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 2010s Clear ×
Luis de Borbón y Vargas
Born 2010
Lillian Ortiz-Self
Born 2014