This is a list of famous people who were born, spent a majority of their life, or currently live in San Diego, California, USA.

A
 Marcus Allen, professional football player, CBS Sports analyst 
 Concetta Antico, artist

B
 David Bailey, professional motocross racer
 Dr. Charlotte Johnson Baker, San Diego's first practicing woman physician
 Dr. Fred Baker, physician, founder of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography
 Khalif Barnes, professional football player
Joshua Bassett , actor and singer
 Arlene Baxter, model and actress
 Billy Beane, general manager of Oakland Athletics, portrayed by Brad Pitt in Moneyball
 The Bella Twins, WWE Divas and former Divas champions
 Belle Benchley, director of San Diego Zoo
 Annette Bening, actress
 Kurt Benirschke, pathologist and geneticist
 Rolf Benirschke, professional football player
 Doug Benson, professional comedian
 Noah "Wuv" Bernardo, drummer for P.O.D.
 Mayim Bialik, actress
 Tony Bill, actor, director, and Academy Award-winning producer
 Stephen Bishop, musician
 Ron Blair, musician, original bassist of band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
 Hank Blalock, professional baseball player
 Jolene Blalock, actress, Star Trek
 blink-182, rock band
 Kim Bokamper, professional football player
 Bob Boone, MLB catcher
 Tim Bradstreet, artist and illustrator
 Debbie Bramwell-Washington, IFBB professional bodybuilder
 Charles Brandes, investment manager, billionaire
 Madge Bradley, attorney and judge; first woman appointed to San Diego County bench
 Allison Bradshaw, professional tennis player
 Lucille Bremer, actress
 Drew Brees, professional football player, San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints
 Adam Brody, actor, The O.C.
 Bill Brown, music composer
 Victor Buono, actor
 Charles F. Buddy, first bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, University of San Diego founder
 Chase Budinger, professional basketball player
 Ron Burgundy, anchorman (fictional character)
 Bob Burnquist, professional skateboarder
 Eileen Rose Busby, author, antiques expert
 Reggie Bush, professional football player
 Chad Butler, drummer for band Switchfoot
 Darryl Byrd, professional football player

C
 Matt Cameron, drummer of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam
 John Castellanos, stage, film and television actor, film producer
 Donna Campbell, physician and member of the Texas Senate, born in San Diego in 1954
 Charlie Cannon, singer, theater performer and co-founder of Starlight Opera
 Nick Cannon, actor, rapper, occasional TV host
 Francesca Capaldi, actress
 Billy Casper, golfer, Masters and U.S. Open champion
 Mark Cerney, founder of Next of Kin Registry (NOKR)
 Eric Chavez, professional baseball player
 Steve Cherundolo, professional soccer player
 Judy Clarke, criminal defense attorney
 Eric Close, actor
 D. C. Collier, real estate developer, director of the 1915–16 Panama California Exposition
 Aukai Collins, Chechen mujahideen, spent his childhood in Ocean Beach, and part of his early adulthood in City Heights
 Marshall Colt, psychologist and former actor
 Holly Marie Combs, actress
 Dennis Conner, America's Cup yachtsman
 Maureen Connolly, professional tennis player, 1953 tennis Grand Slam champion
 Derrike Cope, NASCAR driver
 Salvatore J. Cordileone, Roman Catholic archbishop
 Jorge Cordova, professional football player
 Alana Cordy-Collins, anthropologist
 William P. Cronan, naval officer and 19th Naval Governor of Guam
 Robbin Crosby, musician
 Rob Crow, musician
 Cameron Crowe, screenwriter, director, and producer
 Andrew Cunanan, spree killer who murdered Gianni Versace

D
 Austin da Luz, professional soccer player
 John D'Acquisto, professional baseball player
 Ted Danson, Emmy Award-winning actor
 Mike Davis, professional baseball player
 Terrell Davis, professional football player
 William Heath Davis, early San Diego developer
 Tom Delonge, singer and musician
 Warren DeMartini, musician
 Amir Derakh, musician
 Cameron Diaz, actress
 Johnny Downs, vaudevillian, dancer, actor, TV personality
 Gerry Driscol, yacht racer and businessperson
 Dinesh D'Souza, author
 Jared Dudley, professional basketball player
 Momčilo Đujić, WW2 Chetnik guerilla commander
 Robert Duvall, Oscar-winning actor

E
 Jason Earles, actor
 Donnie Edwards, professional football player
 Lindsay Ellingson, model
 Joan Embery, animal and environmental advocate
 Hayden Epstein, professional football player
 Gary Erwin, TV personality

F
 Marshall Faulk, professional football player, Hall of Famer
 Raymond E. Feist, author
 Amy Finley, cook, author
 John William Finn, Medal of Honor recipient
 Reuben H. Fleet, aviation pioneer, industrialist, army officer
 Jon Foreman, lead vocalist and guitarist for band Switchfoot
 Tim Foreman, bassist and backing vocalist for band Switchfoot
 Arian Foster, professional football player
 Julie Foudy, professional soccer player
 Dan Fouts, professional football player, TV commentator
 Frankie J, singer
 Ace Frehley, lead guitarist for band KISS
 Mike Fuentes, musician, drummer for band Pierce the Veil
 Vic Fuentes, musician, vocalist and rhythm guitarist for band Pierce the Veil

G
 Diamanda Galás, composer, vocalist, and keyboard artist
 Major Garrett, reporter
 Steve Garvey, professional baseball player, businessman
 Theodor Geisel, children's author (Dr. Seuss)
 Brian Giles, professional baseball player
 Marcus Giles, professional baseball player
 Jared S. Gilmore, child actor 
 Francoise Gilot, painter, author
 Broc Glover, motocross national champion
 La'Roi Glover, professional football player
 Susan Golding, businesswoman, politician
 Adrian Gonzalez, professional baseball player
 Megan Goode, actress
 Edgar Gott, aviation industry executive
 Robert Klark Graham, businessman and eugenicist
 Cecil H. Green, geophysicist, philanthropist
 Harold Greene, television journalist
 Oscar Gutierrez, aka Rey Mysterio, Jr., former WWE wrestler
 Tony Gwynn, professional baseball player, Hall of Famer, coach
 Tony Gwynn Jr., professional baseball player, son of Tony Gwynn

H
 Leon Hall, professional football player
 Cole Hamels, professional baseball player
 Rosie Hamlin, singer
 Aaron Harang, professional baseball player, attended San Diego State
 Charles Mallory Hatfield, rainmaker
 Riley Hawk, professional skateboarder, son of Tony Hawk
 Tony Hawk, professional skateboarder
 Le Ly Hayslip, memoirist and humanitarian
 Roger Hedgecock, mayor and radio personality
 Arthur Hobbs, defensive back for CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 James Eagan Holmes, convicted gunman of  2012 Aurora shooting
 Dennis Hopper, actor and director
 Mark Hoppus, singer and musician
 Alonzo Horton, early San Diego developer, created "New Town San Diego", later Downtown
 James Oliver Huberty, perpetrator of San Ysidro McDonald's Massacre
 Kimberly Hunt, news anchor
 Joe Hutshing, film editor

I
 Gabriel Iglesias, stand-up comedian
 Christofer Drew Ingle, musician
 Doug Ingle, founder of band Iron Butterfly, primary creator of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, first platinum record

JANO,Prince of death 
 JabbaWockeeZ, dance crew
 Prince Michael ″Blanket″ Jackson, youngest son of Michael Jackson
 Father Luís Jayme, California's first Christian martyr
 Jayo Felony, rapper
 Kris Jenner, television personality
 Johnny Jeter, professional wrestler
 Deron Johnson, professional baseball player
 Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR driver, six-time champion
 Katrina Johnson, actress
 Adam Jones, professional baseball player
 Dhani Jones, professional football player
 Jacque Jones, professional baseball player
 Lonnie Jordan, musician, War

K
 Kendrick Bangs Kellogg (born 1934), architect
 Sean Kelly, the auctioneer on Tru TV's Storage Hunters
 Dan Kemp, actor
 Kerri Kendall, model
 David Kennedy, musician
 Jewel Kilcher, singer
 Tawny Kitaen, model and actress
 Laurence Monroe Klauber, herpetologist
 Ken Kocher, professional football player
 Raph Koster, author and game designer
 Joan Kroc, philanthropist
 Ray Kroc, founder of the McDonald's corporation, owned San Diego Padres
 Alice K. Kurashige, first Japanese-American woman to be commissioned in US Marine Corps

L
 Frankie Laine, singer and actor
 Adam Lambert, runner-up on American Idol
 Tim Lambesis, vocalist for the band As I Lay Dying
 Fabio Lanzoni, model
 Bob Larsen, track and field coach, Olympic coach
 Don Larsen, professional baseball player
 Bucky Lasek, professional skateboarder
 Tammy Lauren, actress
 Bessie Learn, silent film actress
 Bobby Lee, MadTV actor and comedian
 David Leisure, "Joe Isuzu," character actor and comedian
 Jeanne Lenhart, senior Olympian, senior pageant winner, performing arts teacher
 Lil Rob, Chicano rapper
 Art Linkletter, television personality
 Cleavon Little, actor, Blazing Saddles
 Gene Littler, professional golfer in World Golf Hall of Fame
 Harold Lloyd, silent film actor
 Mario López, actor and television personality
 Greg Louganis, Olympic gold-medalist diver
 Moses A. Luce, lawyer and businessman, Medal of Honor recipient
 Faizon Love, actor

M
 John Macaulay, NFL player
 Rob Machado, professional surfer
 Doug Manchester, real estate developer, owner of the San Diego Union Tribune
 Gloria Marks, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
 Ross Martin, actor, The Wild Wild West
 Michael Martinez, drummer of Allstar Weekend
 Clay Marzo, professional surfer
 James Maslow, actor, singer from boy band Big Time Rush
 Victor Mature, actor, Kiss of Death
 Bill McColl, NFL player and surgeon
 William C. McCool, astronaut
 Tug McGraw, professional baseball player, father of country singer Tim McGraw
 Danica McKellar, "Winnie Cooper" actress
 Michael Medved, radio host, polital commentator, film critic
 Dan Melville, American football player
 Bob Mendoza, professional baseball player, coach, San Diego Hall of Champions inductee
 Cordelia Mendoza, antiques expert, businesswoman, author
 Shep Meyers, musician
 Phil Mickelson, professional golfer, Masters and British Open champion
 Martin Milner, actor, Adam-12
 Kevin Mitchell, professional baseball player
 Silas Weir Mitchell, actor
 Matthew Modine, actor, Full Metal Jacket, The Dark Knight Rises
 John J. Montgomery, pioneer aviator
 Archie Moore, professional boxer
 Alex Morgan, professional soccer player, US Women's National Team
 Jason Mraz, singer
 Chad Muska, professional skateboarder

N 
 Dally Laamt, health professional
 Kathy Najimy, actress
 Stephen Neal, professional football player
 Andrew Newmark, activist, musician
 Walter R. Nickel, M.D., dermatologist and dermatopathologist
 Kent Ninomiya, journalist
 Craig Noel, theatre producer
 Matt Nokes, professional baseball player

O 
 Ellen Ochoa, NASA astronaut
 Raymond Ochoa, actor
 Ryan Ochoa, actor
 Jeff Olson, tried and acquitted on 13 counts of vandalism
 Ronan O'Gara, professional rugby player
 Heather O'Rourke, actress, Poltergeist

P 
Carson Palmer, professional football player, Heisman Trophy winner
Chuck Palumbo, professional wrestler
Adam Pearce, professional wrestler
Stephen Pearcy, musician
Justin Pearson, musician
Everett Peck, cartoonist, illustrator, animator and creator of Duckman and Squirrel Boy
Gregory Peck, Oscar-winning actor
Clarence M. Pendleton, Jr., chairman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights from 1981 until his death in 1988; Model Cities Program director in San Diego, 1972 to 1975; director of the San Diego chapter of the National Urban League, 1975 to 1981; resident of San Diego at the time of his death
Bob Penuelas, cartoonist
Tony Perry, lead guitarist for band Pierce the Veil
Scott Peterson, convicted murderer
Craig Peyer, convicted murderer
Dat Phan, comedian
Regis Philbin, television personality
Steve Poltz, singer-songwriter and guitarist
Zach Porter, singer of Allstar Weekend
Jaime Preciado, bass player and vocalist for band Pierce the Veil
Jenna Presley, actress
Ben Press, tennis professional and coach
Gary Puckett, musician and singer
Sarah Purcell, television personality

R 
 Sara Ramirez, actress and singer
 Scott Raynor, musician
 Autumn Reeser, actress
 Steve Reeves,  actor, body builder, author
 Richard Requa, architect
 Roger Revelle, oceanographer, founder of UCSD
 Sally Ride, astronaut
 Dave Roberts, professional baseball player
 Cliff Robertson, Oscar-winning actor
 Alfred D. Robinson and Marion James Robinson, builders of Rosecroft
 Aaron Rodgers, professional football player
 Tony Romo, professional football player
 Kristina Rose, pornographic actress
 Louis Rose, developer
 Seraphim Rose, hieromonk
 Marion Ross, actress, Happy Days
 Neil Ross, voice actor
 Patrick Rowe, NFL player
 Ilan Rubin, musician
 Ralph Rubio, businessman and restaurant chain owner
 RuPaul, performer, television personality
 Betsy Russell, actress, Saw
 Jason Russell, film director

S
 Rashaan Salaam, professional football player, Heisman Trophy winner
 Jonas Salk, physician and researcher
 Jessica Sanchez, American Idol contestant
 Shauna Sand, Playboy model, "Playmate of the Month" for May 1996
 Sonny Sandoval, musician
 Cathy Scott, journalist and true-crime author
 J. Michael Scott, senior scientist, environmentalist and author
 Junior Seau, professional football player
 Kate Sessions, horticulturalist, "the mother of Balboa Park"
 Stephanie Seymour, model
 Alana Shipp, American/Israeli IFBB professional bodybuilder
 Mary Sinclair, actress
 Andy Skib, musician
 Mitchy Slick, musician
 Alex Smith, professional football player
 Marty Smith, motocross national champion
 Carly Smithson, singer
 Suzy Spafford, artist
 Brenda Spencer, convicted murderer
 John D. Spreckels, businessman and industrialist
 Michael Stamm, Olympic swimmer, national champion
 Scott Stantis, editorial cartoonist
 Riley Steele, pornographic actress
 Jeremy Stenberg, professional motorcross rider
 Kenny Stills jr., NFL Football player
 J. J. Stokes, professional football player
 Milburn Stone, actor, Gunsmoke
 Frederick W. Sturckow, astronaut
 Savannah Sturges, Top 10 finalist on MasterChef Season 4
 Karen Hantze Susman, tennis player

T 
 Brian Teacher, tennis player, Australian Open singles champion
 Jonathan Temple (1796–1866), landowner, rancher and politician
 Jamie Thomas, professional skateboarder
 Joanna Thomas, IFBB professional bodybuilder
 Susanna Thompson, actress
 Katherine Tingley, creator of Theosophical Society compound at Lomaland
 Robert Titzer, writer known for Your baby can read! infant learning book
 Ted Tollner, professional football coach
 Jerry Trainor, actor
 Alan Trammell, professional baseball player and manager
 Marty Tripes, winner of first Super Bowl of motocross
 Bitsie Tulloch, actress
 Jeremy Tyler, professional basketball player

V
 Peter Valdes, technopreneur, Tivoli software co-founder
 W.S. Van Dyke, film director
 Tiffany van Soest, kickboxer
 Eddie Vedder, singer in rock band Pearl Jam
 Juli Veee, soccer player
 Craig Venter, biologist, entrepreneur
 Victor Villaseñor, author
 Erik von Detten, actor

W
 Tom Waits, singer-songwriter, composer and actor
 Bill Walton, professional basketball player, TV commentator
 Luke Walton, professional basketball player
 Kelly Ward, actor
 Danny Way, professional skateboarder
 Harry M. Wegeforth, physician, founder of the San Diego Zoo
 Raquel Welch, Golden Globe Award-winning actress
 David Wells, professional baseball player
 Julie White, Tony Award-winning actress
 Shaun White, professional skateboader and snowboarder, Olympic gold medalist
 Kendra Wilkinson, model and television personality
 Carol Williams, concert organist, composer
 Michelle Williams, actress
 Nathan Williams, musician
 Ricky Williams, professional football player, Heisman Trophy winner
 Ted Williams, professional baseball player, Hall of Famer
 Ann Wilson, musician
 Jim Wilson, professional baseball pitcher and general manager
 Pete Wilson, mayor of San Diego, governor of California and U.S. Senator
 Scott Wilson, professional bodybuilder
 Kellen Winslow, professional football player
 Kellen Winslow II, professional football player
 Cassidy Wolf, Miss Teen USA
 Mickey Wright, LPGA golfer, World Golf Hall of Famer
 Robin Wright, Golden Globe Award-winning actress
 Marvell Wynne II, professional soccer player

Z
 Frank Zappa, musician
 Valerie Ziegenfuss, professional tennis player
 Sal Zizzo, professional soccer player

Footnotes 

San Diego