42.3449° N, 71.0753° W

BOSTON

Most Famous People Born in Boston, United States

Notable people
3,663
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1926
Most distinctive
Novelist 3.5×

America's oldest civic intelligentsia. Boston's notables are unusually concentrated in the 1700s and 1800s by American standards, and the distinctive shelves still read like a Yankee almanac — novelists, lawyers, military officers, mathematicians, and diplomats, the trades of a city where Harvard, the State House, and the Old North Church share a few square miles. The modern half tilts more conventionally toward Red Sox baseball, actors, and a deep college-bred music scene.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Boston during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 348 notable births.

What Boston Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is Boston's biggest profession — 9% of all notables (314).

Boston over-indexes on novelist3.5× the global rate.

Boston under-produces football — only 0.2× the global rate.

  1. Actor314
  2. Politician312
  3. Writer149
  4. Lawyer135
  5. Baseball110
  6. Painter106
  7. Music102
  8. Football87
  1. Novelist503.5×
  2. Baseball1102.6×
  3. Officer632.6×
  4. Mathematician452.5×
  5. Lawyer1352.1×
  6. Music1021.9×
  7. Diplomat371.7×
  8. Actor3141.6×
  1. Football870.2×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Boston's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

16501700175018001850190019502000
  • Politics & Law
  • Sports
  • Writing
  • Film & TV
  • Science
  • Music
  • Other
All3,663
Sort By

3,663 notable people

3001 BASEBALL

Tom Earley

1917 - 1988

Preview
3002 BOOKMAKER

Joseph J. Sullivan

1870 - 1949

Preview
3003 AUTHOR

Allan Angoff

1910 - 1998

Preview
3004 EDUCATOR

Elma Lewis

1921 - 2004

Preview
3005 PLAYER

Edward Whitney

Born 1891

Preview
3006 WRITER

Alexandra Chasin

Born 1961

Preview
3007 FOOTBALL

Roger Perdrix

Born 1943

Preview
3008 MILITAR

Frederick S. Neilon

1846 - 1916

Preview
3009 SINGER

Lily Halpern

Born 1991

Preview
3010 MUSIC

Khari Wynn

Born 1981

Preview
3011 LAWYER

John Durham (lawyer)

Born 1950

Preview
3012 PSYCHOLOGIST

Maressa Orzack

1924 - 2010

Preview
3013 THEOLOGIAN

Jonathan Draper

Born 1952

Preview
3014 FARMER

Betsy Hager

1750 - 1843

Preview
3015 BASEBALL

Claude Davidson

1896 - 1956

Preview
3016 FINANCIER

Charles Hayden (banker)

1870 - 1937

Preview
3017 WRITER

Gregory Norman Bossert

Born 1962

Preview
3018 BASEBALL

Dan Cronin (baseball)

1857 - 1885

Preview
3019 BUSINESS

Joy Covey

1963 - 2013

Preview
3020 RAPPER

Gio Dee

Born 1992

Preview
3021 ANATOMIST

John Warren (1874-1928)

1874 - 1928

Preview
3022 LAWYER

Richard David Emery

Born 1946

Preview
3023 POLITICIAN

Arthur E. Reimer

1882 - 1969

Preview
3024 ATHLETIC

William Rand (athlete)

1886 - 1981

Preview
3025 SCIENTIST

Arthur H. White

1924 - 2014

Preview
3026 ARTIST

Yazmany Arboleda

Born 1981

Preview
3027 NOVELIST

Bradford Ropes

1905 - 1966

Preview
3028 MUSIC

Bob Enos

1947 - 2008

Preview
3029 MILITAR

John James Doran

1864 - 1904

Preview
3030 POLITICAL

Rick Ahearn

Born 1949

Preview
3031 NAVY

John McFarland (Medal of Honor)

1840 - 1881

Preview
3032 NAVY

Michael Connolly (Medal of Honor)

Born 1855

Preview
3033 ARTIST

James William Chichetto

Born 1941

Preview
3034 COUNSELOR

Elizabeth Littlefield

-

Preview
3035 POLICE

Robert A. Brooks

1932 - 2000

Preview
3036 COLONEL

Algernon Sidney Badger

1839 - 1905

Preview
3037 FILM

Lawrence Kasanoff

Born 1959

Preview
3038 SPORT

Tony Sparano Jr.

Born 1986

Preview
3039 BASEBALL

Mike Mahoney (first baseman)

1873 - 1940

Preview
3040 POLITICIAN

Jerry Relph

Born 1944

Preview
3041 POLITICIAN

Benjamin Gerrish

1717 - 1772

Preview
3042 WRITER

Mary Whitwell Hale

1810 - 1862

Preview
3043 JOURNALIST

Richard Frothingham Jr.

1812 - 1880

Preview
3044 OPERA

Evelyn Parnell

1888 - 1939

Preview
3045 FOOTBALL

Joe Pellegrini

Born 1957

Preview
3046 POLITICIAN

Charles A. Phelps

1820 - 1902

Preview
3047 ORNITHOLOGIST

Samuel Cabot III

1815 - 1885

Preview
3048 LAWYER

Charles Hiller Innes

1870 - 1939

Preview
3049 PUBLISHER

Austin E. Ford

1857 - 1896

Preview
3050 COACH

Fran Papasedero

1969 - 2003

Preview
3051 BASEBALL

Ron Perry (basketball, born 1958)

Born 1958

Preview
3052 GUITAR

Tyler Morris

Born 1998

Preview
3053 BASKET

Abdul-Malik Abu

Born 1995

Preview
3054 BUSINESS

Thomas Forbes Cushing

1838 - 1902

Preview
3055 PSYCHOLOGIST

Michael Telch

Born 1953

Preview
3056 PAINTER

Ellen Banks

Born 1938

Preview
3057 SPORT

Mark Jackson (athletic director)

Born 1972

Preview
3058 POLITICIAN

Michael E. Haynes

1927 - 2019

Preview
3059 FILMMAKER

John Seward Johnson III

Born 1966

Preview
3060 POLITICIAN

Barry Locke

1930 - 2007

Preview
3061 BASEBALL

Tom Smith (pitcher)

1871 - 1929

Preview
3062 OFFICER

Thomas H. Dunham

1840 - 1925

Preview
3063 MUSIC

Louis Kelterborn

1891 - 1933

Preview
3064 BASEBALL

Walter Lonergan

1885 - 1958

Preview
3065 CHEMIST

Marie Mercury Roth

Died 2020

Preview
3066 PAINTER

Wendell Thompson Perkins

1928 - 1997

Preview
3067 BASEBALL

Ryan Edell

Born 1983

Preview
3068 FISHER

Thomas Harcourt (Medal of Honor)

Born 1841

Preview
3069 MUSIC

Seán McKiernan

-

Preview
3070 POLITICIAN

George P. Bemis

1838 - 1916

Preview
3071 ATHLETIC

Walter Whalen

1898 - 1966

Preview
3072 COACH

James Halligan (American football)

1879 - 1965

Preview
3073 NAVY

William Sadler (Medal of Honor)

Born 1854

Preview
3074 HOCKEY

Joe Howard (sledge hockey)

Born 1966

Preview
3075 LAWYER

Benjamin F. Haines

1876 - 1942

Preview
3076 PAINTER

Lillian Cotton

1892 - 1962

Preview
3077 BASEBALL

Ed Wineapple

1905 - 1996

Preview
3078 ARTIST

Daniel Warner (artist)

Born 1974

Preview
3079 FILMMAKER

Shevaun Mizrahi

-

Preview
3080 WRITER

Belle Armstrong Whitney

1861 - 1922

Preview
3081 BASEBALL

Paul Carey (baseball)

Born 1968

Preview
3082 POLITICIAN

David J. O'Connor

1924 - 2011

Preview
3083 COACH

D. Leo Daley

1895 - 1979

Preview
3084 COACH

W. J. Randall

1874 - 1925

Preview
3085 POLITICIAN

Samuel Welles de Lavalette

1834 - 1892

Preview
3086 ACTOR

Paul Wahlberg

Born 1964

Preview
3087 PAINTER

Vincent Pepi

1926 - 2020

Preview
3088 WRESTLER

Paulie Gilmore

-

Preview
3089 BASEBALL

Joe Casey (baseball)

1887 - 1966

Preview
3090 MAFIOSO

Joseph Russo

1931 - 1998

Preview
3091 EXECUTIVE

Mortimer J. Buckley

Born 1969

Preview
3092 JOURNALIST

Melissa Gira Grant

Born 1978

Preview
3093 BASEBALL

Marty Shay

1896 - 1951

Preview
3094 TEACHER

Jason Mittell

-

Preview
3095 PRODUCER

Frank Swart

Born 1961

Preview
3096 BASKET

Shey Peddy

Born 1988

Preview
3097 LAWYER

Champ Lyons

Born 1940

Preview
3098 POLITICIAN

Henry J. Daggett

1826 - 1910

Preview
3099 BURGLAR

Billy Porter (criminal)

Born 1850

Preview
3100 BASEBALL

Dupee Shaw

1859 - 1938

Preview
3101 NOVELIST

Jane K. Cleland

-

Preview
3102 ARMY

Anthony J. Carson

1869 - 1943

Preview
3103 POLITICIAN

Allen McCarthy

Born 1970

Preview
3104 WRITER

Peter Brash

Born 1954

Preview
3105 BUSINESS

Edmund C. Converse

1849 - 1921

Preview
3106 HOCKEY

Rich Hart

Born 1952

Preview
3107 BASEBALL

Dan Cotter

1867 - 1935

Preview
3108 BASEBALL

Steve Dignan

1859 - 1881

Preview
3109 FLIGHT ATTENDANT

John Ferruggio

1925 - 2010

Preview
3110 MUSIC

Laurence Cook

Born 1939

Preview
3111 JOURNALIST

Carl Greenberg

1908 - 1984

Preview
3112 ACTOR

Gianna Simone

Born 1989

Preview
3113 ECONOMIST

David I. Meiselman

1924 - 2014

Preview
3114 HOCKEY

Billy O'Dwyer

Born 1960

Preview
3115 DESIGNER

Kerry Joyce

-

Preview
3116 BASEBALL

Bill Mills (baseball)

1919 - 2019

Preview
3117 OFFICER

Charles Jackson Paine

1833 - 1916

Preview
3118 FOOTBALL

George Dickson

Born 1923

Preview
3119 LIBRARIAN

Frederic Vinton (bibliographer)

1817 - 1890

Preview
3120 MUSIC

Alice May Bates Rice

1868 - 1907

Preview
3121 POLITICIAN

Peter Cushman Jones

1837 - 1922

Preview
3122 SINGER

Leslie Winer

-

Preview
3123 MUSIC

Lloyd Ulyate

1927 - 2004

Preview
3124 ACTOR

Donald Foley

1963 - 2011

Preview
3125 BASEBALL

Jerry Hurley (1890s catcher)

1863 - 1950

Preview
3126 PLAYER

Miles Craigwell

Born 1986

Preview
3127 OFFICER

Roberta L. Hazard

1934 - 2017

Preview
3128 OFFICER

Edward B. Cole

1879 - 1918

Preview
3129 BASEBALL

Dick Stello

1934 - 1987

Preview
3130 MISTRESS

Mary Dominis

1803 - 1889

Preview
3131 ARMY

Edward H. Gibson

1872 - 1942

Preview
3132 JOURNALIST

Joseph Mansfield (journalist)

1828 - 1854

Preview
3133 DANCER

Brooke Frieling

Born 1986

Preview
3134 TRUMPET

Kirk Reeves

1956 - 2012

Preview
3135 JUDGE

Francis Patrick O'Connor

1927 - 2007

Preview
3136 ACTOR

Myrtle Watkins

1908 - 1968

Preview
3137 BASEBALL

Bill Tierney (baseball)

1858 - 1898

Preview
3138 DENTIST

William Herbert Rollins

1852 - 1929

Preview
3139 MILITAR

William Osborn (Medal of Honor)

1837 - 1887

Preview
3140 TRADE UNION

May Chen

Born 1948

Preview
3141 JOURNALIST

Lori Rothman

Born 1973

Preview
3142 RADIO

Bob Durgin

-

Preview
3143 SWIMMER

James Green (swimmer)

-

Preview
3144 FOOTBALL

Ashkanov Apollon

Born 1991

Preview
3145 DESIGNER

Edmund E. Anderson

1906 - 1989

Preview
3146 POLITICIAN

Gardner S. Hardee

1842 - 1926

Preview
3147 POET

Janaka Stucky

Born 1978

Preview
3148 POLITICIAN

Paul J. Gannon

Born 1960

Preview
3149 CRIMINOLOGIST

James Alan Fox

-

Preview
3150 PRIEST

Thomas Addis Emmet (bishop)

1873 - 1950

Preview
3151 SCHOLAR

Andrew Lear

Born 1958

Preview
3152 RADIO

Gene Lavanchy

Born 1964

Preview
3153 POLITICIAN

Isaac Bradford

1834 - 1898

Preview
3154 MILITAR

Thomas Francis Hickey (general)

1898 - 1983

Preview
3155 MISSING

Frank H. Newcomb

1846 - 1934

Preview
3156 SPORT

Nicholi Rogatkin

Born 1995

Preview
3157 FOOTBALL

Daniel Hurley (American football)

-

Preview
3158 LAWYER

Andrea Campbell

Born 1982

Preview
3159 POLITICIAN

John J. Finnegan

Born 1938

Preview
3160 MYCOLOGIST

William Codman Sturgis

1886 - 1942

Preview
3161 FOOTBALL

Austin Bryant

Born 1996

Preview
3162 PHILANTHROPIST

Harriet Nevins

1841 - 1929

Preview
3163 BUSINESS

Michael Redstone

1902 - 1987

Preview
3164 NEUROSCIENTIST

John Hildebrand

-

Preview
3165 LAWYER

Fred I. Parker

1938 - 2003

Preview
3166 MUSIC

Gary War

-

Preview
3167 CHEMIST

Arthur Messinger Comey

1861 - 1933

Preview
3168 POLITICIAN

Charles Yancey

Born 1948

Preview
3169 HOST

Jordan Rich

-

Preview
3170 BASEBALL

Kenny Greer

Born 1967

Preview
3171 DIPLOMAT

George Harrington

1815 - 1892

Preview
3172 GRAFIKER

Erik Ekroth

1883 - 1954

Preview
3173 JUDGE

William F. Sullivan

-

Preview
3174 THERAPIST

Jamie Turndorf

Born 1958

Preview
3175 JOURNALIST

Katherine Stewart (journalist)

-

Preview
3176 FOOTBALL

Jim Zyntell

1910 - 1992

Preview
3177 POLITICIAN

Proctor L. Dougherty

1873 - 1966

Preview
3178 POLITICIAN

William E. Carney

Born 1878

Preview
3179 POLITICIAN

Joseph A. Langone Jr.

1896 - 1960

Preview
3180 POLITICIAN

David H. Locke

1927 - 2019

Preview
3181 BASEBALL

Don Mason (baseball)

1944 - 2018

Preview
3182 GAME

Clay Dreslough

Born 1970

Preview
3183 BASEBALL

Jim Wallace (baseball)

1881 - 1953

Preview
3184 EXECUTIVE

Jonathan Rotenberg

Born 1963

Preview
3185 PUBLISHER

George Kirstein

1909 - 1986

Preview
3186 ACTOR

Hattie Williams

1870 - 1942

Preview
3187 NAVY

Oliver O'Brien

1839 - 1894

Preview
3188 POLICE

Beating of Michael Cox

Born 1965

Preview
3189 BUSINESS

Lukas Biewald

Born 1981

Preview
3190 LAWYER

Bertram Ellis

1860 - 1920

Preview
3191 LAWYER

Owen A. Galvin

1852 - 1897

Preview
3192 LAWYER

George Eustis Sr.

1796 - 1858

Preview
3193 MUSIC

Eddie Mottau

-

Preview
3194 BASEBALL

Henry Lampe

1872 - 1936

Preview
3195 GEOLOGIST

Alfred M. Ziegler

Born 1938

Preview
3196 FOOTBALL

Jogger Elcock

1888 - 1964

Preview
3197 POLITICIAN

James Jackson (Massachusetts politician)

Born 1881

Preview
3198 AUTHOR

Ellen Crosby

Born 1953

Preview
3199 BASEBALL

Kid Butler (outfielder)

1861 - 1921

Preview
3200 MILITAR

William H. G. FitzGerald

1909 - 2006

Preview
3201 BASKET

Jack Leaman

1932 - 2004

Preview
3202 POLITICIAN

Michael Whalley

1953 - 2008

Preview
3203 BASEBALL

Henry Bostick

1895 - 1968

Preview
3204 POLITICIAN

Charles W. Eldridge

Born 1877

Preview
3205 ICE HOCKEY

Bob Crocker

1928 - 2018

Preview
3206 MILITAR

Joseph Francis Scott

1864 - 1941

Preview
3207 PAINTER

Sarah C. Frothingham

1821 - 1861

Preview
3208 LAWYER

Francis Ford (judge)

1882 - 1975

Preview
3209 POLITICIAN

Herbert Tuckerman

1921 - 2007

Preview
3210 OPHTHALMOLOGIST

Oliver Fairfield Wadsworth

1838 - 1911

Preview
3211 BUSINESS

William Davis Merry Howard

1818 - 1856

Preview
3212 JOURNALIST

Sarah-Ann Shaw

-

Preview
3213 ASTRONOMER

Douglas Tybor Durig

Born 1961

Preview
3214 WRESTLER

Blimp Levy

1903 - 1961

Preview
3215 ENGINEER

Samuel M. Pook

1804 - 1878

Preview
3216 BASEBALL

Jim Moroney (baseball)

1883 - 1929

Preview
3217 BASEBALL

Bill McCarthy (baseball)

1886 - 1928

Preview
3218 POLITICIAN

Michael J. Coppola

1942 - 2005

Preview
3219 BASEBALL

Tom Connolly (third baseman)

1892 - 1966

Preview
3220 SINGER

Brian Marquis

Born 1981

Preview
3221 WORLD WAR

Rene Anselmo

1926 - 1995

Preview
3222 FOOTBALL

Bob Minihane

1938 - 2020

Preview
3223 BASEBALL

Allie Strobel

1884 - 1955

Preview
3224 VIDEO GAME

Chris Deering

Born 1947

Preview
3225 POLITICIAN

Marc Draisen

Born 1956

Preview
3226 CONSUL

Thomas Hickling

1745 - 1834

Preview
3227 GOLF

Andy Morse

Born 1958

Preview
3228 POLITICIAN

Charles L. Burrill

1862 - 1931

Preview
3229 ENGINEER

Sidney Topol

1924 - 2011

Preview
3230 FOOTBALL

A. J. Godbolt

Born 1984

Preview
3231 BASEBALL

Gus Salve

1885 - 1971

Preview
3232 BASKET

Tam Dinh

Born 1990

Preview
3233 TELEVISION

Connie Martinson

Born 1932

Preview
3234 BUSINESS

Robert S. Silberman

Born 1957

Preview
3235 EXECUTIVE

John Curran (businessman)

Born 1964

Preview
3236 PAINTER

Zoe Yin

Born 2001

Preview
3237 MILITAR

George H. Nee

1876 - 1952

Preview
3238 MUSIC

Eric Zinman

Born 1963

Preview
3239 POLITICIAN

Clarence "Jeep" Jones

1933 - 2020

Preview
3240 SINGER

Michael Connaire

Born 1968

Preview
3241 MILITAR

William B. Turner

1892 - 1918

Preview
3242 BASEBALL

Pat Hartnett (baseball)

1863 - 1935

Preview
3243 FOOTBALL

Matt King (American football)

Born 1983

Preview
3244 PRIEST

Tomás Andrés Mauro Muldoon

Born 1938

Preview
3245 POLITICIAN

Henry B. Metcalf

1829 - 1904

Preview
3246 ACADEMIC

Antoine Joseph Jobin

1889 - 1972

Preview
3247 GOVERNMENT

Cedric Cromwell

Born 1965

Preview
3248 POLITICIAN

John E. Beck

Born 1869

Preview
3249 SCULPTOR

Florence Freeman

1836 - 1876

Preview
3250 BISHOP

Herman Page (father)

1866 - 1942

Preview
3251 DESIGNER

Louise Brigham

1875 - 1956

Preview
3252 BOTANIST

Frederic Tracy Hubbard

1875 - 1962

Preview
3253 HANDBALL

Peter Buehning Jr.

Born 1954

Preview
3254 LAWYER

William Thaddeus Coleman III

Born 1947

Preview
3255 MUSIC

Ben Fagan

Born 1984

Preview
3256 SURGEON

Zabdiel Boylston Adams

1829 - 1902

Preview
3257 SOLDIER

James Brady (Medal of Honor)

1842 - 1904

Preview
3258 LAWYER

Edward J. McCormack Jr.

1923 - 1997

Preview
3259 POLITICIAN

John M. Tobin Jr.

Born 1969

Preview
3260 ARTIST

Tom Liesegang

Born 1955

Preview
3261 RADIO

Edgar White Burrill

1883 - 1958

Preview
3262 ARTIST

Matty Mo

-

Preview
3263 POLITICIAN

Alonzo Cooper Rand

1831 - 1885

Preview
3264 FOOTBALL

Jeff Queen

1946 - 2018

Preview
3265 FOOTBALL

Edmund McNamara

1920 - 2000

Preview
3266 POLITICIAN

Thomas C. O'Brien

1887 - 1951

Preview
3267 CARTOONIST

Bill Campbell (illustrator)

Born 1920

Preview
3268 TELEVISION

Paul K. Niven Jr.

1924 - 1970

Preview
3269 POLITICIAN

Clementina Poto Langone

1896 - 1964

Preview
3270 ACTOR

William Elliott (actor, born 1879)

1879 - 1932

Preview
3271 BUSINESS

Michael Gould (chief executive)

-

Preview
3272 EMPLOYEE

Kenneth Morse

Born 1946

Preview
3273 POLITICIAN

Peter E. Madden

Born 1942

Preview
3274 LAWYER

Frances Jalet-Cruz

1910 - 1994

Preview
3275 EXECUTIVE

Thomas Fletcher Oakes

1843 - 1919

Preview
3276 SPORT

Chris Rooney

Born 1975

Preview
3277 ACTOR

Gertrude Quinlan

1880 - 1968

Preview
3278 FOOTBALL

Tom Hennessey

1942 - 2012

Preview
3279 FOOTBALL

John McCormick (American football)

1937 - 2013

Preview
3280 WRITER

Jane F. Barry

Born 1966

Preview
3281 ACTIVIST

Margaret Foley (suffragist)

1875 - 1957

Preview
3282 MUSIC

John Goetchius

Born 1965

Preview
3283 DESIGNER

David Robb (motorcycling)

Born 1956

Preview
3284 HOCKEY

Sean O'Brien (ice hockey)

Born 1972

Preview
3285 POLITICIAN

Herbert P. Wasgatt

1865 - 1934

Preview
3286 OPERA

George Fortune

1931 - 2019

Preview
3287 CHEF

David Myers (American chef)

-

Preview
3288 THEATRE

David Saint

Born 1963

Preview
3289 ENTREPRENEUR

Aaron Krane

-

Preview
3290 POLITICIAN

Robert C. Buell

1931 - 2018

Preview
3291 ACTOR

Sydney Booth

1873 - 1937

Preview
3292 POLITICIAN

Steve Cassano

Born 1947

Preview
3293 ACTOR

Cornelius Keefe

1900 - 1972

Preview
3294 POLITICIAN

Stephen Davenport

1924 - 2011

Preview
3295 BASEBALL

Nick Wise

1866 - 1923

Preview
3296 BASKET

Elton Tyler

Born 1979

Preview
3297 DRUMMER

Jimmy Zitano

1928 - 1989

Preview
3298 HOCKEY

Dean Boylan

Born 1951

Preview
3299 BUSINESS

James Walker Tufts

1835 - 1902

Preview
3300 WRITER

Adriana Langer

Born 1964

Preview