John Carlin may refer to:

• John Carlin (journalist) (born 1956), journalist and author
• John W. Carlin (born 1940), governor of Kansas, 1979–1987, and Archivist of the United States, 1995–2005
• John Carlin (umpire) (1861–1944), cricketer and test umpire
• John Carlin (businessman) (born 1955), American entrepreneur, art historian and record producer
• John Carlin (footballer) (1871–?), English footballer for Liverpool F.C.
• John Carlin (actor) (1929–2017) Scottish actor.