37.7775° N, 122.4165° W

SAN FRANCISCO

Most Famous People Born in San Francisco, United States

Notable people
2,619
Peak decade
1960s
Median birth year
1943
Most distinctive
Baseball 6.1×

A city of restless reinventions. San Francisco's notables are heavily literary and athletic in the 19th century, then heavily technological and countercultural in the 20th — the same town gave the world Jack London and Steve Jobs, Ansel Adams and Bruce Lee, the Beats and the venture capitalists. The dataset doesn't show the tech industry as a category, but you can see its silhouette in the unusually high share of entrepreneurs, engineers, and screenwriters with day jobs in software.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1960s with 295 notable births.

What San Francisco Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is San Francisco's biggest profession — 15% of all notables (385).

San Francisco over-indexes on baseball6.1× the global rate.

San Francisco under-produces politician — only 0.4× the global rate.

  1. Actor385
  2. Baseball182
  3. Football144
  4. Politician136
  5. Film110
  6. Writer77
  7. Music74
  8. Singer74
  1. Baseball1826.1×
  2. Screenwriter433.8×
  3. Film1103.4×
  4. Actor3852.8×
  5. Photographer322.5×
  6. Basket732.2×
  7. Music742.0×
  8. Artist511.9×
  1. Politician1360.4×
  2. Football1440.5×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

18001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Art & Design
  • Other
All2,619
Sort By

2,619 notable people

1501 FOOTBALL

Eddie Erdelatz

1913 - 1966

Preview
1502 LAWYER

Robert Francis Peckham

1920 - 1993

Preview
1503 SCREENWRITER

Kathy Gori

Born 1951

Preview
1504 SWIMMER

Edward Stickles

Born 1942

Preview
1505 POLITICIAN

Lewis H. Sweetser

1868 - 1944

Preview
1506 HOCKEY

Frederick Wolters

1904 - 1990

Preview
1507 ACTOR

Keith Charles (actor)

1934 - 2008

Preview
1508 ACTOR

Karen Ludwig

Born 1942

Preview
1509 BEAUTY PAGEANT

Maria Kang

Born 1980

Preview
1510 JOURNALIST

Benedict Carey

Born 1960

Preview
1511 MUSIC

Todd Sickafoose

Born 1974

Preview
1512 BASEBALL

Frank Bertaina

1944 - 2010

Preview
1513 CHESS

Nicholas Nip

Born 1998

Preview
1514 SPORT

Beano Cook

1931 - 2012

Preview
1515 TRADE UNION

Terence M. O'Sullivan

Born 1955

Preview
1516 DRUMMER

Earl Watkins

1920 - 2007

Preview
1517 POLITICIAN

Kevin Shelley

Born 1955

Preview
1518 PHOTOGRAPHER

Will Wilson (photographer)

Born 1969

Preview
1519 ENGINEER

Augustus Jesse Bowie Jr.

1872 - 1955

Preview
1520 DRUMMER

Brian Melvin

Born 1958

Preview
1521 BUSINESS

Chris Larsen

Born 1960

Preview
1522 PLAYER

Ray Casey

1900 - 1982

Preview
1523 POET

Al Robles

1930 - 2009

Preview
1524 BASEBALL

Bill Lange

1871 - 1950

Preview
1525 FOOTBALL

Julian Posey

Born 1988

Preview
1526 BASKET

Gene Gallette

1921 - 1976

Preview
1527 COMPOSER

Wallie Herzer

1885 - 1961

Preview
1528 PHOTOGRAPHER

Charles Belden

1887 - 1966

Preview
1529 FOOTBALL

Zeph Lee

Born 1963

Preview
1530 PAINTER

Jay Meuser

1911 - 1963

Preview
1531 JOURNALIST

Dan O'Neill (writer)

Born 1950

Preview
1532 ACTOR

Robert Phalen

Born 1937

Preview
1533 BIOLOGIST

Wheeler J. North

1922 - 2002

Preview
1534 PAINTER

James Leong

1929 - 2011

Preview
1535 MUSIC

Andy Granelli

Born 1979

Preview
1536 ARTIST

Lena Chen

Born 1987

Preview
1537 BASEBALL

Joe Corbett

1875 - 1945

Preview
1538 PAINTER

Helen Berggruen

Born 1945

Preview
1539 BASKET

Marcus Lee

Born 1994

Preview
1540 SINGER

Paul Black (musician)

Born 1959

Preview
1541 SONGWRITER

Darrell Evans (musician)

Born 1968

Preview
1542 BASEBALL

Joe DeMaestri

1928 - 2016

Preview
1543 BASEBALL

Don Hahn (baseball)

Born 1948

Preview
1544 BASKET

Alton Byrd

Born 1957

Preview
1545 SINGER

Cesare Curzi

Born 1926

Preview
1546 NOVELIST

Ruth Comfort Mitchell Young

1882 - 1954

Preview
1547 PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Jim Poynter

Born 1943

Preview
1548 FOOTBALL

Chris Roner

Born 1980

Preview
1549 PRIEST

Robert John Armstrong

1884 - 1957

Preview
1550 PAINTER

Elizabeth Charleston

1910 - 1997

Preview
1551 PAINTER

Betty Guy

1920 - 2016

Preview
1552 JOURNALIST

Philip Bennett (Washington Post)

-

Preview
1553 FOOTBALL

John Nisby

1936 - 2011

Preview
1554 PAINTER

George Albert Harris

1913 - 1991

Preview
1555 COLLECTOR

Guy Ullens

Born 1935

Preview
1556 SON

Carrillo Gantner

Born 1944

Preview
1557 AUDIO

Francis Tapon

Born 1970

Preview
1558 FRANCISCAN

Alfred Boeddeker

1903 - 1994

Preview
1559 BASEBALL

Ed Mayer (pitcher)

1931 - 2015

Preview
1560 JOURNALIST

Amy L. Alexander

Born 1963

Preview
1561 ACTOR

Skip Young (actor)

1930 - 1993

Preview
1562 WORLD WAR

Peer de Silva

1917 - 1978

Preview
1563 ZOOLOGIST

Tracy I. Storer

1889 - 1973

Preview
1564 ARCHITECT

Gertrude Comfort Morrow

1888 - 1983

Preview
1565 LAWYER

Vince Chhabria

Born 1969

Preview
1566 PLAYER

Paul Phillips (poker player)

Born 1972

Preview
1567 PHOTOGRAPHER

Craig Abaya

Born 1979

Preview
1568 BASKET

Harvey Carey

Born 1979

Preview
1569 SINGER

George Cole (musician)

Born 1960

Preview
1570 FOOTBALL

Sam Baker (halfback)

1930 - 2007

Preview
1571 BASEBALL

Sam Mertes

1872 - 1945

Preview
1572 ARCHITECT

Harold Levitt

1921 - 2003

Preview
1573 ACTOR

Shirley Deane

1913 - 1983

Preview
1574 PHOTOGRAPHER

Benjamen Chinn

1921 - 2009

Preview
1575 MUSIC

Steve Pfauter

Born 1963

Preview
1576 WRITER

Edward Breck

1861 - 1929

Preview
1577 PRIEST

James Joseph Sweeney

1913 - 1968

Preview
1578 ACTOR

George MacQuarrie

1873 - 1951

Preview
1579 ACTOR

Estelle Etterre

1899 - 1996

Preview
1580 BASKET

Gene Williams (basketball)

Born 1947

Preview
1581 ENGINEER

Don McMillan

-

Preview
1582 ACTOR

Johnny Holiday

1912 - 2009

Preview
1583 PLAYER

Philip Clark (rugby union)

1898 - 1985

Preview
1584 BASKET

Josh Urbiztondo

Born 1983

Preview
1585 ACTOR

Edna Maison

1892 - 1946

Preview
1586 ACTOR

Sahar Jafari Jozani

Born 1978

Preview
1587 JOURNALIST

Kathleen Matthews

Born 1953

Preview
1588 WORKER

Honey Mahogany

Born 1983

Preview
1589 ACTOR

Minnie Tittell Brune

1875 - 1974

Preview
1590 NUN

Sister Jean

Born 1919

Preview
1591 BASEBALL

Babe Pinelli

1895 - 1984

Preview
1592 LAWYER

Kathryn Werdegar

Born 1936

Preview
1593 SINGER

Jeff Pehrson

Born 1967

Preview
1594 PHILANTHROPIST

Marigold Southey

Born 1928

Preview
1595 FOOTBALL

James Hundon

Born 1971

Preview
1596 ACTOR

Sean Anthony Moran

Born 1978

Preview
1597 DIPLOMAT

Princeton Lyman

1935 - 2018

Preview
1598 COACH

Chris Creighton

Born 1969

Preview
1599 FILM

Roger Lim

Born 1968

Preview
1600 GAME

Jack Linkletter

1937 - 2007

Preview
1601 ACTOR

Sunrise Coigney

Born 1972

Preview
1602 ACTRESS

Suzy McCoppin

Born 1978

Preview
1603 LAWYER

Terence Hallinan

1936 - 2020

Preview
1604 BOXER

Tori Nelson

Born 1976

Preview
1605 POLITICIAN

Toni Harp

Born 1947

Preview
1606 POLITICIAN

Nancy Skinner (California politician)

Born 1954

Preview
1607 ACTOR

Darryl Chan

-

Preview
1608 ACTOR

Jacki R. Chan

Born 1980

Preview
1609 LAWYER

Troy L. Nunley

Born 1964

Preview
1610 HOCKEY

Nikko Landeros

Born 1989

Preview
1611 PLAYER

Kyle Larsen

1950 - 2012

Preview
1612 ACADEMIC

Raymond Dasmann

1919 - 2002

Preview
1613 SINGER

Sal Valentino

Born 1942

Preview
1614 TELEVISION

Coral Smith

Born 1979

Preview
1615 DIPLOMAT

Truxtun Beale

1856 - 1936

Preview
1616 POLITICIAN

Jeff Hayden

Born 1966

Preview
1617 POET

Catherine Barnett

Born 1960

Preview
1618 JAZZ

Ron Crotty

1929 - 2015

Preview
1619 BASKET

Franco Migliori

Born 1982

Preview
1620 ACTOR

Lia Chang

Born 1963

Preview
1621 ACTOR

Manoel Felciano

Born 1970

Preview
1622 PAINTER

Helen Katharine Forbes

1891 - 1945

Preview
1623 FOOTBALL

Larry Siemering

1910 - 2009

Preview
1624 POLITICIAN

Ed Jew

Born 1960

Preview
1625 BASEBALL

Ping Bodie

1887 - 1961

Preview
1626 DANCER

Violet Romer

1886 - 1970

Preview
1627 MUSIC

David Rosen (musicologist)

Born 1938

Preview
1628 JUDO

Damon Keeve

Born 1960

Preview
1629 SCREENWRITER

Steve Bencich

-

Preview
1630 NOVELIST

Gerald Haxton

1892 - 1944

Preview
1631 MUSIC

Melvin Seals

Born 1953

Preview
1632 AUTHOR

David Downie

Born 1958

Preview
1633 PHYSICIAN

Eugene Gu

Born 1986

Preview
1634 BASKET

Mike Stewart (basketball)

Born 1950

Preview
1635 FOOTBALL

Courtney Brown (defensive back)

Born 1984

Preview
1636 ACTOR

Karen Jensen

Born 1944

Preview
1637 FOOTBALL

Roger Ruzek

Born 1960

Preview
1638 RADIO

Alex Bennett (broadcaster)

Born 1939

Preview
1639 SINGER

MC Yogi

Born 1979

Preview
1640 NAVY

John J. Clausey

1875 - 1951

Preview
1641 BASKET

Tim Grgurich

Born 1942

Preview
1642 SKATER

Laurie Hickox

1945 - 1961

Preview
1643 MATHEMATICIAN

Nancy K. Stanton

Born 1948

Preview
1644 ECOLOGIST

August Ludwig Hormay

1907 - 1999

Preview
1645 BOXER

Jack Silver (boxer)

1903 - 1994

Preview
1646 FOOTBALL

William Gay (defensive lineman)

Born 1955

Preview
1647 MODEL

Cassandra Bankson

Born 1992

Preview
1648 ACTOR

Kristina Wong

-

Preview
1649 BASKET

DeNesha Stallworth

Born 1992

Preview
1650 MISSING

Samarpan

Born 1941

Preview
1651 FOOTBALL

Lance Mitchell

Born 1981

Preview
1652 LAWYER

William Dameron Guthrie

1859 - 1935

Preview
1653 COOK

Alessandro Borghese

Born 1976

Preview
1654 BASEBALL

Merv Shea

1900 - 1953

Preview
1655 PHYSICIAN

Jay McLean

1890 - 1957

Preview
1656 LAWYER

Warren Atherton

1891 - 1976

Preview
1657 COLLECTOR

Russell Solomon

1925 - 2018

Preview
1658 STATISTICIAN

Dudley L. Poston Jr.

Born 1940

Preview
1659 WRITER

Carl Deuker

Born 1950

Preview
1660 INVENTOR

Eddie Paul

Born 1948

Preview
1661 BASEBALL

Harry Rosenberg

1908 - 1997

Preview
1662 PAINTER

Cyrus Cuneo

1879 - 1916

Preview
1663 MUSIC

Tim Gorman

Born 1952

Preview
1664 BASEBALL

Windy McCall

1925 - 2015

Preview
1665 COMPOSER

Jack Hayes (composer)

1919 - 2011

Preview
1666 LAWYER

Andrew Patrick Gordon

Born 1962

Preview
1667 SWIMMER

Barbara Jensen

1929 - 2018

Preview
1668 POLITICIAN

Eric Mar

Born 1962

Preview
1669 BASEBALL

Sandy Nava

1850 - 1906

Preview
1670 GOVERNMENT

Adolph C. Miller

1866 - 1953

Preview
1671 PUPPETEER

Van Snowden

1939 - 2010

Preview
1672 BASKET

Pax Whitehead

Born 1973

Preview
1673 HISTORIAN

A. Arthur Schiller

1902 - 1977

Preview
1674 BASEBALL

Frank Lucchesi

1927 - 2019

Preview
1675 PRODUCER

Andy Luckey

Born 1965

Preview
1676 ILLUSTRATOR

Jody Lee

Born 1958

Preview
1677 BASEBALL

Chicken Hawks

1896 - 1973

Preview
1678 SCREENWRITER

John K. Butler

1908 - 1964

Preview
1679 SPORT

Zeke Mostov

Born 1996

Preview
1680 BUSINESS

Allen J. Greenough

1905 - 1974

Preview
1681 JUDGE

William Denman (judge)

1872 - 1959

Preview
1682 PHYSICIAN

Alphonse Dochez

1882 - 1964

Preview
1683 POLITICIAN

Jerry Hill (politician)

Born 1947

Preview
1684 FOOTBALL

Bob deLauer

1920 - 2002

Preview
1685 BASEBALL

Kevin Jordan (baseball)

Born 1969

Preview
1686 SPORT

Molly McGrath

Born 1989

Preview
1687 TELEVISION

Michael Caffey

1930 - 2017

Preview
1688 POLITICIAN

Gherardi Davis

1858 - 1941

Preview
1689 ARCHITECT

Birge Clark

1893 - 1989

Preview
1690 POLITICIAN

Tom Torlakson

Born 1949

Preview
1691 POLITICIAN

Malia Cohen

Born 1977

Preview
1692 ACTOR

Mel Arrighi

1933 - 1986

Preview
1693 WRITER

Lisa Ben

1921 - 2015

Preview
1694 FOOTBALL

Cole Hikutini

Born 1994

Preview
1695 PHOTOGRAPHER

Marian Osgood Hooker

1875 - 1968

Preview
1696 FILM

Keith Fowler

Born 1939

Preview
1697 COXSWAIN

Samuel B. Roberts

1921 - 1942

Preview
1698 RACER

Cindy Ninos

Born 1972

Preview
1699 BASEBALL

Ryan Drese

Born 1976

Preview
1700 POLITICIAN

Milton Marks

1920 - 1998

Preview
1701 PODCASTER

Ngaio Bealum

Born 1968

Preview
1702 LAWYER

Fern M. Smith

Born 1933

Preview
1703 WRESTLER

Tony Jones (wrestler)

Born 1971

Preview
1704 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Nigel Newton

Born 1955

Preview
1705 ACTOR

Pamela Dunlap

Born 1941

Preview
1706 TYPOGRAPHER

Jane Bissell Grabhorn

1911 - 1973

Preview
1707 BASEBALL

Harry Krause

1888 - 1940

Preview
1708 ASTROLOGER

Madalyn Aslan

Born 1963

Preview
1709 BASEBALL

Rich Bordi

Born 1959

Preview
1710 FOOTBALL

Tim Walsh (American football)

Born 1954

Preview
1711 DANCER

Noel Toy

1918 - 2003

Preview
1712 POLITICIAN

Steve Murphy (politician)

Born 1957

Preview
1713 MUSIC

Alie Layus

Born 1986

Preview
1714 BASEBALL

Jim Baxes

1928 - 1996

Preview
1715 PLAYER

Edward Turkington

1899 - 1996

Preview
1716 FOOTBALL

Drew Olson

Born 1983

Preview
1717 SPORT

David Chauner

Born 1948

Preview
1718 WRITER

Gregoria Urbina y Miranda

Born 1857

Preview
1719 CHEF

Duskie Estes

Born 1968

Preview
1720 BASEBALL

Gary Darling

Born 1957

Preview
1721 MUSIC

Brace Belden

Born 1989

Preview
1722 ARTIST

Frank Tolles Chamberlin

1873 - 1961

Preview
1723 PLAYER

Bill Hoogs Jr.

1940 - 1978

Preview
1724 BASKET

Tim Cullen

Born 1989

Preview
1725 SMUGGLER

Tim Clemente

Born 1960

Preview
1726 FOOTBALL

Lenny Walls

Born 1979

Preview
1727 POLITICIAN

Michela Alioto-Pier

Born 1968

Preview
1728 BALLET

Jocelyn Vollmar

1925 - 2018

Preview
1729 ENGINEER

Leslie Skinner

1900 - 1978

Preview
1730 RUNNER

David Kneeland

1881 - 1948

Preview
1731 CONSPIRACY

Matthew Steen

Born 1949

Preview
1732 ACTOR

Scott Trimble

Born 1977

Preview
1733 LAWYER

You Chung Hong

1898 - 1977

Preview
1734 DANCER

Jewel McGowan

1921 - 1962

Preview
1735 PAINTER

Lenore Chinn

Born 1949

Preview
1736 JUDO

Brett Barron

Born 1959

Preview
1737 PERFORMER

Peaches Christ

-

Preview
1738 BASEBALL

Billy Orr (baseball)

1891 - 1967

Preview
1739 COMPOSER

Richard Lerman

Born 1944

Preview
1740 ACTOR

George Marshall Ruge

Born 1952

Preview
1741 FILM

Patrick Epino

-

Preview
1742 ACTOR

Glen Chin

1948 - 2018

Preview
1743 BASEBALL

Pete Meegan

1862 - 1905

Preview
1744 POLITICIAN

Peter J. Buckley

Born 1957

Preview
1745 ACTOR

Harry C. Bradley (actor)

1869 - 1947

Preview
1746 RADIO

Pete Gross

1936 - 1992

Preview
1747 FOOTBALL

Jason Hill (American football)

Born 1985

Preview
1748 JOURNALIST

Edwin Grozier

1859 - 1924

Preview
1749 PROGRAMMER

Matt Dillon (développeur)

Born 1966

Preview
1750 BASEBALL

Frank Zupo

1939 - 2005

Preview
1751 POLITICIAN

Alan Short

1920 - 2004

Preview
1752 FILM

Steph Green

Born 1979

Preview
1753 BASEBALL

Bill Posedel

1906 - 1989

Preview
1754 DANCER

Satan's Angel

1944 - 2019

Preview
1755 POLITICIAN

Reuven Carlyle

Born 1965

Preview
1756 SON

J. Howard Marshall III

Born 1936

Preview
1757 JOURNALIST

Christine Chen

Born 1968

Preview
1758 FATHER

Paul M. Ellwood Jr.

Born 1926

Preview
1759 PLAYER

Willis E. Davis

Died 1936

Preview
1760 FOOTBALL

Paul Oglesby

1939 - 1994

Preview
1761 BASEBALL

Steve Brown (baseball)

Born 1957

Preview
1762 POLITICIAN

Kathy Afzali

Born 1957

Preview
1763 WRITER

Verne Chute

1917 - 1986

Preview
1764 JOURNALIST

Benoit Denizet-Lewis

Born 1975

Preview
1765 PLAYER

Edith Cross

1907 - 1983

Preview
1766 SCULPTOR

Harry Dodge

Born 1966

Preview
1767 CONDUCTOR

Earl Bernard Murray

1926 - 2002

Preview
1768 BIOLOGIST

Robert E. Cornish

1903 - 1963

Preview
1769 PUPPETEER

Basil Twist

-

Preview
1770 AUTHOR

Randall D. Larson

Born 1954

Preview
1771 CLERGY

Paul Fericano

Born 1951

Preview
1772 SCULPTOR

Raymond Puccinelli

1904 - 1986

Preview
1773 RUBIK

Tyson Mao

Born 1984

Preview
1774 RACEWALKER

Tom Dooley (racewalker)

Born 1945

Preview
1775 POLITICIAN

Lester Petrie

1878 - 1956

Preview
1776 BASEBALL

Fred Breining

Born 1955

Preview
1777 PHYSICIST

Douglas James Scalapino

Born 1933

Preview
1778 BUSINESS

John A. Sobrato

Born 1939

Preview
1779 MUSIC

Mary Cleere Haran

1952 - 2011

Preview
1780 WRITER

Robert E. Alter

1925 - 1965

Preview
1781 ACTOR

Ingrid Einfeldt

Born 1961

Preview
1782 BUSINESS

Ron Pelosi

Born 1934

Preview
1783 SCREENWRITER

Phillip Christon

Born 1961

Preview
1784 FOOTBALL

David Kirtman

Born 1983

Preview
1785 SWIMMER

Conrad Trubenbach

1882 - 1961

Preview
1786 ACTOR

Robert Wu

Born 1972

Preview
1787 COMEDIAN

René Hicks

-

Preview
1788 SCREENWRITER

Dan Totheroh

1894 - 1976

Preview
1789 PRESENTER

Rita Sever

Born 1963

Preview
1790 BUSINESS

Ruth Parasol

Born 1967

Preview
1791 BASEBALL

Harry Elliott (baseball)

1923 - 2013

Preview
1792 LAWYER

Bob Wieckowski

Born 1955

Preview
1793 BASEBALL

Paul Noce

Born 1959

Preview
1794 ACTOR

Shirley Dinsdale

1926 - 1999

Preview
1795 LAWYER

Thomas H. Barland

Born 1930

Preview
1796 LAWYER

Timothy Mark Burgess

Born 1956

Preview
1797 PHYSICIST

William Allen Zajc

Born 1954

Preview
1798 KEYBOARDIST

Sean Hopper

Born 1953

Preview
1799 ARCHITECT

Vernon DeMars

1908 - 2005

Preview
1800 SUFFRAGETTE

Henrietta Wells Livermore

1864 - 1933

Preview