40.6979° N, 73.9995° W
NEW YORK CITY
Most Famous People Born in New York City, United States
- Notable people
- 22,064
- Peak decade
- 1940s
- Median birth year
- 1935
- Most distinctive
- Screenwriter 5.4×
If the 20th century held a casting call, it was in New York. Almost all of the city's notable births fall after 1900, fueled by an entertainment economy — Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, the studio system, late-night TV, hip-hop in the Bronx — that has minted more actors, comedians, and musicians than any other American city. Even its 19th-century names skew literary: poets, editors, journalists, not generals or industrialists.
One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in New York City during each.
Notable Births by Decade
Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 2,711 notable births.
What New York City Is Known For
Click any row to filter the list of people below.
Actor is New York City's biggest profession — 14% of all notables (3,012).
New York City over-indexes on screenwriter — 5.4× the global rate.
New York City under-produces football — only 0.1× the global rate.
Profession Mix Over Time
Each band shows a profession family's share of New York City's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.
- Film & TV
- Writing
- Sports
- Music
- Science
- Politics & Law
- Other
- Filtered to 1980s Clear ×
Martin Ferrario
Born 1981
Oral Bullen
Born 1983
Chris Welcome
Born 1980
Rob LeDonne
Born 1987
Nigel Wyatte
Born 1981
Jimmy Wang (journalist)
Born 1980
Gene Teague
Born 1987
Everage Richardson
Born 1985
Doug Rockwell
Born 1985
Eli Wallace
Born 1986
Paul Nedzela
Born 1984
Jake M. Smith
Born 1984
Carrem Gay
Born 1987
Charlie Ota
Born 1981
Ty Gurfein
Born 1989
Eugene Jones III
Born 1987
Thenjiwe Nkosi
Born 1980
Eric Roberts (musicista)
Born 1984
Steve Dagostino
Born 1985
Kayode Ayeni
Born 1987
Dwight Burke
Born 1986
Dwayne Archbold
Born 1980
Bruce Campbell (scrittore)
Born 1980
Lawrence Borha
Born 1984
Itamar Freed
Born 1987
Tim Hagamen
Born 1984