29.9548° N, 90.0749° W
NEW ORLEANS
Most Famous People Born in New Orleans, United States
- Notable people
- 1,804
- Peak decade
- 1940s
- Median birth year
- 1943
- Most distinctive
- Bandleader 45.7×
The birthplace of jazz, and the numbers make it obvious. New Orleans's distinctive professions are bandleaders, rappers, and musicians at concentrations unmatched by any other city in the dataset — the statistical footprint of Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Fats Domino, Louis Prima, and the Marsalis family all growing up within a few streetcar stops of each other, with Lil Wayne and Master P extending the line into hip-hop. Baseball and basketball round out the sporting bench, and Truman Capote, Anne Rice, and Lillian Hellman hold down the literary side.
One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in New Orleans during each.
Notable Births by Decade
Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 198 notable births.
What New Orleans Is Known For
Click any row to filter the list of people below.
Football is New Orleans's biggest profession — 13% of all notables (233).
New Orleans over-indexes on bandleader — 45.7× the global rate.
New Orleans under-produces painter — only 0.5× the global rate.
Profession Mix Over Time
Each band shows a profession family's share of New Orleans's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.
- Sports
- Music
- Politics & Law
- Film & TV
- Writing
- Art & Design
- Other
- Field: Singer Clear ×
Fats Domino
1928 - 2017
Mahalia Jackson
1911 - 1972
Dr. John
1940 - 2019
Allen Toussaint
1938 - 2015
Aaron Neville
Born 1941
Phil Anselmo
Born 1968
Angélica María
Born 1944
Lloyd (singer)
Born 1986
Shirley Verrett
1931 - 2010
Larry Williams
1935 - 1980
Mary Gauthier
Born 1962
Merry Clayton
Born 1948
PJ Morton
Born 1981
Collie Buddz
Born 1981
James Booker
1939 - 1983
Ledisi
Born 1972
Earl King
1934 - 2003
August Alsina
Born 1992
Clarence "Frogman" Henry
Born 1937
Johnny Adams
1932 - 1998
Wingy Manone
1900 - 1982
Danny Barker
1909 - 1994
Ivan Neville
Born 1959
Joe Jones (singer)
1926 - 2005
Sweet Emma Barrett
1897 - 1983
Grandpa Elliott
Born 1945
Teedra Moses
Born 1976
Rico Love
Born 1982
Anthony Laciura
Born 1951
Jean Knight
Born 1943
Lizzie Miles
1895 - 1963
Art Neville
1937 - 2019
Walter "Wolfman" Washington
Born 1943
George Porter Jr.
Born 1947
Bryan Hymel
Born 1979
Al Bernard
1888 - 1949
Norman Treigle
1927 - 1975
Luke James
Born 1983
John Boutté
Born 1958
Jessie Hill
1932 - 1996
Marguerite Piazza
1921 - 2012
Tommy Ridgley
1925 - 1999
Barbara George
1942 - 2006
Luther Kent
Born 1948
Karen Mason
-
Frankie Lee Sims
1917 - 1970
Baby Boy da Prince
Born 1986
Biff Rose
Born 1937
Edna Hicks
1895 - 1925
Marva Wright
1948 - 2010
Paul Sanchez
-
Claudette Rogers Robinson
Born 1942
Li'l Millet
1935 - 1997
B.J. Crosby
1952 - 2015
Esther Bigeou
1895 - 1936
Deacon John Moore
Born 1941
Burnell Taylor
Born 1993
King Floyd
1945 - 2006
Mia Borders
Born 1980
Simon Joyner
Born 1971
Monk Boudreaux
Born 1941
Bessie Griffin
1922 - 1989
Kevin Griffin
Born 1968
3D Na'Tee
Born 1986
Fred LeBlanc
-
Bayn Johnson
Born 1958
Tami Lynn
1942 - 2020
Scooter Lee
Born 1957
Bonnie Davis
1920 - 1976
Joshua Eustis
Born 1977
Randy Jackson (Zebra)
Born 1955
Little Sonny Jones
1931 - 1989
Scotty Granger
Born 1987
Lisa Angelle
Born 1965
David Bologna
Born 1994
Pervis Jackson
1938 - 2008
Natalia Contesse
Born 1978
Ethel Finnie
1898 - 1981
Tony Allen (Sänger)
Born 1932
Joe August (musician)
1931 - 1992
Greer Grimsley
Born 1956
Jonathan Pretus
Born 1981
Cat Tien
Born 1982
Anaïs St. John
Born 1973
Daniel Bashta
Born 1982
Guitar Slim Jr.
Born 1951
Fat Man Williams
1920 - 1982
Greta Valenti
-
Lauren Turner
Born 1986
Ruth Falcon
1942 - 2020
Prince La La
1936 - 1963
Jerry Byrne (singer)
1941 - 2010
Ralph Cato
-
Thais St Julien
1945 - 2019