41.2568° N, 81.8815° W

CLEVELAND

Most Famous People Born in Cleveland, United States

Notable people
2,168
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1942
Most distinctive
Baseball 6.3×

A Great Lakes industrial city whose distinctive professions are baseball at six times the global rate, novelists, screenwriters, music, and basketball — the shape of a postwar industrial city that built a deep entertainment-and-letters bench out of its working-class neighbourhoods. Halle Berry, Henry Mancini, Jerry Siegel (who invented Superman here with Joe Shuster), and Tracy Chapman all belong to this bench. The 19th-century tail is thin; the city was essentially built by the oil and steel booms of the 1890s.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 303 notable births.

What Cleveland Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Football is Cleveland's biggest profession — 10% of all notables (226).

Cleveland over-indexes on baseball6.3× the global rate.

Cleveland under-produces politician — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Football226
  2. Actor171
  3. Politician163
  4. Baseball156
  5. Music81
  6. Basket66
  7. Lawyer61
  8. Singer57
  1. Baseball1566.3×
  2. Novelist293.4×
  3. Screenwriter293.1×
  4. Music812.6×
  5. Basket662.4×
  6. Business452.1×
  7. Artist381.7×
  8. Film451.7×
  1. Politician1630.6×
  2. Writer480.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

18251850187519001925195019752000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Politics & Law
  • Music
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
All2,168
Sort By

Showing 266 of 2,168 notable people

0021 SINGER

Bobby Womack

1944 - 2014

Preview
0030 POLITICIAN

Dennis Kucinich

Born 1946

Preview
0036 SINGER

Eric Carmen

Born 1949

Preview
0046 FILM

Stephen Gyllenhaal

Born 1949

Preview
0059 WRITER

Stephen R. Donaldson

Born 1947

Preview
0068 ACTOR

Lauren Shuler Donner

Born 1949

Preview
0070 POLITICIAN

Donna Shalala

Born 1941

Preview
0092 FILM

Mark L. Lester

Born 1946

Preview
0097 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Adele Goldberg (computer scientist)

Born 1945

Preview
0106 NOVELIST

George Alec Effinger

1947 - 2002

Preview
0108 TEACHER

Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Born 1943

Preview
0134 PROFESSOR

Jonathan Culler

Born 1944

Preview
0137 ACTOR

Diane McBain

Born 1941

Preview
0141 MUSIC

Chuck Rainey

Born 1940

Preview
0143 WRITER

Katharine Kerr

Born 1944

Preview
0158 MATHEMATICIAN

Karen Uhlenbeck

Born 1942

Preview
0161 EXECUTIVE

John T. Chambers

Born 1949

Preview
0167 SCREENWRITER

Lynn Hershman Leeson

Born 1941

Preview
0183 PLAYER

Clark Graebner

Born 1943

Preview
0196 POLITICIAN

Stephanie Tubbs Jones

1949 - 2008

Preview
0201 MUSIC

Benny Mardones

1946 - 2020

Preview
0202 ACTOR

Elaine Joyce

Born 1945

Preview
0211 FEMINIST

Barbara Smith

Born 1946

Preview
0213 LAWYER

Michael Ratner

1943 - 2016

Preview
0221 PHYSICIST

Jearl Walker

Born 1945

Preview
0236 ASTRONOMER

Tom Van Flandern

1940 - 2009

Preview
0242 ACADEMIC

Nina Fedoroff

Born 1942

Preview
0252 EDITOR

Glenn O'Brien

1947 - 2017

Preview
0253 SINGER

Cecil Womack

1947 - 2013

Preview
0262 FILM

Gilbert Moses

1942 - 1995

Preview
0265 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Terry Sejnowski

Born 1947

Preview
0287 PHOTOGRAPHER

Ronald L. Haeberle

Born 1941

Preview
0294 SINGER

Carlin Glynn

Born 1940

Preview
0296 CONSERVATIVE

William S. Lind

Born 1947

Preview
0310 FOOTBALL

Bob Brown (offensive lineman)

Born 1941

Preview
0319 NOVELIST

R. A. MacAvoy

Born 1949

Preview
0322 WRITER

Marilyn Nelson

Born 1946

Preview
0323 CONDUCTOR

Jiggs Whigham

Born 1943

Preview
0354 BIOLOGIST

Harvey Lodish

Born 1941

Preview
0358 BASKET

Neal Walk

1948 - 2015

Preview
0359 RUNNER

Madeline Manning

Born 1948

Preview
0361 MATHEMATICIAN

David Schweickart

Born 1942

Preview
0372 PHOTOGRAPHER

Allen Ruppersberg

Born 1944

Preview
0393 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Susan L. Graham

Born 1942

Preview
0395 FOOTBALL

Tom Mack

Born 1943

Preview
0396 ACTOR

Tony Pope

1947 - 2004

Preview
0433 ACTOR

Judyann Elder

Born 1948

Preview
0438 CHEMIST

Louis E. Brus

Born 1943

Preview
0439 FILM

Johnnie Keyes

1940 - 2018

Preview
0441 SCREENWRITER

T. S. Cook

1947 - 2013

Preview
0444 COMPOSER

Bill Fontana

Born 1947

Preview
0446 ACTOR

George Buza

Born 1949

Preview
0452 RABBI

Sally Priesand

Born 1946

Preview
0453 ACTOR

Anthony Chisholm (actor)

1943 - 2020

Preview
0454 WRITER

Sharon Draper

Born 1948

Preview
0458 FOOTBALL

Jim Mandich

1948 - 2011

Preview
0461 BASKET

Tom Boerwinkle

1945 - 2013

Preview
0462 POLITICIAN

Mary Rose Oakar

Born 1940

Preview
0466 ACTOR

Marianne McAndrew

Born 1942

Preview
0476 MUSIC

Donald Ayler

1942 - 2007

Preview
0490 SINGER

Sonny Geraci

1947 - 2017

Preview
0498 ACADEMIC

Chip Lord

Born 1944

Preview
0500 WRITER

Stanton Glantz

Born 1946

Preview
0514 POLITICIAN

Mary Jo Kilroy

Born 1949

Preview
0517 OFFICER

Kenneth D. Cameron

Born 1949

Preview
0524 DESIGNER

Dan Friedman (graphic designer)

1945 - 1995

Preview
0527 SCREENWRITER

Ann Elder

Born 1942

Preview
0542 ACTOR

Sherry Alberoni

Born 1946

Preview
0561 AUTHOR

Jeffrey Carver

Born 1949

Preview
0580 LAWYER

Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr.

1941 - 2003

Preview
0588 CARTOONIST

Dave Sheridan (cartoonist)

1943 - 1982

Preview
0591 MUSIC

Harvey Sachs

Born 1946

Preview
0603 ACTOR

Earl Billings

Born 1945

Preview
0609 CHEMIST

Mark Ratner

Born 1942

Preview
0618 CARTOGRAPHER

Denis Wood

Born 1945

Preview
0641 CELLIST

Abdul Wadud (musician)

Born 1947

Preview
0645 BUSINESS

Craig Mundie

Born 1949

Preview
0654 MUSIC

Ken Forssi

1943 - 1998

Preview
0655 FOOTBALL

Billy Lothridge

1942 - 1996

Preview
0669 DENTIST

David J. Acer

1949 - 1990

Preview
0671 AUTHOR

Tom Moldvay

1948 - 2007

Preview
0674 ARTIST

Howard Fried

Born 1946

Preview
0681 WRITER

Mac Wellman

Born 1945

Preview
0685 CHOREOGRAPHER

Dianne McIntyre

Born 1946

Preview
0690 LAWYER

William M. Brodhead

Born 1941

Preview
0703 COMPOSER

Dennis Eberhard

1943 - 2005

Preview
0712 LINGUIST

James Marshall Unger

Born 1947

Preview
0714 BASKET

Manny Leaks

Born 1945

Preview
0720 PRIEST

Martin John Amos

Born 1941

Preview
0723 BUSINESS

Bruce Ratner

Born 1945

Preview
0725 MUSIC

Bob Lanese

Born 1941

Preview
0737 PLAYER

Doug Beal

Born 1947

Preview
0749 JOURNALIST

George Crile III

1945 - 2006

Preview
0754 CRIMINAL

Donald DeFreeze

1943 - 1974

Preview
0758 FOOTBALL

Clinton Jones (American football)

Born 1945

Preview
0766 DIPLOMAT

Aaron David Miller

Born 1949

Preview
0767 MUSIC

Albert Stinson

1944 - 1969

Preview
0776 FILM

Harvey S. Laidman

Born 1942

Preview
0777 MUSIC

Ernie Krivda

Born 1945

Preview
0783 AUTHOR

Chellis Glendinning

Born 1947

Preview
0808 HIGH JUMP

Eleanor Montgomery

1946 - 2013

Preview
0811 BASEBALL

Mike Hegan

1942 - 2013

Preview
0815 ENGINEER

Jared Cohon

Born 1947

Preview
0827 LAWYER

William O'Neill (Ohio judge)

Born 1947

Preview
0831 LINGUIST

Royal Skousen

Born 1945

Preview
0834 WRITER

Jonathan Taplin

Born 1947

Preview
0840 JOURNALIST

Eric Ehrmann

Born 1946

Preview
0846 COACH

Steve Sloan

Born 1944

Preview
0847 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Daniel Siewiorek

Born 1946

Preview
0848 MUSIC

Arthur Jones (musician)

1940 - 1998

Preview
0850 TEACHER

James John Unger

1942 - 2008

Preview
0866 FOOTBALL

Dave Meggyesy

Born 1941

Preview
0872 POLITICIAN

Frank G. Jackson

Born 1946

Preview
0880 NOVELIST

Marcia Talley

Born 1943

Preview
0881 MATHEMATICIAN

Mary Beth Ruskai

Born 1944

Preview
0911 BUSINESS

Martin Zweig

1942 - 2013

Preview
0914 AUTHOR

William F. Baker (television)

Born 1942

Preview
0917 RADIO

Michael Krasny (talk show host)

Born 1944

Preview
0923 MUSIC

David Dubal

Born 1940

Preview
0927 COMPOSER

Richard Edward Wilson

Born 1941

Preview
0931 JOURNALIST

Bernard L. Stein

Born 1941

Preview
0934 FOOTBALL

Tom Stincic

Born 1946

Preview
0940 BASEBALL

Sal Bando

Born 1944

Preview
0944 ACTOR

Dolores Faith

1941 - 1990

Preview
0954 PAINTER

Susan Crile

Born 1942

Preview
0955 WRITER

David Budbill

1940 - 2016

Preview
0961 ESSAYIST

Judith Arcana

Born 1943

Preview
0970 TRUMPET

Malcolm McNab

Born 1943

Preview
0976 POLITICIAN

Tom Ganley

1942 - 2016

Preview
0982 OFFICER

Paul G. Kaminski

Born 1942

Preview
1020 BASKET

Al Jackson (basketball)

Born 1943

Preview
1032 DIPLOMAT

Peter Tomsen

Born 1940

Preview
1046 FILM

Larry Clark (filmmaker)

Born 1948

Preview
1057 PENCILLER

Wayne Howard

1949 - 2007

Preview
1064 FOOTBALL

Tom Schoen

Born 1946

Preview
1066 MATHEMATICIAN

Mary Schaps

Born 1948

Preview
1073 OFFICER

Ronald J. Zlatoper

Born 1942

Preview
1086 ACTOR

B. J. Arnau

1941 - 1989

Preview
1087 PIANIST

Craig Doerge

Born 1947

Preview
1088 ARTIST

David Edward Byrd

Born 1941

Preview
1091 COMPOSER

Paul DeMarinis

Born 1948

Preview
1095 LAWYER

Linda Hirshman

Born 1944

Preview
1103 HOCKEY

Ab DeMarco Jr.

Born 1949

Preview
1108 LAWYER

Maura D. Corrigan

Born 1948

Preview
1117 FOOTBALL

Larry Gagner

Born 1943

Preview
1138 COACH

Rex Dockery

1942 - 1983

Preview
1143 OPERA

John Stewart (tenor)

Born 1940

Preview
1149 FOOTBALL

Robbie Nichols

1946 - 2011

Preview
1150 SINGER

Sandra Tilley

1943 - 1981

Preview
1170 HISTORIAN

Jeffrey Sammons

Born 1949

Preview
1177 SPORT

Stan Parrish

Born 1946

Preview
1181 BUSINESS

A. Gary Klesch

Born 1947

Preview
1197 DIPLOMAT

Heather M. Hodges

Born 1946

Preview
1199 POET

David Reiter

Born 1947

Preview
1207 BUSINESS

Lucie Salhany

Born 1946

Preview
1209 BASEBALL

Joe Nossek

Born 1940

Preview
1217 BASEBALL

Tom Murphy (pitcher)

Born 1945

Preview
1220 ACTOR

Ed Brigadier

1949 - 2012

Preview
1222 SPORT

Marie Walther

Born 1944

Preview
1223 FOOTBALL

Ernie Kellerman

Born 1943

Preview
1225 LAWYER

Charles Ralph Simpson III

Born 1945

Preview
1231 SPORT

Stan Savran

Born 1947

Preview
1232 PAINTER

Ethel Gilmour

1940 - 2008

Preview
1254 FOOTBALL

Bill Lenkaitis

1946 - 2016

Preview
1263 BASEBALL

Garry Roggenburk

Born 1940

Preview
1265 POLITICIAN

Mary O. Boyle

Born 1941

Preview
1274 FOOTBALL

Les Shy

Born 1944

Preview
1276 PAINTER

Mark Greenwold

Born 1942

Preview
1283 POLITICIAN

Sandra Masin

Born 1942

Preview
1284 BANK

Jim Rohr

Born 1948

Preview
1287 WISSENSCHAFTLER

Maria Tymoczko

Born 1943

Preview
1288 ORGANIST

John Ferguson (organist)

Born 1941

Preview
1294 MUSIC

Harry Womack

1945 - 1974

Preview
1312 FOOTBALL

Tom Curtis (American football)

Born 1947

Preview
1335 FOOTBALL

Larry Kaminski

Born 1945

Preview
1340 ARTIST

Judith Henry (artist)

Born 1942

Preview
1345 FOOTBALL

Brian Dowling (American football)

Born 1947

Preview
1346 ACTOR

Phil Baron

Born 1949

Preview
1368 SCREENWRITER

D. B. Gilles

Born 1947

Preview
1388 FENCER

Daniel Cantillon

Born 1945

Preview
1389 WRITER

James Alan Polster

1947 - 2012

Preview
1390 POLITICIAN

Bill Patmon

Born 1946

Preview
1398 MEDICINE

Eagle Bill

1942 - 2005

Preview
1401 LINGUIST

Wendy Sandler

Born 1949

Preview
1407 BASEBALL

Tom Fisher (1960s pitcher)

1942 - 2016

Preview
1423 FOOTBALL

Jack Rudnay

Born 1947

Preview
1424 SONGWRITER

Rory Bourke

Born 1942

Preview
1426 SCIENTIST

John Negele

Born 1944

Preview
1453 FOOTBALL

Rich Stotter

1945 - 2015

Preview
1454 PAINTER

Mary Beth McKenzie

Born 1946

Preview
1463 WRITER

Rudy Maxa

Born 1949

Preview
1472 BUSINESS

Rick Ludwin

1948 - 2019

Preview
1474 AUTHOR

Ray Gricar

1945 - 2005

Preview
1475 PHYSICIST

Richard L. Abrams

Born 1941

Preview
1490 HOCKEY

Doug Volmar

1945 - 2017

Preview
1493 FOOTBALL

Rich Badar

Born 1943

Preview
1494 FOOTBALL

Don Shy

Born 1945

Preview
1497 FOOTBALL

Rich Moore (American football)

Born 1947

Preview
1505 ARTIST

Fritz Dreisbach

Born 1941

Preview
1510 LAWYER

Paul Lewis Maloney

Born 1949

Preview
1522 SCREENWRITER

Charlotte Brown (producer)

Born 1943

Preview
1526 POLITICIAN

Nick Licata (politician)

Born 1947

Preview
1535 POLITICIAN

Jim Carns

Born 1940

Preview
1540 POLITICAL

Linda White

1942 - 2010

Preview
1554 ACTOR

Charla Doherty

1946 - 1988

Preview
1556 CONSERVATIVE

Michael S. Joyce

1942 - 2006

Preview
1566 MUSIC

Greg Bandy

Born 1949

Preview
1570 DIPLOMAT

Arlene Render

Born 1943

Preview
1614 FOOTBALL

Lou Slaby

1941 - 2019

Preview
1623 CIVIL RIGHTS

Robert Roche (activist)

Born 1948

Preview
1628 MUSIC

Glenn Schwartz

1941 - 2018

Preview
1636 BASEBALL

Steve Huntz

Born 1945

Preview
1642 LAWYER

Bruce Margolin

Born 1941

Preview
1646 NOVELIST

Barbara Corrado Pope

Born 1941

Preview
1660 FOOTBALL

Walt Rock

Born 1941

Preview
1677 POLITICIAN

Dale Miller

Born 1949

Preview
1690 PAINTER

Jeffrey Schrier

Born 1943

Preview
1692 ACTOR

Leon Isaac Kennedy

Born 1949

Preview
1695 DANCER

Jeff Kutash

Born 1945

Preview
1699 FOOTBALL

Frank Budka

Born 1942

Preview
1708 MANAGER

Louis R. Hughes

Born 1949

Preview
1718 POLITICIAN

Marvin E. Holmes Jr.

Born 1948

Preview
1722 UROLOGIST

Mark Soloway

Born 1943

Preview
1726 FOOTBALL

Andy Selfridge

1949 - 2019

Preview
1730 NOVELIST

Charles Mathes

Born 1949

Preview
1736 POLITICIAN

Karen Gillmor

Born 1948

Preview
1744 ENTREPRENEUR

Richard A. Barone

Born 1942

Preview
1750 RESEARCH

Dharma Singh Khalsa

Born 1946

Preview
1754 LAWYER

Dennis M. McCarthy

Born 1945

Preview
1763 POLICE

James Simone

Born 1948

Preview
1791 FOOTBALL

Randy Hart

Born 1948

Preview
1798 NOVELIST

J. Everett Prewitt

Born 1942

Preview
1802 POLITICIAN

Madeline Cain

Born 1949

Preview
1809 ARTIST

Paul Palnik

Born 1946

Preview
1816 MILITAR

Frank A. Herda

Born 1947

Preview
1829 PHYSICIST

Noel A. Clark

Born 1940

Preview
1830 SURGEON

Robert Thomas Grotz

Born 1948

Preview
1836 POLITICIAN

John Businger

Born 1945

Preview
1885 PLAYER

Nancy Owen

Born 1943

Preview
1890 LAWYER

Peter Rheinstein

Born 1943

Preview
1920 SINGER

Andrea Carroll

Born 1946

Preview
1924 ACTOR

Ron Kuhlman

Born 1948

Preview
1928 POLITICIAN

Linda Bolon

Born 1948

Preview
1938 BASEBALL

Jim Rittwage

Born 1944

Preview
1939 PHYSICIST

Allen Hirshfeld

1944 - 2016

Preview
1947 POLITICIAN

Diane Grendell

Born 1945

Preview
1951 POLITICAL

Winonah Myers

1941 - 2018

Preview
1970 DIPLOMAT

Paul A. Russo

Born 1943

Preview
1986 POLITICIAN

Perry Bullard

1942 - 1998

Preview
1993 JUDGE

Kay B. Cobb

Born 1942

Preview
2001 FOOTBALL

Tom Fussell

Born 1945

Preview
2015 BASKET

Bill Meyer (basketball)

1943 - 2018

Preview
2018 POLITICIAN

Claudette Woodard

1945 - 2010

Preview
2019 ROCK

Mitch Michaels

Born 1948

Preview
2027 DIPLOMAT

Lawrence Palmer Taylor

Born 1940

Preview
2036 POLITICIAN

Sally Conway Kilbane

Born 1942

Preview
2045 POLITICIAN

Barbara Boyd (Ohio politician)

Born 1942

Preview
2054 SINGER

Vincenzo Manno

Born 1949

Preview
2062 PRODUCER

Eric Miller (record producer)

1941 - 2017

Preview
2065 SPORT

Denny Marcin

1942 - 2017

Preview
2067 RADIOLOGIST

Joseph F. Sackett

Born 1940

Preview
2108 SCHOLAR

Mary Helen Washington

Born 1941

Preview
2126 ARMY

Thomas P. Carney

1941 - 2019

Preview
2134 FOOTBALL

Tony Harris (Footballspieler)

Born 1949

Preview
2147 ZOOLOGIST

C. Davison Ankney

1946 - 2013

Preview
2163 BUSINESS

Roger A. Keats

Born 1948

Preview