pakenham Buchanan (1874–1924), Australian business man and mayor of Brisbane
Chester and Lester Buchanan, country musicians known as the Buchanan Brothers
Claudius Buchanan (1766–1815), Scottish divine
Colin Buchanan (entertainer), Australian entertainer
Colin Buchanan (actor), Scottish actor
Sir Colin Buchanan (town planner), British transport expert
David Buchanan (1823–1890), barrister and politician in colonial New South Wales
David Buchanan (1830–1900), amateur cricketer, notable for spin bowling
David Buchanan (born 1962), English professional footballer
David Buchanan (born 1986), professional footballer
David Andrew Buchanan (born 1989), American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies
David M. Buchanan (born 1862), United States Navy sailor, recipient of the Medal of Honor
Edgar Buchanan, American actor
Edna Buchanan, American journalist and author
Edward A. Buchanan (born 1967), a lawyer in Torrington, Wyoming, former member and past Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton (1762–1829), Scottish surgeon, geographer and naturalist
Frank Buchanan (1862–1930), Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois
Frank Buchanan (1902–1951), Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Franklin Buchanan (1800–1874), American Confederate admiral
George Buchanan (1506–1582), Scottish humanist
George Buchanan (diplomat) (1854–1924), British ambassador in Russia 1911–1919
George Buchanan (engineer born 1790) (1790–1852), Scottish civil engineer
George Buchanan (engineer born 1865), (1865–1940), British civil engineer
George Buchanan (politician) (1890–1955), Scottish politician
George Wesley Buchanan, Professor Emeritus, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC, USA
Gordon Buchanan (living), Scottish wildlife film maker
Henry Kanonta Buchanan (born 1978), American boxer
Ian Buchanan (born 1957), Scottish television actor
Ian Buchanan (philosopher) (born 1969), Australian philosopher
Isaac Buchanan (1810-1883), businessman and political figure in Canada West
Izett Buchanan (born 1972), American basketball player
Jack Buchanan (1891–1957), Scottish actor and singer
Jack Buchanan (rugby league) (born 1992), Australian Rugby League player
James Buchanan (1791–1868), 15th President of the United States of America
Commander Sir James Buchanan, 2nd Baronet (1840–1901), British Royal Navy officer
James Buchanan, 1st Baron Woolavington (1849–1935), a British businessman and philanthropist
James M. Buchanan (1919–2013), American economist
James P Buchanan (1867-1937), American politician
Jensen Buchanan (born 1962), U.S. actress
Joan Buchanan (born 1952), American Democratic Party member of the California State Assembly
Major John Buchanan (1759-1832), American frontiersman, founder of present-day Nashville, Tennessee
John Buchanan (1884-1943), Scottish Olympic medalist in sailing
John Buchanan (born 1931), Canadian politician
John Buchanan (American politician), Republican presidential candidate in 2004
John Buchanan (footballer born 1935), Scottish footballer
John Buchanan (footballer born 1951), Scottish footballer
John A. Buchanan (1843–1921), American politician and judge
John Hall Buchanan (born 1928), American politician
John P. Buchanan (1847–1930), Governor of Tennessee
June Buchanan (1887–1988), American educator
Kadeisha Buchanan (born 1995), Canadian soccer player
Ken Buchanan (born 1945), Scottish boxer
Keisha Buchanan (born 1984), British-Jamaican singer
Lachlan Buchanan (born 1987), Australian actor
Larry Buchanan (1923−2004), film director, producer and writer
Manley Augustus Buchanan (born 1949), Jamaican musician
Mark Buchanan (born 1961), American physicist and author
Mary Beth Buchanan (born 1963), United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Michael "HouseShoes" Buchanan, American hip hop producer and DJ, who lives and works in Los Angeles
Michael Anthony Buchanan (born 1991), American football defensive end for the New England Patriots
Mike Buchanan (born 1932), Canadian former ice hockey defenceman
Nathaniel Buchanan (1826–1901), Australian pioneer pastoralist, drover and explorer
Norman Buchanan (1915–2008), major in the Royal Canadian Army, awarded the Military Cross, furniture retailer, and political figure in New Brunswick, Canada.
Neil Buchanan, British television presenter
Neville Buchanan (born 1959), British animator and director
Pam Buchanan (1937–1992), Australian politician
Pat Buchanan (born 1938), American political pundit and Reform Party presidential nominee in 2000
Paul Buchanan (born 1981), professional boxer
Paul Buchanan (born 1956), member of the musical group The Blue Nile
Peter Buchanan (1915–1977), Scottish footballer who played at both professional and international levels
Peter Buchanan (born 1942), architect, urbanist, writer, critic, lecturer and exhibition curator
The Honourable Justice Peter Buchanan is a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia
Peter Neave Buchanan (born 1889, date of death unknown), rugby union player who represented Australia
Vice Admiral Sir Peter William Buchanan (1925–2011), Royal Navy officer who became Naval Secretary
Ralph "Bucky" Buchanan (1922-2005), Canadian ice hockey right winger
Ray Buchanan (born 1971), American football player
Richard Lawrence Buchanan Jr (born 1969), former American professional football wide receiver
Robbie Buchanan (born 1957) is a Canadian keyboardist, songwriter, arranger, and producer.
Robert Buchanan (footballer) (1868–1909), Scottish international footballer
Robert C. Buchanan (1811–1878), American soldier
Robert Gordon Buchanan (born 1961), retired Major League Baseball pitcher
Robert Williams Buchanan (1841–1901), British poet, dramatist, and novelist
Ronald Leonard "Bucky" Buchanan (born 1944), former Canadian professional ice hockey centre
Roy Buchanan (1939–1988), American guitarist
Sam Taylor Buchanan (born 1991), actor
Scott Buchanan (1895–1968), American educator and philosopher
Shamari Buchanan (born 1977), American football player
Simone Buchanan (born 1968), Australian actress
Stuart Buchanan (1894-1974), American voice actor starring in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs playing the role of Humbert the Huntsman
Thomas Buchanan (1808–1841), second governor of Liberia
Thomas Buchanan (born 1963), Unionist politician from Northern Ireland
Thomas Boughton Buchanan (1833-1924), Archdeacon of Wilts from 1874 until 1911
Thomas Ryburn Buchanan (1846–1911), Scottish Liberal politician and bibliophile
Timothy Buchanan (born 1946), former American football linebacker
Vern Buchanan, U.S. Representative from Florida
Walter "Little Man" Buchanan, Jr (born 1915), jazz bassist
William Buchanan, Canadian politician
William Buchanan (footballer), Scottish footballer
William Frederick Buchanan (1824–1911), Australian pastoralist and gold prospector