# List of people from Oakland, California

This list includes people born in Oakland, California, or who lived in Oakland for a significant time.

## Academics

* George H. Hildebrand – industrial relations scholar at Cornell University
* Gail Mahood – geology (born in Oakland)

## Artists and designers

* Natalia Anciso – artist and educator
* Steven F. Arnold – filmmaker, photographer, painter, illustrator, set and costume designer, and assemblage artist
* Olive Ayhens – painter
* Garry Knox Bennett – woodworker, metalworker, furniture maker, artist
* Bernice Bing – artist, activist
* Warrington Colescott – artist and educator
* Henry Doane – landscape painter, commercial artist
* Janet Doub Erickson – artist and author
* Roger C. Field – industrial designer, graduated from California College of the Arts
* Linda Geary – painter, teacher
* Liz Hernández – painter, sculptor, graphic designer
* Oliver Lee Jackson – painter, printmaker, sculptor
* Walter J. Mathews – architect, designed the First Unitarian Church of Oakland
* Bernard Maybeck – architect
* Jeremy Mayer – sculptor
* Julia Morgan – architect, raised and buried in Oakland
* Willis O'Brien – animator
* Nathan Oliveira – painter, printmaker, sculptor, professor
* Oree Originol – graphic poster artist, activist
* Adrienne Keahi Pao – photographer, artist
* Lisa Quinn – artist, author, designer
* Mel Ramos – painter
* Favianna Rodriguez – painter, artist
* Galen Rowell – photographer
* J. Otto Seibold – artist, illustrator, author
* Elizabeth Sher – documentary and short filmmaker, artist
* Seasick Steve – blues musician
* Betty Swords – cartoonist
* Morrie Turner – artist, illustrator, author of the Wee Pals comic strip
* Wendy Yoshimura – artist

## Athletes

* Ron Allen – professional skateboarder
* Zack Andrews – baseball player
* Peter Arnautoff – soccer player
* Pervis Atkins – NFL football player, Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, actor, The Longest Yard
* David Bakal – soccer player
* Don Barksdale – basketball player
* Drew Barry – basketball player
* Jon Barry – basketball player and sportscaster
* Charlie Beamon – baseball pitcher
* Charlie Beamon Jr. – baseball player
* Davion Berry (born 1991) – basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Davone Bess – football player
* Will Blackwell – football player
* Linc Blakely – Major League Baseball player, Cincinnati Reds
* Marlin Briscoe – football player
* John Brodie – football player and sportscaster
* Jabari Brown – basketball player
* Steve Brye – baseball player, No. 1 pick of Twins, played nine years in majors
* Don Budge – tennis player
* Chris Burford – football player
* Glenn Burke – baseball player
* Calen Carr – soccer player and television host
* Tiffany Chin – figure skater
* Steve Clark – swimmer, won five Olympic gold medals
* Ray Crouse – football player
* Bruce Cunningham – Major League Baseball player, Boston Braves
* Jared Cunningham – basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Antonio Davis – basketball player
* Steve DeBerg – football player
* Bernie DeViveiros – Major League Baseball player, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers
* Taylor Douthit – Major League Baseball player, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds
* Forey Duckett – football player
* Dennis Eckersley – baseball player
* Manny Fernandez – football player
* Eric Fernsten – basketball player, NBA, CBA, and Europe
* Curt Flood – Major League Baseball player, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Senators; known for challenging the reserve clause
* Greg Foster – basketball player
* La Vel Freeman – baseball player
* Len Gabrielson – Major League Baseball player, first baseman, Philadelphia Phillies
* Len Gabrielson – Major League Baseball player, outfielder, Milwaukee Braves, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, California Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers
* Joe Gaines – Major League Baseball player, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros
* Derrick Gardner – football player
* Kiwi Gardner – basketball player
* Brad Gilbert – tennis player and coach
* John Gillespie – Major League Baseball player, Cincinnati Reds
* Jesse Gonder –baseball player
* Drew Gooden – basketball player
* Alexis Gray-Lawson – basketball player, Phoenix Mercury
* Bob Greenwood – Major League Baseball player, Philadelphia Phillies
* Bud Hafey – Major League Baseball player, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies
* Tom Hafey – Major League Baseball player, New York Giants, St. Louis Browns
* Roger Harding – football player
* Rickey Henderson – baseball player
* Jan Henne – swimmer, two-time gold medalist at 1968 Summer Olympics
* Steve Hosey – baseball player
* Al Hrabosky – baseball pitcher and sportscaster
* Proverb Jacobs – NFL football player, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants
* Jackie Jensen – baseball player
* Brian Johnson – baseball player
* Josh Johnson – quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals
* Maurice Jones-Drew – football player
* Robert Jordan – football player
* Bobby Kemp – football player
* Jason Kidd – basketball player and coach
* MacArthur Lane – football player
* Cookie Lavagetto – baseball player and manager
* James Yimm Lee – martial arts teacher
* Tony Lema – golfer
* Bill Lester – NASCAR driver
* Damian Lillard – basketball player
* Don Lofgran – professional basketball player
* Ernie Lombardi – baseball player
* Terrell Lowery – baseball player
* Lorenzo Lynch – football player
* Marshawn Lynch – football player
* Eddie McGah – baseball player, part-owner of Oakland Raiders
* Bill McKalip – college All-American football player, NFL player, Portsmouth Spartans / Detroit Lions
* Joe Mellana – Major League Baseball player, Philadelphia Athletics
* Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell – streetball player
* Joe Morgan – baseball second baseman and sportscaster
* Kirk Morrison – football player
* Hank Norberg – football player
* Mike Norris – baseball player
* Lee Norwood – ice hockey player
* Zoe Ann Olsen – Olympic diver
* Gary Payton – basketball player, born and raised in Oakland
* Gary Pettis – baseball player and coach
* Paul Pierce – basketball player
* Vada Pinson – baseball player and coach
* Jim Pollard – basketball player
* Leon Powe – basketball player
* Damon Powell – basketball player
* Jarrod Pughsley – football player
* John Ralston – football player and coach
* Isiah Rider – basketball player
* Chris Roberson – baseball player
* Cliff Robinson – basketball player, youngest (teenaged), highest scoring NBA Player, 1976 TOC Champions
* Frank Robinson – baseball player and manager
* Jimmy Rollins – baseball player
* Bill Russell – basketball player and coach
* Brian Shaw – basketball player and coach
* Paul Silas – basketball player and coach
* Fred Silva – football official
* Marvel Smith – football player
* Dave Stewart – baseball player and executive
* John Sutro – football player
* Ron Theobald – baseball player
* Jim Tobin – baseball player
* Marviel Underwood – football player
* Kwame Vaughn (born 1990) – basketball player for Maccabi Haifa in the Israeli Basketball National League
* Langston Walker – football player
* Andre Ward – professional boxer
* George Wells – professional wrestler

## Businesspeople, entrepreneurs and industrialists

* Stephen Bechtel – engineer, president, CEO of Bechtel Corporation, 1933–1960
* Anthony Chabot – entrepreneur, father of hydraulic mining, namesake of Chabot Space & Science Center, Lake Chabot, and Chabot College, buried in Oakland
* Charles Crocker – railroad tycoon, buried in Oakland
* Debbi Fields – entrepreneur, founder of Mrs. Fields cookies
* Domingo Ghirardelli – founder of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company based in San Francisco, buried in Oakland
* Ken Hofmann – former owner of the Oakland Athletics
* Henry J. Kaiser – entrepreneur, businessman, founder of Kaiser Permanente and Kaiser Family Foundation, buried in Oakland
* Gladys H. Lent-Barndollar – businesswoman and clubwoman; President, National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs
* Mark Mastrov – founder of 24 Hour Fitness, partial owner of the Sacramento Kings
* Jonah Peretti – founder of BuzzFeed
* Francis Marion Smith (also known as "Borax" Smith) – miner, business magnate

## Chefs

* Nelson German – chef
* Tanya Holland – chef, restaurateur, podcast host, and cookbook author
* Nite Yun – chef and restaurateur

## Entertainment

* Mahershala Ali – Academy Award-winning actor
* Eddie Anderson – actor
* Max Baer Jr. – actor, film director
* Matt Bettinelli-Olpin – filmmaker and musician
* Pamela Blake – actress
* True Boardman – silent film actor
* Alex Bretow – film producer, director, and screenwriter
* David Carradine – actor
* Rafael Casal – actor, writer
* Connie Cezon – actress
* Angus Cloud – actor
* Keyshia Cole – musician
* Tracie Collins – actress, writer, theatre director and producer
* Ryan Coogler – director
* Buster Crabbe – actor
* T. D. Crittenden – silent film actor
* Robert Culp – actor
* Mark Curry – actor/comedian
* Gloria Dea – actress, dancer and magician
* Walter DeLeon – screenwriter
* Dimitri Diatchenko – actor
* Daveed Diggs – actor and rapper
* Rockmond Dunbar – actor, mixed-media artist
* Sheila E. – musician
* Michael Earl – puppeteer
* Clint Eastwood – actor, Academy Award-winning film producer, and director
* Lyndsy Fonseca – actress
* Squire Fridell – actor
* Cary Fukunaga – Emmy Award-winning director
* Sylvia Gerrish – performer of musical comedy and light opera
* Sumner Getchell – actor
* Gary Goldman – filmmaker
* Michael A. Goorjian – actor and filmmaker
* R. Henry Grey – silent film actor
* Khamani Griffin – child actor
* Mark Hamill – actor
* Bernie Hamilton – actor, Starsky and Hutch
* MC Hammer – rapper
* Tom Hanks – Academy Award-winning actor, raised in Oakland
* Susan Seaforth Hayes – actor
* Claude Heater – opera singer and actor, Ben-Hur
* Russell Hornsby – actor
* Moshe Kasher – comedian, actor, and author/writer; raised in Oakland
* Kehlani – singer
* Joe Knowland – newspaper publisher, actor
* David Labrava – actor, writer, tattoo artist
* Remy Lacroix – adult actress
* Ted Lange – actor
* Brandon Lee (son of Bruce Lee) – actor, born in Oakland
* Bruce Lee – actor, martial artist
* Nnegest Likké – film director
* Caryl Lincoln – actress
* Delroy Lindo – actor
* Dakin Matthews – actor
* Russ Meyer – film director
* Jefferson Moffitt – screenwriter, film director
* Paul Mooney – comedian
* Shemar Moore – actor, model
* Mitch Mullany – actor
* Kali Muscle – actor
* Roger Nichols – recording engineer
* Natalie Nunn – television personality
* Laura Oakley – silent film actress
* Orunamamu (Marybeth Washington-Stofle) – storyteller
* Frank Oz – actor, director, puppeteer for Bert, Cookie Monster and Grover on Sesame Street
* Chelsea Peretti – comedian, actress
* Dorothy Revier – silent film actress, dancer
* Cherie Roberts – adult model, photographer
* Cynthia Robinson – musician
* Raphael Saadiq – singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer
* Timothy B. Schmit – singer, bassist of The Eagles, born in Oakland
* Kellita Smith – actress and model
* Jack Soo (Goro Suzuki) – comedian, actor, Barney Miller
* George Stevens – Academy Award-winning film director
* Cynthia Stevenson – actress, born in Oakland
* Ethel Grey Terry – silent film actress
* Colin Trevorrow – film director
* Jo Van Fleet – actress
* Matt Vasgersian – actor, sports broadcaster
* Mills Watson – actor
* Robert Webber – film and TV actor, 12 Angry Men
* Will Wright – game designer
* Daniel Wu – actor
* Bassem Youssef – satirist
* Zendaya – Emmy Award-winning actress

## Leaders (activists and politicians)

* Richard Aoki – activist
* William P. Baker – politician
* Sonny Barger – founder of the Hells Angels motorcycle club
* Henry G. Blasdel – first governor of Nevada; resident of Oakland
* Annie Florence Brown – President, Oakland Board of Education
* Jerry Brown – politician, former governor of California and mayor of Oakland
* Albert E. Carter – politician
* Frank Chu – eccentric street protester
* Eloise B. Cushing – lawyer; librarian of the Alameda County Law Library (47 years)
* C. L. Dellums – organizer and leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
* Ron Dellums – politician, former U.S. Congressman and Representative, mayor of Oakland
* Frank M. Dixon – politician, former governor of Alabama
* Warren B. English – Confederate war veteran, politician, realtor
* Lydia Flood Jackson – businesswoman, club woman, suffragist, an oldest living native of Oakland when she died in 1963
* Marcus Foster – educator, first African-American Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District
* Alicia Garza – co-founder of Black Lives Matter
* Elihu Harris – politician, former mayor of Oakland
* JuJu Harris – food-affordability activist
* Kamala Harris – politician, former U.S. Senator (2017-2021), former attorney general of California (2021-2017) and former vice president of the United States (2021-2025); born at Kaiser hospital in Oakland but lived and attended school in Berkeley
* Van Jones – founder, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Special Advisor for Green Jobs under US President Barack Obama
* Joseph R. Knowland – former U.S. Representative and former owner of the Oakland Tribune, cremated in Oakland
* William F. Knowland – former U.S. Senator
* Fred Korematsu – Japanese-American who fought forced internment, testing the law in Korematsu v. United States
* Barbara Lee – U.S. Representative
* Charles Goodall Lee – dentist, civic leader, benefactor of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance
* Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee – activist, first Chinese-American woman voter in the U.S.
* Richard Lee – horticulturist, activist for the legalization of marijuana
* Edwin Meese III – former U.S. Attorney General
* Victor H. Metcalf – politician, attorney, banker
* Jessica Mitford – writer, activist, former communist
* Paul Montauk – Communist politician and two-time candidate for Oakland mayor
* Ethel Moore – civic, education, and national defense work leader
* Anca Mosoiu – technology activist
* Nancy Nadel – member of the Oakland City Council
* Huey P. Newton – activist, co-founder of the Black Panther Party
* Andrew Nisbet Jr. – member of the Washington House of Representatives and United States Army officer
* Pat Parker – Black lesbian poet and activist
* Ed Rosenthal – horticulturist, publisher, activist for the legalization of marijuana
* Byron Rumford – pharmacist
* John A. Russo – Oakland city attorney, former city councilman
* Bobby Seale – activist, co-founder of the Black Panther Party
* Nicole Shanahan – attorney and running mate of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 presidential campaign
* Hettie B. Tilghman – African-American activist and suffragist
* Robert Treuhaft – activist for labor and leftist causes, attorney, writer
* Earl Warren – Assistant Attorney City of Oakland, District Attorney of Alameda County, Attorney General of California, Governor of California and U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice
* Charles Stetson Wheeler – attorney, Regent of the University of California
* Lionel J. Wilson – politician, first African-American mayor of Oakland
* Mother Wright – anti-hunger activist

## Military

* Bud Anderson – USAF (served 1942–1972) fighter pilot and commander, triple ace who retired at the rank of colonel
* Jeremiah C. Sullivan – Civil War general in the Union Army and staff member of Ulysses S. Grant, buried in Oakland

## Musicians, composers and dancers

* 3XKrazy – male rap group
* A-Plus – rapper
* Rustee Allen – musician
* Ambrose Akinmusire – musician, trumpeter, composer
* Billie Joe Armstrong – co-founder of Green Day
* Tim Armstrong – musician, lead vocalist of punk rock band Rancid
* Paul Baloff (d. 2002) – former lead singer of thrash metal band Exodus
* Ant Banks – rapper, producer
* Gaylord Birch – musician
* Carla Bley – composer, musician
* Boots Riley – rapper, filmmaker
* Mike Botts – studio musician, drummer for rock band Bread
* Bobby Brackins – rapper, songwriter
* Ian Brennan – Grammy Award-winning record producer and author
* Antonia Brico (born Wilhelmina Wolthius) – classical pianist, first female conductor of New York Philharmonic
* Chris Broderick – musician, lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Megadeth
* Peter Buck – musician, guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band R.E.M.
* Aaron Burckhard – musician, first drummer of the grunge band Nirvana
* Kevin Cadogan – musician, original lead guitarist of Third Eye Blind
* Emilio Castillo – musician, a founding member of Tower of Power
* Casual – rapper
* Mike Clark – musician
* Cold Blood – rock, soul, jazz band
* Keyshia Cole – Grammy Award-nominated R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, born and raised in Oakland
* The Coup – hip hop group
* Jason Cropper – original band member of Weezer
* Del tha Funkee Homosapien – musician
* Daveed Diggs – rapper and actor
* Digital Underground – rap group
* Mike Dirnt – co-founder of Green Day
* Sue Draheim – fiddler
* Mac Dre – rapper, born in Oakland, raised in Vallejo
* Dru Down – rapper
* Isadora Duncan – dancer
* E-A-Ski – rapper, record producer
* En Vogue – Grammy Award-nominated R&B singing group, originated from Oakland in 1990
* Coke Escovedo – musician
* Pete Escovedo – musician, born in Oakland
* Peter Michael Escovedo – musician
* Robb Flynn – musician best known as rhythm guitarist and vocalist for Machine Head
* Michael Franti – musician
* Fred Frith – improvisational musician, guitarist, composer, professor of music
* Nils Frykdahl – musician, a founding member of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Idiot Flesh
* G-Eazy – rapper and producer
* David Garibaldi – musician, member of Tower of Power
* GGFH – industrial band
* Mic Gillette – musician, a founding member of Tower of Power
* Goapele – soul and R&B singer
* Larry Graham – musician
* Guapdad 4000 – rapper, musician
* MC Hammer – musician, born in Oakland
* Jeff Hanneman – former guitarist for heavy metal band Slayer
* Shawn Harris – musician; former member of The Matches
* Davey Havok – musician, lead singer for AFI
* Edwin and Walter Hawkins – gospel singers
* Hieroglyphics – rap group, originated from Oakland
* Earl Hines – jazz pianist
* John Lee Hooker – blues singer
* Paul Jackson – musician
* Henry Kaiser – musician, grandson of Henry J. Kaiser
* Keak da Sneak – musician
* Kehlani – singer
* Kid 606 – musician
* Sharon Knight – Celtic musician, founding member of pagan rock band Pandemonaeon
* Kreayshawn – rapper
* Stephen "Doc" Kupka – musician, founding member of Tower of Power
* Thomas Lauderdale – musician and pianist
* LaToya London – singer; born in San Francisco, raised in Oakland
* Pep Love – rapper
* The Lovemakers – pop band
* The Luniz – Grammy Award-nominated rap duo
* Michael Manring – bassist, born in D.C., lives in Oakland
* Adrian Marcel – singer
* Jim Martin – musician
* Tony Martin – singer, actor
* MC Lars – rapper; post-punk laptop rap
* Dave Meniketti – rock musician; born and raised in Oakland; lead singer/lead guitarist for Y&T
* Seagram Miller – rapper
* Mistah F.A.B. – rapper
* David Murray – musician
* mxmtoon – singer/songwriter
* Fantastic Negrito – musician
* Noaccordion – multimedia project of Onah Indigo
* Numskull – rapper
* Ray Obiedo – musician
* Marty Paich – pianist, composer, arranger, producer, director, conductor
* Harry Partch – composer
* The Phenomenauts – science and space band, refer to Oakland as "Earth's capital"
* Phesto – rapper, producer
* Matt Pike – guitarist of Sleep and High on Fire
* The Pointer Sisters – Grammy Award-winning R&B singing group
* Pooh-Man – rapper
* PopLyfe – pop group
* Francis Rocco Prestia – musician
* San Quinn – rapper, born in Oakland, raised in San Francisco
* Perri "Pebbles" Reid – singer-songwriter, manager of TLC
* Richie Rich – rapper
* Cynthia Robinson – musician
* Raphael Saadiq – musician
* Arion Salazar – musician in Third Eye Blind
* Pharoah Sanders – musician
* Timothy B. Schmit – rock musician, bassist for the Eagles
* E.C. Scott – blues singer, songwriter and record producer; television host
* Tupac Shakur – rapper, lived in Oakland
* Shock G – rapper
* Sharon Shore – ballet dancer, model
* Calvin E. Simmons – symphony orchestra conductor, namesake of Calvin Simmons Theatre, born in San Francisco
* Souls of Mischief – rap group
* J. Stalin – rapper, co-founder of Livewire Records
* Steady Mobb'n – rap duo
* Jamie Stewart – frontman of the experimental group Xiu Xiu
* Shakir Stewart – record producer, senior vice president of Island Def Jam Music Group
* Freddie Stone – musician
* Rose Stone – musician
* Sly Stone – musician
* Bill Summers – musician
* The Team – rap group
* Tony! Toni! Toné! – R&B singing group
* Too Short – rapper, born in Los Angeles, lived in Oakland 1980–1994
* Tower of Power – band, formed and based in Oakland
* Tune-Yards – band; indie, afro-funk
* Weasel Walter – progressive rock and free jazz musician/composer
* Freddie Washington – musician
* Lenny Williams – musician, early member of Tower of Power
* Y&T – rock band, formed in Oakland 1974
* Yukmouth – rapper
* Baba Zumbi – co-founder of hip hop group Zion I

## Physicians

* Samuel Merritt – physician, practiced in San Francisco, namesake of Merritt College, Merritt Hospital, and Lake Merritt, buried in Oakland
* Virginia Prentiss – nanny to Jack London, midwife and former slave

## Religious leaders

* David A. Bednar – LDS apostle, born in Oakland
* David Berg – controversial cult leader, founder of Children of God
* Yusuf Bey – controversial Black Muslim activist
* Mose Durst – author, educator, former president of the Unification Church
* James Ishmael Ford – Zen Buddhist priest and Unitarian Universalist minister
* Ray Frank – Jewish leader
* Jack Hayford – minister, chancellor, songwriter
* Judah Leon Magnes – prominent Reform rabbi, first president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
* Carol Anne O'Marie – Roman Catholic nun, mystery fiction writer
* Bebe Patten – evangelist and founder of Patten University
* Clarence Richard Silva – Catholic bishop from Oakland, current bishop of Honolulu
* Richard B. Stamps – anthropologist, archeologist, president of the Taipei Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
* Allen Henry Vigneron – Catholic bishop, leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland

## Scientists and inventors

* Dean Burk – medical researcher
* Fernando J. Corbató – computer scientist
* Frederick Cottrell – inventor
* Frank Epperson – popsicle inventor
* Lloyd N. Ferguson – first African American to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley
* Heinz Fraenkel-Conrat – biochemist and virologist; died in Oakland
* Ansel Franklin Hall – first park naturalist for Yosemite National Park, first Chief Forester for the National Park Service
* Richard F. Johnston – ornithologist, academic and author
* Stanley Miller – chemist
* Sten Odenwald – astronomer and author
* Wendell Phillips – archaeologist and oil magnate
* William Shurtleff – researcher, technical writer, bibliographer, historian, and popularizer of soy foods
* Lydia Weld – first woman to get a degree in engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and naval architect in World War II

## Writers and poets

* Daniel Alarcón – writer, currently resides in Oakland
* Catherine Asaro – writer
* Chauncey Bailey – journalist assassinated by an agent of Your Black Muslim Bakery
* Delilah L. Beasley – first African-American columnist to be published in a major newspaper
* Anthony Boucher – writer
* Garrett Caples – poet, writer
* Jon Carroll – columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle
* Frank Chin – writer
* Daniel Clowes – comic book writer, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, currently resides in Oakland
* Robert Duncan – poet
* Sarah Webster Fabio – African-American writer, poet, educator; born in Nashville, lived in Oakland 1955–1979
* Ben Fong-Torres – rock journalist
* Maxine Hong Kingston – writer, currently resides in Oakland
* Richard Lange – Los Angeles-based author, born in Oakland
* Yiyun Li – writer, former creative writing instructor at Mills College
* Jack London – writer, raised in Oakland, namesake of Jack London Square
* Anthony Marra – writer
* Rod McKuen – poet, composer, singer
* Joaquin Miller – poet, lived in Oakland 1886–1913
* Jessica Mitford – author
* Leila Mottley – author and poet
* Jess Mowry – writer
* Colleen Patrick-Goudreau – author, speaker, and podcaster
* Ishmael Reed – writer, currently resides in Oakland
* Mary Roach – science writer, currently resides in Oakland
* William Saroyan – dramatist, author, lived in Oakland 1913–1918
* Jason Shiga – author, cartoonist, puzzle designer
* Alex Steffen – writer, born in Oakland
* Gertrude Stein – writer
* Robert Louis Stevenson – writer
* Tina Susman – journalist, Time senior editor, former national editor of BuzzFeed News
* Amy Tan – writer, born in Oakland
* Jack Vance – science fiction writer
* Nellie Wong – poet and activist, born in Oakland
* Shawn Wong – writer, English professor
* Helen Zia – writer, journalist, and activist, currently resides in Oakland

## Criminals

* Felix Mitchell – notorious drug lord and gang leader of the 1970s and early 1980s
* Hans Reiser – computer programmer, owner of Namesys, convicted of murdering his wife
* Tommy Lynn Sells – murderer and suspected serial killer