39.9292° N, 75.2300° W
PHILADELPHIA
Most Famous People Born in Philadelphia, USA
- Notable people
- 5,575
- Peak decade
- 1940s
- Median birth year
- 1928
- Most distinctive
- Baseball 6.0×
The original American capital, then the capital of nothing in particular, then a sports town. Philadelphia's notables run thick through the 18th century — lawyers, philanthropists, financiers — and then settle into a long, steady output of baseball players, basketball players, jazz bandleaders, and character actors. The city has one of the highest shares of notables in organized labor of the early 20th century and one of the deepest benches of soul singers of the late 20th.
Standouts
Notable Births by Decade
Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 556 notable births.
What Philadelphia Is Known For
Click any row to filter the list of people below.
Politician is Philadelphia's biggest profession — 9% of all notables (482).
Philadelphia over-indexes on baseball — 6.0× the global rate.
Philadelphia under-produces football — only 0.4× the global rate.
Profession Mix Over Time
Each band shows a profession family's share of Philadelphia's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.
- Sports
- Politics & Law
- Film & TV
- Music
- Writing
- Art & Design
- Other
Peter Ponzol
Born 1938
Jerry Segal
Born 1941
Irving Guyer
1916 - 2012
Alfred Ryors
1812 - 1858
Carol Campbell (politician)
1936 - 2009
Patricia McGuire
Born 1952
Pete Loos
1878 - 1956
Nancy Maybin Ferguson
1872 - 1967
Sheena Howard
-
Andrew John Kauffman
1920 - 2002
Margaret Ralston Gest
1900 - 1965
Chris Bartlett (activist)
Born 1966
Hal Kelleher
1914 - 1989
Jason Sherman (videographer)
Born 1976
David Miller (baseball)
Born 1973
John Steinbruck
1930 - 2015
Sam Lowry
1920 - 1992
Michael Lerner (angler)
1890 - 1978
Gary Bryan
Born 1952
Harry Hinchman
1878 - 1933
Harry Olivieri
1916 - 2006
Fang Mitchell
Born 1948
Stan Sanders
Born 1939
Jody Gerson
-
Harry Jacoby (baseball)
Died 1900
Harold Miller Null
1916 - 1996
John P. Robertson
1913 - 1998
James S. Forrester (cardiologist)
Born 1937
Charles Strine
1867 - 1907
Eddie Fusselback
1856 - 1926
M. S. Bennett
Born 1881
John Edelman
Born 1935
Albert O. Vorse Jr.
1914 - 1979
Taylor Shafer
1866 - 1945
Tom Nicholas
Born 1938
Kevin Negandhi
Born 1976
Forrester L. Taylor
1833 - 1907
Andrew J. Weaher
1842 - 1920
Pete Childs
1871 - 1922
Horace Owens
Born 1961
Walter J. Sheldon
1917 - 1996
Herbert Allan Fogel
Born 1929
Tom Walker (1900s pitcher)
1881 - 1944
James McGirr Kelly
1928 - 2005
Eli Kirk Price II
1860 - 1933
William J. Spahr
1921 - 2011
Alison Harmelin
-
William Creighton (bishop)
1909 - 1987
Frank Ursomarso
Born 1942
Harvey Silver
Born 1976
Tom Fleming (baseball)
1873 - 1957
Sid Simmons
1946 - 2010
Kevin McGeehan
Born 1973
Louis Johanson
1929 - 2004
Joseph Daning
Born 1942
David Hershel Alpers
Born 1935
Robert S. Barnett
-
Charlie Barber
1854 - 1910
Dave Schwartz
1953 - 2016
Charlie Eckert
1897 - 1986
Anthony Fera
Born 1991
Joe Green (baseball, born 1897)
1897 - 1972
George Shoch
1859 - 1937
Zeke Wrigley
1874 - 1952
Charlie Manlove
1862 - 1952
Tahjere McCall
Born 1994
John Stango
Born 1958
A.B. Magil
1905 - 2003
Bill Massey (baseball)
1871 - 1940
Anna Pierce Hobbs Bixby
1812 - 1873
Victor Potamkin
1912 - 1995
Jon Platt
-
John Deal (soccer)
1905 - 1983
Brian R. James
Born 1974
Ty Pickup
1897 - 1974
Chris Knopf
Born 1951
Mike Mandarino
1921 - 1985
James A. Zimble
1933 - 2011
George Wetzel
1868 - 1903
Geoffrey Chadsey
Born 1967
Steven Langnas
Born 1956
John Harrison (Chemiker)
1773 - 1833
Ralston Farina
1946 - 1985
Kwaku Alston
-
Keenan Smith
Born 1972
Frank A. Salvatore
1922 - 2014
Robert A. Rovner
Born 1943
Larry Larr
-
David Steinberg (crossword editor)
Born 1996
Walt Tomenga
Born 1946
Lance Johnstone
Born 1973
James Derham
-
Jessica O'Rourke
Born 1986
Brian Dougherty
Born 1973
Yank Robinson
1859 - 1894
Frank Ford (broadcaster)
1916 - 2009
Jim Peterson (baseball)
1908 - 1975
Bob Peterson (baseball)
1884 - 1962
Big Daddy Graham
Born 1953
Carlton Lord
1900 - 1947
Don Devore
-
Charlie Young (baseball)
1893 - 1952
Ira Davis (baseball)
1870 - 1942
Andy Knox
1864 - 1940
Elliott Levin
Born 1953
William Wallace Gilchrist junior
1879 - 1926
Ike Benners
1856 - 1932
Yvonne Pearce Mazzulo
Born 1977
Ed Whiting
Born 1860
Phil Galiano
Born 1977
Frank Haig
Born 1928
Joseph Rogers (American football)
1924 - 2011
Steve Shull
Born 1958
Cornell Rochester
Born 1957
Wilmer Harris
1924 - 2004
George Carman (baseball)
1866 - 1929
Allie Watt
1899 - 1968
Bill Greenwood (baseball)
1857 - 1902
Gordon Linton
Born 1948
Bill Warwick (baseball)
1897 - 1984
Joseph E. Vantine
1835 - 1904
Dan Kerwin
1874 - 1960
Harry Pearce (baseball)
1889 - 1942
Moses Hampton Todd
1845 - 1935
Doron Gepner
Born 1956
Craig Sheppard
Born 1947
Sharon Magness Blake
Born 1950
George Johnson (supercentenarian)
1894 - 2006
Abe Wolstenholme
1861 - 1916
Martin P. Mullen
1921 - 1996
Carroll Livingston Wainwright I
1899 - 1967
Billy Serad
1863 - 1925
Tom Messitt
1874 - 1934
George Harold Waldo Haag
1910 - 1998
Howard Henry
1882 - 1919
Tony Parisse
1911 - 1956
Benjamin H. Warder
1824 - 1894
John Corona
Born 1988
Sharifa Alkhateeb
1946 - 2004
Timothy O'Neill (soccer)
Born 1982
Gary Baldinger
Born 1963
Andrew Boyd Cummings
1830 - 1863
Conrad C. Lautenbacher
Born 1942
Samuel Morse Felton Jr.
1853 - 1930
Jimmy Wilkes
1925 - 2008
Herb Lotman
1933 - 2014
William Rieger
1922 - 2009
Henry FewSmith
1821 - 1846
Jewell Williams
Born 1957
Thomas Bluett (politician)
1879 - 1958
Brad Cole (musicien)
Born 1953
Wayne Laugesen
-
Billy Reil
Born 1979
Jason Lorber
Born 1966
Anna McGarry
1894 - 1978
Paul B. Higginbotham
Born 1954
Elizabeth Gallagher
1922 - 1974
John Murphy (pitcher)
1858 - 1905
John Randolph Tucker (judge)
1854 - 1926
Norma Levy Shapiro
1928 - 2016
Chafie Fields
Born 1977
Paul Secon
1916 - 2007
Chick Keating
1891 - 1959
Edward Gelsthorpe
1921 - 2009
Jake McGoldrick
-
James L. English
1813 - 1889
Ann J. Land
Died 2010
Earl M. Baker
Born 1940
Lefty Weinert
1900 - 1973
Richard B. Fisher
1936 - 2004
Robert Grace
1709 - 1766
Raymond D. Tarbuck
1897 - 1986
Tommy Pope
Born 1979
Farid Barron
Born 1971
Danny Brown (American football)
1925 - 1995
Richie Phillips
1940 - 2013
Len Oliver (soccer)
-
Paul L. Nolan
Born 1954
Ellen Lipton
Born 1967
Thomas Sovereign Gates
1873 - 1948
Thomas F. George
Born 1947
Paul Newgarden
1892 - 1944
Ben Conroy
1871 - 1937
Paul Doyle (baseball)
1939 - 2020
Michael McCafferty
Born 1942
Brian Hudson
Born 1991
George Henry (baseball)
1863 - 1934
Mike Trost
1866 - 1901
Jim Cook Jr.
Born 1987
Don D'Ambra
Born 1972
Timothy Brindle
Born 1980
Jeanne Burbank
1915 - 2002
Helen Thorington
Born 1928
Philly Swain
Born 1982
M. Delmar Ritchie
1875 - 1916
Merrill Brown
-
Mike Stone (radio personality)
Born 1958
Lew Graulich
1862 - 1934
Dave MacWilliams
Born 1957
Ed Somerville
1853 - 1877
David Gottesman (politician)
Born 1948
Eliza Edmunds Hewitt
1851 - 1920
John H. Hamilton Jr.
1919 - 1986
Patrick McGinnis
1927 - 1990
Marie Lederer
Born 1927
Frank Berkelbach
1853 - 1932
Fred Clement
1867 - 1930
Frank Costa (American football)
Born 1972
Wally Smith (baseball)
1888 - 1930
Herman Tucker
1928 - 2001
John C. Hunterson
1841 - 1927
Jimmy Gleason
1898 - 1931
Elwood Evans
1828 - 1898
James A. Stewart (Medal of Honor)
Born 1839
Sylvester Bonnaffon Jr.
1844 - 1922
Jamie Bennett (artist)
Born 1948
John Shetzline
1852 - 1892
Malcolm MacDonald (baseball)
1872 - 1946
Jack Ridgway
1888 - 1928
Harry Koons
1862 - 1932
Mark Segal
Born 1951
Mary Frances Gerety
1916 - 1999
Elias Peak
1859 - 1916
Stacey Bentley
1958 - 2019
Jimmy Oliver (musician)
Died 2005
Charles J. Leidig
Born 1956
James Willing
1750 - 1801
Johnna Lee Cummings
-
Laura Henson
1872 - 1961
Elmer Kilroy
1895 - 1961
Steven Wolf
-
Danny Overbea
1926 - 1994
Eric Corey Freed
Born 1970
Chick Hartley
1880 - 1948
Frank DiMichele
Born 1965
Matt Knowles (soccer)
Born 1970
Bob Lindemann
1881 - 1951
Henry T. Johns
1828 - 1906
Edwin Augustus Stevens Jr.
1858 - 1918
Mary B. Schuenemann
1898 - 1992
Irwin Boyd
1908 - 1979
Wilson Livingood
Born 1936
Stephen Ostroff
-
David B. Pakman
Born 1969
Frank Forbes
1891 - 1983
Ronald Rodgers
-
John Brancy
Born 1988
Lita Indzel Cohen
Born 1940
Linda Cajio
1953 - 2017
Dan Leibovitz
Born 1973
Jeffrey Bossert Clark
Born 1967
John Fischer (baseball)
1855 - 1942
Stephen Levin
Born 1932
Charlie Jordan (baseball)
1871 - 1928
Sam McConnell (third baseman)
1895 - 1981
Richard J. Fox
1928 - 2020
Tom Maher (baseball)
1870 - 1929
George Winslow (American football)
Born 1963
Bill Kienzle
1862 - 1910
Dave Crossan
1940 - 2019
Mitchell Melton
1943 - 2013
Jesse Whiting
1879 - 1937
Charles E. Dagit Jr.
Born 1943
W. Wilson Goode Jr.
Born 1965
Wash Williams
-
Sharif Street
-
Rachel Constantine
Born 1973
Steve "Pablo" Davis
1916 - 2013
John Waerig
Born 1976
William M. McSwain
Born 1969
John Barthold
1882 - 1946
Eugene Rotberg
Born 1930
Red McDermott
1888 - 1964
Harry Morelock
1869 - 1949
Marie McPhedran
1904 - 1974
Gerard Jerry Del Colliano Jr
Born 1974
Roy Simmons Sr.
1901 - 1994
Sara Dary Armbruster
Born 1862
Bill Hague
1852 - 1898
Charlie Heard
1872 - 1945
Marcedes Walker
Born 1986
Frank Patterson (Komponist)
1871 - 1966
Jim Meade
1914 - 1977
John Russell Young (Politiker)
1882 - 1967
Edward Barrett (Medal of Honor)
Born 1855
Wes Suter
Born 1964
Butch Rementer
1878 - 1922
Russell DaShiell
Born 1947
William Lodge (American football)
1890 - 1950
Dickie Flowers
1850 - 1892
Jim Hyndman
1866 - 1934
Mary Ellen Balchunis
Born 1954
John L. Myers
1947 - 2015
Edward Mifflin
1923 - 1971
Sarah E. Mendelson
Born 1962
Patrick Hannigan
Born 1982
John Lawson (Medal of Honor)
1837 - 1919
William C. Ocker
1880 - 1942
Edward J. Sponga
1918 - 2000
John Munce
1857 - 1917