# List of people from Boston

This is a list of people who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Boston, Massachusetts and its surrounding metropolitan statistical area.

## 0-9

* 7L & Esoteric – rap group

## A

* Joel Abbot (1776–1826) – naval officer
* Amos Abbott (1786–1868) – born in Westford, member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts
* Austin Abbott (1831–1896) – born in Boston; lawyer, novelist, and academic
* Benjamin Vaughan Abbott (1830–1890) – born in Boston, lawyer and legal writer
* Joseph Carter Abbott (1825–1882) – publisher of the Boston Bee
* Josiah Gardner Abbott (1814–1891) – member of United States House of Representatives
* Abdul-Malik Abu (born 1995) – basketball player in the Israeli Premier Basketball League
* Edith Achilles (1892–1989) – psychologist
* Abigail Adams (1744–1818) – born in Weymouth, First Lady of the United States
* Abijah Adams (1754–1816) – born in Boston, journalist, often embroiled in lawsuits against him
* Charles Francis Adams Sr. (1807–1886) – born in Boston; son of Abigail Adams and John Adams; Congressman; diplomat; writer
* Edwin Adams (1834–1877) – born in Medford, 19th-century stage actor
* Eliphalet Adams (1677–1753) – born in Medford, clergyman and missionary
* Hannah Adams (1755–1831) – born in Medfield, famous Christian writer
* Henry Adams (1838–1918) – born in Boston, journalist, historian, academic and novelist
* Jasper Adams (1793–1841) – born in Medway, clergyman and college president
* Nehemiah Adams (1806–1878) – clergyman and author
* Sammy Adams – musician
* Samuel Adams – American Revolution patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence
* Aerosmith – band
* Ben Affleck – Academy Award-winning actor, screenwriter and director, brother of Casey
* Casey Affleck – Academy Award-winning actor, brother of Ben
* George Aiken (1830–1876) – born in Boston, actor and playwright
* Amos T. Akerman (1821–1880) – United States Attorney General, born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
* Akrobatik – hip hop artist, member of The Perceptionists
* Al B. Sure – singer
* Harriet Ryan Albee (1829–1873) – born and died in Boston; social reformer and philanthropist
* Mildred Albert (1905–1991) – fashion show producer and radio and television personality
* Louisa May Alcott – 19th-century author of Little Women
* Horatio Alger Jr. – author
* Fred Allen – radio comedian
* Frederick Lewis Allen – writer
* Joseph Allen (1749–1827) – born in Boston, United States Congressman
* Nathaniel M. Allen – soldier in Civil War, awarded Congressional Medal of Honor
* The Almighty RSO – rap group
* Stanley Alves – soccer player
* John Amaechi – NBA player
* American Hi-Fi – band
* American Nightmare – hardcore band
* Amerie – R&B artist
* Ed Ames – actor and singer
* Tony Amonte – NHL player
* Leroy Anderson – composer for Boston Pops Orchestra
* Mary Antin – author
* Ashkanov Apollon – soccer player
* Apollo Sunshine – band
* Thomas Gold Appleton (1812–1884) – writer
* Isabel Atkin – British–American skier and Olympic medalist for Great Britain
* Crispus Attucks – American Revolution patriot
* Red Auerbach – Boston Celtics coach and president, Basketball Hall of Famer
* John Augustus (1785–1859) – born in Boston, philanthropist and pioneer of probation
* James Trecothick Austin (1784–1870) – born in Boston, member of Massachusetts General Court and Massachusetts Attorney General
* Jonathan Loring Austin (1748–1826) – born in Boston; officer in American Revolutionary War; Massachusetts state representative, senator, secretary, and treasurer

## B

* Bad Rabbits – band
* Arthur Baker – rap DJ, music producer
* Bang Camaro – rock band
* Sasha Banks – WWE wrestler, former WWE Raw Women's Champion, former NXT Women's Champion
* Maria Barrett – US Army Major General; older sister of US Army General Paula Lodi
* Dana Barros – former NBA player
* Zered Bassett – professional skateboarder
* Benjamin E. Bates – founder and namesake of Bates College
* Ruth Batson – civil rights and education activist
* Susan Batson – actress, author, and producer; daughter of Ruth Batson
* Peter D. Bear – Wisconsin State Senator
* Bell Biv DeVoe – music group
* Gaston Bell – stage and silent film actor
* Tobin Bell – actor (born in Queens, NY, raised in Weymouth)
* Mark Bellhorn – MLB player
* Asher Benjamin – architect and author
* Cora Agnes Benneson – attorney, lecturer, and writer
* Frank Weston Benson – Impressionist artist
* Rick Berlin – musician
* Leonard Bernstein – New York Philharmonic conductor, composer and pianist
* Big D and the Kids Table – band
* Big Shug – rapper
* Traci Bingham – actress, model
* Mike Birbiglia – comedian
* Molly Birnbaum – writer
* William Blackstone (also spelled Blaxton) – first European settler
* Arthur Blake – athlete
* Will Blalock – former NBA player for
* David Blatt (born 1959) – Israeli-American basketball player and coach (most recently, for the Cleveland Cavaliers)
* C. L. Blood – physician
* Matt Bloom – NFL player and professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE
* Michael Bloomberg – former Mayor of New York City
* Bob and Ray – comedy team
* Ernie Boch Jr. – president of Boch Enterprises
* Ray Bolger – actor and dancer, Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz
* Veda Ann Borg – film actress
* Boston – band
* Boys Like Girls – band
* Ron Brace – NFL player, New England Patriots
* Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee – architect
* William J. Bratton – chief of police for NYPD and LAPD
* Connie Britton – actress
* John Britton – abortion provider
* Edward W. Brooke – first African American elected by popular vote to United States Senate
* Bobby Brown – singer
* Carolyn Brown – dancer, writer, choreographer
* Earle Brown – composer
* Lexie Brown – basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks
* Sam Brown – comedian from IFC sketch comedy show Whitest Kids U' Know
* Scott Brown – U.S. Senator
* William B. Broydrick – Wisconsin State Assemblyman
* Aimee Buchanan (born 1993) – American-born Olympic figure skater for Israel
* Charles Bulfinch – architect who designed Massachusetts State House, original United States Capitol dome and rotunda
* James "Whitey" Bulger – organized crime boss
* Ephraim Wales Bull – creator of the concord grape
* Thomas Burke – sprinter
* Bill Burr – comedian
* Edwin C. Burt – shoemaker
* Bury Your Dead – band
* George H. W. Bush – 41st President of The United States
* Vannevar Bush – scientist

## C

* C60 – band
* Louis C.K. – comedian and actor
* Will Calhoun – drummer for Living Colour (born in NY, lived in Boston)
* Steve Carell – actor and comedian, The Office, The Daily Show, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Despicable Me
* The Cars – band
* Melnea Cass – community and civil rights activist
* Peggy Cass – actress and TV game show panelist
* John Cazale – actor, The Godfather, The Deer Hunter, Dog Day Afternoon
* John Cena – professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE
* Nicholas Raymond Cerio – founder of Nick Cerio's Kenpo
* Kevin Chapman – actor
* Julius Caesar Chappelle – Massachusetts legislator
* Ken Cheeseman – actor
* Gary Cherone – singer (Extreme and Van Halen)
* Michael Chiklis – actor, The Shield
* Neil Cicierega – Internet personality, created Potter Puppet Pals
* Lenny Clarke – comedian and actor
* The Click Five – band
* Alex Cobb – baseball pitcher
* John A. Collins – Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force
* Misha Collins – actor
* Jerry Colonna – entertainer
* Greg Comella – NFL fullback
* James Bryant Conant – chemist, 23rd president of Harvard University
* Dane Cook – comedian and actor
* Calvin Coolidge – 30th President of the United States
* Harriet Abbott Lincoln Coolidge – author, philanthropist, reformer
* Jennifer Coolidge – actress, American Pie, A Mighty Wind, Legally Blonde
* Miriam O'Leary Collins – actress
* John Singleton Copley – artist
* Chick Corea – Grammy Award-winning jazz musician and composer
* Jeff Corwin – TV personality
* Aisha Cousins (born 1978) – artist/performance art score writer
* Lynne Cox – professional swimmer
* Charlie Coyle (born 1992) – hockey player
* Zach Cregger – actor, comedian, star of the IFC sketch comedy series WKUK
* Norm Crosby – comedian
* Marcia Cross – actress, Desperate Housewives
* James Michael Curley – Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts Governor, and U.S. Representative
* Jane Curtin – actress and comedian
* Johnny Curtis – professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE
* Thomas Curtis (1873–1944) – athlete
* Richard Cushing – Archbishop of Boston and Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church
* Susan Webb Cushman (1822–1859) – stage actress
* Jay Cutler – 4x IFBB Mr. Olympia, bodybuilder

## D

* Joey Daccord – ice hockey goaltender
* Dick Dale – musician
* Matt Damon – actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter, Good Will Hunting, The Departed, Ocean's Eleven and Bourne Identity series
* Evan Dando – musician
* Duncan Daniels – Nigerian-American afropop and afrobeat musician, producer and songwriter
* Bette Davis – Academy Award-winning actress, Dark Victory, Jezebel, All About Eve
* Daniel Davis Jr. – nineteenth century inventor
* Geena Davis – Academy Award-winning actress, The Accidental Tourist
* Henry Dearborn – physician, general, and politician
* Henry Alexander Scammell Dearborn – lawyer, author, statesman, soldier, Mayor of Roxbury; son of Henry Dearborn
* Death Before Dishonor – band
* Patrick DeCoste – musician
* Manny Delcarmen – MLB pitcher
* Becky DelosSantos – Playboy Playmate centerfold, April 1994
* Brad Delp – singer
* Tony DeMarco – boxer, welterweight champion, born 1932 in North End
* Paul Demayo – IFBB professional bodybuilder
* Joseph Dennie – writer
* Joe Derrane (1930–2016) – accordion player
* Michael Dertouzos (1936–2001) – computer scientist
* Albert DeSalvo – serial killer known as "The Boston Strangler"
* Jack DeSena – actor, played Sokka in Avatar: The Last Airbender
* P. T. Deutermann – author
* Diamante – rock singer
* Dinosaur Jr. – band
* Rick DiPietro – NHL goaltender (from Boston suburbs)
* Tony Dize – reggaeton singer
* Ken Doane – professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE
* William P. Doyle – commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission
* The Dresden Dolls – punk cabaret duo
* Robert Drinan – former U.S. Congressman
* Drop Nineteens – band
* Dropkick Murphys – band
* Shem Drowne – America's first weathervane maker
* W. E. B. Du Bois – scholar, professor; first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard; founder of NAACP
* Joseph Dudley – Colonial Governor of Massachusetts
* Michael Dukakis – Massachusetts governor, US presidential candidate in 1988
* William C. Durant – founder of General Motors
* Adam Duritz – singer-songwriter for Counting Crows (born in Baltimore, lived in Boston)
* Eliza Dushku – actress
* Mary Dyer – martyr

## E

* Ed O.G. – hip hop artist
* Ayo Edebiri – actress
* Ryan Edell (born 1983) – professional baseball player
* Adam Edelman (born 1991) – American-born four-time Israeli National Champion in skeleton event, and Israeli Olympian
* Richard J. Egan – founder and chairman of EMC Corporation
* Charles H. Eglee – television screenwriter
* Jeremy Elbertson – livestreamer, YouTuber, and internet comedian
* Charles C. Eldredge – art historian and educator
* Ralph Waldo Emerson – essayist, lecturer, poet
* Ernie and the Automatics – band
* Mike Eruzione – captain of USA's 1980 Winter Olympics hockey team (from Boston suburbs)
* Julius Erving – Basketball Hall of Famer, UMass, New York Nets, Philadelphia 76ers
* William Eustis – early American statesman, Governor of Massachusetts
* Chris Evans – actor, known for role as "Captain America"
* Patrick Ewing – Basketball Hall of Famer, NCAA champion, center for New York Knicks
* Patrick Ewing Jr. – NBA player, New York Knicks, New Orleans Hornets
* Extreme – band

## F

* Louis Farrakhan – head of Nation of Islam
* Charles Farrell – actor
* Spike Feresten – screenwriter and television personality
* John Ferruggio – led evacuation of Pan Am Flight 93, hijacked in 1970
* Arthur Fiedler – Boston Pops orchestra conductor
* Charles L. Fletcher – architect and interior designer; owner of Charles Fletcher Design
* Doug Flutie – Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Boston College; AFL, CFL, and NFL player, television commentator
* Robert Bennet Forbes – sea captain, China trader
* Ben Foster – actor (born in Boston)
* Dwight Foster – Massachusetts Attorney General; associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
* Jon Foster – actor (born in Boston)
* Toby Fox – composer and video game developer known best for creating Undertale
* Arlene Francis – actress, radio and TV personality (What's My Line?)
* Black Francis – of the band Pixies
* Benjamin Franklin – author, public servant, diplomat, signer of the Declaration of Independence
* Bettina Freeman – opera singer
* Robert Frost – iconic poet

## G

* The G-Clefs – Top 40 soul group
* Tony Gaffney (born 1984) – basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Greg Gagne – MLB player
* Ryan Gallant – professional skateboarder (Plan B Skateboards, DC Shoes)
* Gang Green – band
* Gang Starr – rap group
* Erle Stanley Gardner – lawyer, author, creator of Perry Mason
* Kevin Garnett – retired professional basketball player
* Edmund H. Garrett – prolific 19th- and 20th-century book illustrator and artist
* Althea Garrison – politician and first known transgender member of a state legislature in the United States
* Peter Gerety – actor
* Elbridge Gerry – signer of Declaration of Independence; Governor of Massachusetts; Vice President of the United States; gave his name to "gerrymandering"
* Kahlil George Gibran – sculptor
* Charles Dana Gibson – illustrator
* Joy Giovanni – professional wrestler, known for her time in WWE
* Paul Michael Glaser – actor and director, Starsky & Hutch
* Tom Glavine – Hall of Fame baseball pitcher for Atlanta Braves
* Sumner Jules Glimcher – professor, author and filmmaker
* Godsmack – band
* Jared Goldberg – Olympic skier
* Duff Goldman – star of Food Network TV show Ace of Cakes (born in Detroit, lived in MA)
* Ezekiel Goldthwait (1710–1782) – prominent in town affairs in the years leading up to the American Revolution
* Benjamin Gould – astronomer
* Robert Goulet – Grammy Award-winning singer and Tony-winning actor (born in Lawrence)
* Paul Graham – hacker, painter, essayist, tech startup guru
* Kaz Grala – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, youngest ever to win a NASCAR Touring Series race
* Geoffrey Gray (born 1997) – American-Israeli professional basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Jane Loring Gray – editor
* Ari Graynor – actress
* Clark Gregg – actor
* Justine Greiner – Playboy Playmate centerfold, February 1984
* Mike Grier – NHL player
* Tammy Grimes – actress, singer
* Hattie Tyng Griswold (1842–1909) – author, poet
* Loyd Grossman – author, broadcaster, musician and businessman
* Matt Grzelcyk – NHL player
* Bill Guerin – NHL player
* Louise Gunning – musical actress
* Guru – rapper, member of Gang Starr
* Guster – band
* Jasmine Guy – actress and singer

## H

* Betsy Hager – farmer and blacksmith who produced weapons for the American Revolution
* Marvelous Marvin Hagler – middleweight boxing champion of the world
* Edward Everett Hale – author
* Jack Haley – actor, known as Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz
* Anthony Michael Hall – actor, The Breakfast Club, The Dead Zone
* Marc-André Hamelin – pianist, composer
* John Hancock – statesman, signer of Declaration of Independence
* Noah Hanifin – ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015
* Kay Hanley – musician
* G Hannelius – actress
* Bob Hansen – MLB player
* Hannah Hanson Kinney – alleged serial killer
* Beth Harrington – filmmaker and musician
* Maggie Hassan – United States Senator and former governor of New Hampshire
* Matt Hasselbeck – NFL quarterback for the Tennessee Titans
* Tim Hasselbeck – NFL quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals
* Juliana Hatfield – musician
* Have Heart – hardcore band
* Kevin Hayes – NHL player
* Roy Haynes – jazz musician
* Heads of State – music group
* Ed Healey – NFL Hall of Fame player for Chicago Bears
* William Hooper – North Carolina signer of United States Declaration of Independence
* Armand Van Helden – DJ
* Andrew Mark Henry – Scholar of religion and YouTuber
* Ed Herlihy – radio and television announcer
* John Michael Higgins – game show TV host/cartoon narrator
* Rich Hill – MLB pitcher
* Karl Hobbs – George Washington University basketball coach
* Oliver Wendell Holmes – physician and author
* Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. – U. S. Supreme Court Justice
* Winslow Homer – artist
* Michelle Hoover – author
* The Hope Conspiracy – hardcore band
* Allen Hoskins – actor
* Joan Imogen Howard – educator
* Christine Hunschofsky – politician

## I

* Dorothy Iannone (1933–2022) – visual artist
* Ice Nine Kills – music group
* Isis – music group

## J

* Shar Jackson – actress
* Jada – pop and R&B singing group signed to UniversalMotown
* Marie Jansen – musical actress
* Jerma – Twitch streamer, YouTuber
* Martin Johnson – lead singer of Boys Like Girls
* Thomas Johnston – engraver, organ builder, japanner, and heraldic painter
* JoJo – singer, actress
* Julia Jones – actress
* Sam Jones III – actor, Glory Road
* Darin Jordan – NFL player
* Rebecca Richardson Joslin – author, lecturer, benefactor, clubwoman
* Jujubee – drag queen
* Tom Jung – art director, graphic designer, illustrator, storyboard artist

## K

* Madeline Kahn – actress, Blazing Saddles
* Mindy Kaling – actress, The Office
* Alex Karalexis – UFC, WEC fighter
* Karmin – musical group
* Robert Kelly – actor, comedian
* Edward "Ted" Kennedy (1932–2009) – longtime Massachusetts Senator
* John F. Kennedy – Massachusetts Senator and 35th President of the United States
* Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. – ambassador; father of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Edward Kennedy
* Myles Kennedy – singer, songwriter
* Robert F. "Bobby" Kennedy – U.S. Attorney General and New York Senator
* Jack Kerouac – beat poet and writer
* Nancy Kerrigan – Olympic figure skating silver medalist
* John Kerry – U.S. Secretary of State, longtime Massachusetts Senator (1985–2013) and presidential candidate in 2004
* Keytar Bear – keytarist in a bear costume who commonly performs at MBTA stations
* Killswitch Engage – metalcore band
* John King – CNN chief political correspondent
* Kofi Kingston – professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE (born in Ghana, lived in Boston)
* Jonathan Knight – singer, dancer (New Kids on the Block)
* Jordan Knight – singer, dancer (New Kids on the Block)
* Henry Knox – first U.S. Secretary of War, Founding Father, Senior General in the Continental Army under Washington
* Yitzhak Aharon Korff – Grand Rabbi, diplomat, international consultant
* Lauren Koslow – soap opera actress
* Walter "Killer" Kowalski – professional wrestler, teacher, photographer
* Bob Kraft – owner of the New England Patriots
* John Krasinski – actor (Jim Halpert in NBC's The Office)
* Sol Kumin – businessman, philanthropist and racehorse owner

## L

* Phil Labonte – musician
* PJ Ladd – professional skateboarder
* Liz LaManche – public artist
* Jack Landron – folk singer, songwriter
* Robert Lanza – medical doctor and scientist
* Lewis Howard Latimer – inventor
* Denis Leary – actor, comedian, writer and director
* Matt LeBlanc – actor, Friends
* Dennis Lehane – author
* Jack Lemmon – Academy Award-winning actor, Mister Roberts, Save the Tiger, The Odd Couple, Grumpy Old Men
* Jay Leno – comedian and television personality
* Letters To Cleo – rock band
* Elma Lewis – founder of National Center of Afro-American Artists (including a museum) and Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts
* Noah Levis – soccer player who represented Finland at a youth level
* Gary Russell Libby – art historian, museum director, curator
* Erica Lindbeck – voice actress
* William Linn – defender of the Alamo
* Henry Cabot Lodge – politician
* Paula Lodi – US Army Brigadier General; younger sister of US Army General Maria Barrett
* Edward Lawrence Logan – military officer, jurist, politician
* Howie Long – NFL player
* Edward "Ted" Kennedy (1932–2009) – longtime Massachusetts Senator
* Amy Lawrence Lowell – Pulitzer Prize-winning poet
* Robert Lowell – poet
* Joyner Lucas – rapper
* Adam Lundquist – radio DJ
* Lyte Funky Ones – pop trio

## M

* Aimee Mann – singer
* Jonathan Mann – HIV/AIDS researcher and World Health Organization administrator; killed on Swissair Flight 111
* Rob Mariano – Survivor contestant
* Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch – rap group
* Pedro Martínez – retired professional baseball player, member of National Baseball Hall of Fame
* Connie Martinson – talk show host
* Mike Matarazzo – professional bodybuilder
* Aaron Maund – Major League soccer player
* Masspike Miles – singer, songwriter, producer, Perfect Gentlemen (Maybach Music Group)
* Cotton Mather – Puritan minister and author
* Jonah Matranga – singer/songwriter
* Greg Mauldin – NHL player, Ottawa Senators
* John Mayer – singer-songwriter (born in Connecticut, lived in Boston)
* Charles Johnson Maynard – naturalist and ornithologist
* Christa McAuliffe – educator and astronaut
* Chris McCarron – jockey
* Tommy McCarthy – baseball player
* John P. McDonough – Chief of Chaplains of U.S. Air Force
* Neal McDonough – actor
* Sean McDonough – sports announcer
* Will McDonough – sportswriter
* Richard McGonagle – voice actor
* Joey McIntyre – singer, dancer, actor (New Kids on the Block)
* Amy Upham Thomson McKean – pianist, songwriter and composer
* Ed McMahon – television personality
* Peter McNeeley – boxer (born in Medfield)
* Michael McShane – actor
* Maria Menounos – actress, journalist, professional wrestler
* Nelson Merced – activist and politician, first Hispanic elected to Massachusetts General Court
* David Merkow – golfer
* The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – band
* Roger Miller – musician
* Wayne Millner – NFL Hall of Famer
* Mission of Burma – band
* Joe Moakley – congressman
* Leo Monahan (1926–2013) – sports journalist
* William Monahan – screenwriter
* Morphine – band
* Van Morrison – singer, musician, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee in 1993 (born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has lived in Boston for years)
* Robert Morse – actor
* Samuel F. B. Morse – inventor and painter, inventor of electric telegraph and Morse code
* Eddie Mottau – guitarist
* Mr. Lif – hip-hop artist, member of The Perceptionists
* Helen Messinger Murdoch (1862–1956) – photographer; pioneered use of autochromes in travel photography
* Connor Murphy – professional ice hockey player

## N

* Jack Nance (1943–1996) – actor, title character in Eraserhead
* Jason Nash (born 1973) – actor
* Packy Naughton (born 1996) – Major League Baseball pitcher
* William Cooper Nell (1816–1874) – abolitionist
* Betty Jo Nelsen (born 1935) – member of Wisconsin State Assembly
* Victor Folke Nelson (1898–1939) – author, prison reform advocate, and sensational prison escapist
* New Edition – music group
* New Kids on the Block – band
* Nicky Jam (born 1981) – reggaeton singer and songwriter, Latin Grammy winner
* Terry Nihen – Playboy Playmate
* Leonard Nimoy (1931–2015) – actor, known as Mr. Spock from Star Trek
* Zack Norman (1940–2024) – actor, producer, financier
* Edward Norton (born 1969) – actor, American History X, Fight Club, The Italian Job
* B. J. Novak (born 1979) – actor, writer for NBC's The Office (from Newton)
* Christopher Nowinski (born 1978) – professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE

## O

* Bill O'Brien (born 1969) – former head coach of Penn State football and the NFL's Houston Texans
* Conan O'Brien (born 1963) – television personality
* Mike O'Malley (born 1966) – actor
* On Broken Wings – band
* Patrice O'Neal (1969–2011) – actor, comedian
* Thomas "Tip" O'Neill (1912–1994) – U.S. Congressman, Speaker of the House
* David Ortiz (born 1975) – retired professional baseball player
* James Otis Jr. (1725–1783) – patriot

## P

* Robert Treat Paine (1731–1814) – signer of Declaration of Independence
* Amanda Palmer (born 1976) – songwriter and performer
* Evelyn Parnell (1888–1939) – opera singer
* George Patton IV (1923–2004) – U.S. Army general; son of famed World War II General George S. Patton III
* Susan Paul – abolitionist
* John Peck – naval architect and merchant
* The Perceptionists – rap group
* Joel Perez – actor, singer, and dancer
* Esther Petrack – contestant on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 15
* Paul Pierce (born 1977) – professional basketball player
* John Pigeon – Massachusetts Commissary General during Revolutionary War
* Albert Pike (1809–1891) – C.S. Army general; author, poet, orator, jurist and prominent member of the Freemasons
* John Pinette (1964–2014) – actor and comedian
* The Pixies – band
* Sylvia Plath (1932–1963) – poet and author
* Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) – poet and writer
* Amy Poehler (born 1971) – actress and comedian
* John Pollini (born 1945) – art historian
* Ellen Pompeo (born 1969) – actress
* Poppy (born 1995) (Moriah Rose Pereira) – musician and YouTube personality
* Tom Poti (born 1977) – NHL player, Washington Capitals
* Powerman 5000 – metal band
* Seth Putnam (1968–2011) – musician

## Q

* Dionne Quan (born 1978) – voice actress
* John Quinlan (born 1974) – pro wrestler

## R

* Nicole Raczynski (born 1979) – pro wrestler known as Nikki Roxx, and as Roxxi in TNA Wrestling
* Aly Raisman (born 1994) – gymnast and Olympic gold medalist
* Sumner Redstone (1923–2020) – chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Viacom
* Helen Leah Reed (1861/62 - 1926) - writer
* Maia Reficco (born 2000) – actress and singer
* Arthur E. Reimer (1882–1969) – two-time presidential candidate of Socialist Labor Party of America
* James Remar (born 1953) – actor, known for roles of Ajax in The Warriors and of Harry Morgan in Dexter
* Lee Remick (1935–1991) – actress, Days of Wine and Roses, Anatomy of a Murder
* Jerry Remy (1952–2021) – MLB player and sportscaster
* Patrick Renna (born 1979) – actor, known for role of Ham in The Sandlot
* Frank Renzulli (born 1958) – writer, actor
* Paul Revere (1735–1818) – silversmith and American Revolution patriot
* Abbie Richards – TikToker
* Ellen Swallow Richards (1842–1911) – "mother" of home economics and sewage treatment
* Jonathan Richman (born 1951) – musician
* Sam Rivers (1923–2011) – jazz musician
* Alex Rocco (1936–2015) – actor, known for role of Moe Greene in The Godfather
* Norman Rockwell (1894–1978) – artist
* Jeremy Roenick (born 1970) – NHL player
* Jereme Rogers (born 1985) – professional skateboarder
* Mitt Romney (born 1947) – 70th Governor of Massachusetts; 2012 U.S. presidential candidate
* Francis Rosa (1920–2012) – sports journalist for The Boston Globe
* Eli Roth (born 1972) – director, writer, producer, actor
* Lillian Roth (1910–1980) – actress, singer
* John Rowe (1715–1787) – Boston resident merchant and diarist, original developer of Rowes Wharf
* Nathaniel Ruggles (1761–1819) – U.S. Representative
* Bill Russell (1934–2022) – professional basketball player and coach, NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist
* Blanchard Ryan (born 1967) – actress

## S

* Alicia Sacramone (born 1987) – gymnast, world champion and Olympic silver medalist
* Perry Saturn (born 1966) – pro wrestler
* Richard Scarry (1919–1994) – author, illustrator
* Jeremy Scott (born 1975) – televangelist, nudist, poet
* Edward Seaga (1930–2019) – former Jamaican politician and statesman; his parents returned to Jamaica with him when he was three months old
* Ebenezer Seaver (1763–1844) – U.S. Representative, chairman of Roxbury Board of Selectmen
* Anne Sexton (1928–1974) – poet
* Dan Shaughnessy (born 1953) – Boston Globe sports columnist
* John H. Sherburne (1877–1959) – U.S. Army brigadier general
* William E. Sheridan (1839–1887) – actor
* Timothy Shriver (born 1959) – Chairman of Special Olympic Committee
* Anthony T. Shtogren (1917–2003) – U.S. Air Force general
* Fatima Siad (born 1986) – fashion model, third place on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10
* Bill Simmons (born 1969) – sports columnist, "The Sports Guy" on ESPN.com
* Slaine (born 1982) – hip hop artist
* Slapshot – band
* Jenny Slate (born 1982) – actress, comedian, Saturday Night Live cast member
* Emily Goodrich Smith (1830–1903) – newspaper correspondent
* Jean Kennedy Smith (1928–2020) – sister of president John F. Kennedy; former United States Ambassador to Ireland
* Samuel Francis Smith (1808–1895) – composer
* Edward Dexter Sohier – lawyer
* Joseph B. Soloveitchik (1903–1993) – rabbi
* Thankful Southwick (1792–1867) – abolitionist, women's rights activist
* James Spader (born 1960) – actor, Boston Legal, The Blacklist
* Clinton Sparks (born 1975) – hip hop DJ, producer
* Statik Selektah (born 1982) – record producer and DJ
* Special Teamz – rap group
* Billy Squier (born 1950) – rock musician
* Lesley Stahl (born 1941) – television journalist, 60 Minutes
* Staind – band
* Larry Stark (born 1932) – theater critic
* Maurice Starr (born 1953) – musician, producer (New Edition and New Kids on the Block)
* Frederick Stevens (1861–1923) – U.S. Representative from Minnesota
* Jane Agnes Stewart (1860–1944) — author, editor, and contributor to periodicals
* Sonny Stitt (1924–1982) – jazz saxophonist
* Street Dogs – band
* John J. Sullivan (born 1959) – diplomat
* John L. Sullivan (1858–1918) – first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing
* Louis Sullivan (1856–1924) – architect
* Donna Summer (1948–2012) – singer
* William H. Sumner (1780–1861) – developer of East Boston
* John Sununu (born 1964) – junior U.S. Senator from New Hampshire (born in Boston)
* William H. Swanson – chairman and CEO of Raytheon Company

## T

* Edmund C. Tarbell (1862–1938) – painter
* Lofa Tatupu (born 1982) – NFL linebacker
* James Taylor (born 1948) – folk singer
* Ruth Carol Taylor (born 1931) – first African-American flight attendant in the United States
* That Handsome Devil – band
* John Thomas (1941–2013) – first man to clear 7 feet (2.1 m) in high jump
* Thomas W. Thompson (1766–1821) – United States Representative and United States Senator
* Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) – iconic poet, novelist
* Uma Thurman (born 1970) – actress, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill
* Maura Tierney (born 1965) – actress
* 'Til Tuesday – band
* Jimmy Tingle (born 1955) – stand-up comedian, actor
* Jane Toppan (1854–1938) – serial killer and nurse
* Eve Torres (born 1984) – professional wrestler
* John Tortorella (born 1958) – NHL coach, head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets
* Touré (born 1971) – writer, TV host
* Eliza Townsend (1788–1854) – poet
* Judy Traub (born 1940) – Minnesota state senator
* Ralph Tresvant (born 1968) – singer
* Kevin Trudeau (born 1963) – author, pocket billiards promoter, salesman
* Jen Trynin (born 1963) – musician
* Jonathan Tucker (born 1982) – actor
* John Tudor (born 1954) – MLB pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals
* Charles Tufts (1781–1876) – founder of Tufts University

## U

* Unearth – band
* Hezekiah Usher (c. 1616–1676) – first bookseller in the 13 colonies

## V

* Sarah Van Patten – ballet dancer
* Steven Van Zandt (born 1950) – musician with Bruce Springsteen band and actor, The Sopranos
* Vanna – band
* Jimmy Vesey (born 1993) – ice hockey player
* Brian Viglione (born 1979) – musician

## W

* Philip Waggenheim (1915–c. 1989) – gangster
* Ashley Wagner (born 1991) – figure skater
* Donnie Wahlberg (born 1969) – actor, singer, producer (New Kids on the Block)
* Mark Wahlberg (born 1971) – actor, rapper, producer, Boogie Nights, The Perfect Storm, The Departed, The Fighter
* David Walker (1796–1830) – abolitionist
* Jimmy Walker (1944–2007) – NBA All-Star
* Mike Wallace (1918–2012) – television journalist
* Marty Walsh (born 1967) – Mayor of Boston
* Barbara Walters (1929–2022) – television journalist
* An Wang (1920–1990) – computer engineer and inventor, co-founder of Wang Laboratories
* Fiske Warren (1862–1938) – paper manufacturer and philanthropist
* Gretchen Osgood Warren (1868–1961) – poet and muse
* Joseph Warren (1741–1775) – founding father and Son of Liberty who died at the Battle of Bunker Hill
* Sam Waterston (born 1940) – actor
* Barrett Wilbert Weed (born 1988) – actress and singer
* Jack Welch (1935–2020) – businessman, CEO of General Electric
* Westbound Train – band
* Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753–1784) – poet and former slave
* Colin White (born 1997) – ice hockey player
* Eli Whitney (1765–1825) – inventor of the cotton gin
* Jermaine Wiggins (born 1975) – NFL player
* Alfred J. Wiggin (1823–1883) – painter and society portraitist
* Tony Williams (1945–1997) – jazz drummer
* Winter Williams (born 1984), actress
* Alan Wilson (1943–1970) – singer, guitarist (Canned Heat)
* Oren Elbridge Wilson (1844–1917) – Mayor of Albany, New York, born in Boston
* Robert Scott Wilson (born 1987) – actor, first male model on The Price Is Right
* Clara Winthrop (1876–1969) – philanthropist, art collector
* Danny Wood (born 1969) – singer (New Kids on the Block)
* Gene Wood (1925–2004) – game show announcer
* George Wood (1858–1924) – baseball player
* Brian Woods (born 1963) – documentary filmmaker
* Benjamin Edward Woolf (1836–1901) – British-born composer, playwright, journalist for Boston Saturday Evening Gazette and Boston Globe
* Steven Wright (born 1955) – Academy Award-winning comedian, actor and writer

## X

* Malcolm X (1925–1965) – civil rights activist, Muslim minister (lived in Roxbury)

## Y

* Donnie Yen (born 1963) – Hong Kong actor, martial artist

## Z

* Katya Zamolodchikova (born 1982) – drag queen, actor
* Rob Zombie (born 1965) – musician, director, producer