List of people from New York

The following is a list of prominent people who were born in the U.S. state of New York, lived in New York, or for whom New York is a significant part of their identity.

Public office

Presidents
Martin Van Buren (1782–1862), 8th President of the United States
Millard Fillmore (1800–1874), 13th President of the United States
Chester A. Arthur (1829–1886), 21st President of the United States
Grover Cleveland  (1837–1908), 22nd and 24th President of the United States
Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), 25th Vice President and 26th President of the United States
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1883–1945), 32nd President of the United States
Donald J. Trump (born 1946), 45th President of the United States

Vice presidents

Aaron Burr
George Clinton
Schuyler Colfax
Nelson Rockefeller
William A. Wheeler

Other
Parmenio Adams, sheriff and United States Congressman
Shirley Chisholm, Congresswoman and 1972 Democratic presidential candidate
Dewitt Clinton, governor, built the Erie Canal
Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State; former U.S. Senator; former First Lady; 2008 Democratic presidential candidate
J. J. Dewey (died 1891), territorial legislator in Minnesota
William H. Donaldson (born 1931), 27th Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
William Loeb, Jr., secretary to President Theodore Roosevelt
Chuck Schumer, United States Senator
Éamon de Valera, Prime Minister of Ireland

Entertainment

Film, theater, dance, and modeling

Woody Allen (born 1935), actor, director and writer
June Allyson (1917–2006), actress
Diane Arbus (1923–1971), photographer
Alan Arkin (born 1934), actor
Alison Arngrim (born 1962), actress, comedian
Jean Arthur (1900–1991), actress
Lauren Bacall (1924–2014), actress
Lucille Ball (1911–1989), comedian, actress
Anne Bancroft (1931–2005), actress
Joseph Barbera (1911–2006), animator, producer, director
Mikhail Baryshnikov (born 1948), ballet dancer
Frances Bavier (1902–1989), actor
Barbara Bel Geddes (1922–2005), actress
William Bendix (1906–1964), actor
Constance Bennett (1904–1965), actress
Yasmine Bleeth (born 1968), actress
Joan Blondell (1906–1979), actress
Ann Blyth (born 1928), actress
Humphrey Bogart (1899–1957), actor
Shirley Booth (1898–1992), actress
Clara Bow (1905–1965), actress
Abigail Breslin (born 1996), actress
Adrien Brody (born 1973), actor
Mel Brooks (born 1926), actor, producer, director
James Caan (born 1940), actor
James Cagney (1899–1986), actor
Jeff Chandler (1918–1961), actor
Ruth Chatterton (1892–1961), actress
Claudette Colbert (1903–1996), actress
Billy Crudup (born 1968), actor
Tom Cruise (born 1962), actor
Tony Curtis (1925–2010), actor
Claire Danes (born 1979), actor
Marion Davies (1897–1961), actress
Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925–1990), actor, singer
Agnes de Mille (1905–1993), dancer, choreographer
Robert De Niro (born 1943), actor
Willy DeVille (1950–2009), singer
Matt Dillon (born 1964), actor
Kirk Douglas (born 1916), actor
Fran Drescher (born 1957), actress
Jimmy Durante (1893–1980), entertainer, actor, singer, comedian
Peter Falk (1927–2011), actor
Alice Faye (1915–1998), actress
Jane Fonda (born 1937), actress
John Garfield (1913–1952), actor
Ben Gazzara (1930–2012), actor
Sarah Michelle Gellar (born 1977), actress
Richard Genelle (1961–2008), actor 
Jackie Gleason (1916–1987), actor
Paulette Goddard (1910–1990), actress
Elliott Gould (born 1938), actor
Jennifer Grey (born 1960), actress
A. R. Gurney (born 1930), playwright
Anne Hathaway (born 1982), actress
Susan Hayward (1917–1975), actress
Rita Hayworth (1918–1987), actress
Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967–2014), actor
Judy Holliday (1921–1965), actress
Ruben Santiago-Hudson (born 1956), actor and playwright
Rick Jason (1923–2000), actor
Scarlett Johansson (born 1984), actress
Danny Kaye (1911–1987), actor, singer
Jack Kelly (1927–1992), actor, born in Astoria, Queens
Ricki Lake (born 1968), actress, talk-show host
Veronica Lake (1922–1973), actress
Burt Lancaster (1913–1994), actor
Michael Landon (1936–1991), actor
Lindsay Lohan (born 1986), actress
Kristanna Loken (born 1979), actress
Steele MacKaye (1842–1894), playwright, actor
Lee Marvin (1924–1987), actor
James Maslow (born 1990), actor, singer, dancer
Walter Matthau (1920–2000), actor
Eaddy Mays, actress
Ethel Merman (1908–1984), actor, singer
Arthur Miller (1915–2005), playwright
Lea Michele (born 1986), actress, singer 
Robert Montgomery (1904–1981), actor
Dylan O'Brien (born 1991), actor
Eugene O'Neill (1888–1953), playwright
Corey Parker (born 1965), actor
George A. Parkhurst (1841–1890), actor
Anthony Perkins (1932–1992), actor
Bill Pullman (born 1953), actor
George Raft (1895–1980), actor
Christopher Reeve (1952–2004), actor
Leah Remini (born 1970), actress
Thelma Ritter (1902–1969), actress
Tanya Roberts (1955–2021), actress, model
Ray Romano (born 1957), actor, comedian
Mickey Rooney (1920–2014), actor
Martin Scorsese (born 1942), director
George Segal (born 1934), actor
Matthew Senreich (born 1974), screenwriter
Sylvia Sidney (1910–1999), actress
Barbara Stanwyck (1907–1990), actor
Rod Steiger (1925–2002), actor
Oliver Stone (born 1946), director
Beatrice Straight (1914–2001), actress
Benj Thall (born 1978), actor
Gene Tierney (1920–1991), actress
Claire Trevor (1910–2000), actress
Tuesday Weld (born 1943), actress
Mae West (1893–1980), actor
Olivia Wilde (born 1984), actress
Lanford Wilson (1937–2011), playwright

Comedians and humorists

Woody Allen (born 1935), comedian, screenwriter, director, actor, author, playwright, musician
Lucille Ball (1911–1989), comedian, actress
George Carlin (1937–2008), comedian, actor
Jimmy Fallon (born 1974), comedian, actor, host of The Tonight Show
Jay Leno (born 1950), comedian, host of The Tonight Show
Demetri Martin (born 1973), comedian
Chico Marx (1887–1961), vaudeville comedian, with the Marx Brothers
Groucho Marx (1890–1977), vaudeville comedian, with the Marx Brothers
Gummo Marx (1892–1977), vudeville comedian, with the Marx Brothers
Harpo Marx (1888–1964), vaudeville comedian, with the Marx Brothers
Zeppo Marx (1901–1979), vaudeville comedian, with the Marx Brothers
Rosie O'Donnell (born 1962), comedian, actress, television personality
Chris Rock (born 1965), comedian, actor
Jerry Seinfeld (born 1954), comedian, actor
John Valby (born 1944), comedian, musician

Music

Aaliyah (1979–2001), Singer, actress, model, dancer 
Vinnie Amico, drummer
Fiona Apple (born 1977), singer
Harold Arlen (1905–1986), composer
Christina Aguilera (born 1980), singer, songwriter, actress
Adrienne Bailon(born 1983), singer
David Baker, singer
Chris Barnes, musician
Count Basie (1904–1984), jazz musician
Jay Beckenstein (born 1951), saxophonist
Pat Benatar (born 1953), singer
Mary J. Blige (born 1971), singer, songwriter, actress
Laura Branigan (1952–2004), singer
Keith Buckley (born 1979), musician
Maria Callas (1923–1977), opera singer
Mariah Carey  (born 1970), pop and R&B singer and songwriter
Peter Case (born 1954), singer-songwriter
Peter Cincotti (born 1983), singer, songwriter, pianist
Coko (born 1973), singer (SWV)
John Coltrane (1926–1967), jazz musician
Aaron Copland (1900–1990), composer
Warren Cuccurullo (born 1956), rock guitarist
Vic Dana (born 1942), singer
Blossom Dearie (1924–2009), jazz singer and pianist
Lana Del Rey (born 1986), singer, songwriter
Rob Derhak (born 1968), bass guitarist
Lance Diamond, singer
Neil Diamond (born 1941), singer, songwriter
Ani DiFranco (born 1970), singer-songwriter
Jonathan Donahue (born 1966), rock musician
JoAnn Falletta (born 1954), classical guitarist, orchestral conductor
Morton Feldman (1926–1987), composer
Ella Fitzgerald (1918–1996), singer
John Flansburgh (born 1960), singer-songwriter
Lukas Foss (1922–2009), composer, orchestral conductor
Dave Fridmann, producer
Chuck Garvey, guitarist
George Gershwin (1898–1937), composer
Kim Gordon (born 1953), bass guitarist, guitarist, singer, songwriter, visual artist (Sonic Youth)
Grasshopper (born 1967), born Sean Mackowiak, rock musician
Joel Hirschhorn (1938–2005), songwriter
Billie Holiday (1915–1959), jazz and blues singer
Jim Hall (born 1930), jazz guitarist
Alan Heatherington (born 1945), orchestral conductor
Ray Henderson (1897–1970), songwriter
Lady Gaga (born 1986), born Stefani Germanotta, singer and songwriter
Lena Horne (1917–2010), singer, actress
Freddie Jackson (born 1956), singer
Rick James (1948–2004), singer
Billy Joel (born 1949), pianist, singer and songwriter
Jerome Kern (1885–1945), composer
Alicia Keys (born 1981), singer-songwriter
Carole King (born 1942), singer-songwriter
Cyndi Lauper (born 1953), singer
Mel Lewis (1929–1990), drummer
John Linnell (born 1959), singer-songwriter
Joe Locke (born 1959), jazz artist
John Lombardo (born 1952), musician, songwriter
Jennifer Lopez (born 1969), singer, actress, dancer
David Lucas (born 1937), composer
Gary Mallaber (born 1946), drummer
Constantine Maroulis (born 1975), singer
Brian McKnight (born 1969), R&B singer
Don Menza (born 1936), saxophonist
Natalie Merchant(1962?-),singer-songwriter
Stephanie Mills (born 1957), singer
Gurf Morlix, musician
Josh Newton (born 1973), bassist
Willie Nile (born 1948), singer-songwriter
Laura Nyro (1947–1997), singer-songwriter
Jack Owen (born 1967), guitarist (Cannibal Corpse)
Tina Parol, singer-songwriter
Joey Ramone (1952–2001), singer, songwriter (Ramones)
Mary Ramsey (born 1963), musician
Sharon Redd (1945–1992), singer
Lou Reed (born 1942), singer, songwriter, guitarist
Neil Rosenshein (born 1947), operatic singer, lyric tenor
Jason Sebastian Russo (born 1973), rock musician
Justin Russo (born 1976), rock musician
John Rzeznik (born 1965), musician (Goo Goo Dolls)
Adam Schlesinger (born 1967), musician (Fountains of Wayne), songwriter, producer, arranger
Al Schnier (born 1968), guitarist
Billy Sheehan (born 1953), bass guitarist
Paul Simon (born 1941), singer-songwriter, guitarist
Lonnie Smith (born 1942), jazz organist
Ronnie Spector (born 1943), singer (The Ronettes)
John Stevens (born 1987), singer
Stevie J. (born Steve Jordan), musician
Barbra Streisand (born 1942), singer, actress
Stan Szelest (1943–1991), musician
Robby Takac (born 1964), musician (Goo Goo Dolls)
George Tutuska, musician (Goo Goo Dolls, Jackdaw)
Luther Vandross (1951–2005), singer
Jeremy Wall, jazz musician
Luke Walter Jr. (1947–1996), Belgian musician
Grover Washington, Jr. (1943–1999), saxophonist
Alex Webster (born 1969), bassist (Cannibal Corpse)
Mary Weiss (born 1948), singer (The Shangri-Las)
Cory Wells (born 1942), singer
Patrick Wilson (born 1969), drummer
Jack Yellen (1892–1991), lyricist, composer

Rappers

50 Cent
KRS-One
Jay Z
LL Cool J
Mos Def
Nas
The Notorious B.I.G.
Rakim
Run DMC
Lil' Kim
Beastie Boys
Nicki Minaj
Juelz Santana
Jim Jones
Cam'ron
ASAP Rocky
Busta Rhymes
Big L
Mobb Deep
Wu-Tang Clan
2Pac
Sean Combs
Onyx
A Tribe Called Quest

Business

John Jacob Astor, fur trader, company founder
Nicholas F. Brady, former CEO of Dillon Read; 68th United States Secretary of the Treasury
C. Douglas Dillon, former CEO of Dillon Read; US Ambassador to France (1953–1957); 57th United States Secretary of the Treasury
George Eastman (1854–1932), founder of Eastman Kodak
Joseph Ellicott (1760–1826), surveyor and city planner
William G. Fargo (1818–1881), co-founder  of American Express Company and Wells Fargo; mayor of Buffalo
Debra Fox, founder of Fox Learning Systems
E.H. Harriman, errand boy, broker, railroader
George A. Hormel (1860–1946), founder of Hormel
Jeremy Jacobs (born 1940), owner of Delaware North and the Boston Bruins
John J. Kennedy (1857–1914), financier, 45th New York State Treasurer
Seymour H. Knox I (1861–1915), businessman, co-founder of F. W. Woolworth Company
Seymour H. Knox II (1898–1990), former director of Marine Midland Bank; philanthropist
Jon L. Luther, food service executive
Sherman J. Maisel (1918–2010), economist
Jeremiah Milbank, banker, co-founder of Borden Milk Co., 1857
J.P. Morgan, banker, co-founder of J.P. Morgan & Co.
Jacquelyn Ottman, marketing consultant
Henry Paulson, former CEO of Goldman Sachs; United States Secretary of the Treasury
Joseph R. Perella, financier
Pat Powers (1870–1948), movie producer
Donald Regan, former CEO of Merrill Lynch; 66th United States Secretary of the Treasury
Robert E. Rich, Sr. (1913–2006), inventor, foodservice executive
John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937), founder of Standard Oil, philanthropist
Robert Rubin, former CEO of Goldman Sachs; 70th United States Secretary of the Treasury
Scott Rudin, movie producer
Jacob Schiff, Wall Street executive, banker
Edward Selzer (1893–1970), movie producer
Ellsworth Milton Statler (1863–1928), hotelier
Jill Stuart, fashion designer
Donald Trump (born 1946), entrepreneur
Cornelius Vanderbilt, ferry and tugboat captain; company founder; railroader
Sanford Weill, former CEO of Citigroup
Henry Wells (1805–1878), businessman
John G. Wickser (1858–1928), businessman; New York State Treasurer (1903–1904)
Bob Weinstein, movie producer, co-founder of Miramax Films
Harvey Weinstein, movie producer, co-founder of Miramax Films
Robert G. Wilmers (born 1935), CEO of M&T Bank
Christopher Woodrow, movie producer

Art, literature, journalism, and philosophy

Samuel Hopkins Adams, muckraker, born in Dunkirk
Scott Adams (born 1957), cartoonist, creator of Dilbert
Susan B. Anthony, women's rights activist
Cory Arcangel (born 1978), artist
William Bliss Baker (1859–1886), landscape painter
Lauren Belfer, author
J. Bowyer Bell (1931–2003), historian, artist and art critic
Timothy D. Bellavia (born 1971), artist and illustrator
Louise Blanchard Bethune (1856–1913), architect
Wolf Blitzer (born 1948), CNN journalist, host of The Situation Room
Lawrence Block (born 1938), author
Howard Bloom (born 1943), author
Joseph Brodsky (1940–1996), Russian-American poet
Dale Brown (born 1956), author
Gordon Bunshaft (1909–1990), architect
Charles E. Burchfield (1893–1967), artist
Charles Clough (born 1951), artist
Burton Crane (1901–1963), journalist
Robert Creeley (1926–2005), poet
Jasper Francis Cropsey (1823–1900), artist
Arthur B. Davies (1863–1928), artist
Don DeLillo (born 1936), author
Melvil Dewey (1851–1931), originator of Dewey Decimal System
Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune advice columnist, from Freeville
Amanda Minnie Douglas (1831–1916), writer
Frederick Douglass (1818–1895), editor and publisher of abolitionist newspapers such as The North Star
Arthur Dove (1880–1946), artist
Philip Evergood (1901–1973), artist
Leslie Fiedler (1917–2003), literary critic
Steve Fiorilla (1961–2009), artist
Ira Joe Fisher, author and weatherman, who was born and raised in Little Valley
F. Scott Fitzgerald, author, raised in Buffalo
Helen Frankenthaler (born 1928), artist
Kelly Freas (1922–2005), artist
Anna Katharine Green (1846–1935), author
E.B. Green (1855–1950), architect
Terry Gross (born 1951), radio host, Fresh Air
Alfred Harvey (1913–1994), writer and publisher, founder of Harvey Comics
Richard Hofstadter (1916–1970), author and philosopher
Paul Horgan (1903–1995), author
Roni Horn (born 1955), artist
Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915), philosopher and writer
Idil Ibrahim, director
Washington Irving (1783–1859), author, Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Henry James (1843–1916), author
William James (1842–1910), philosopher
James A. Johnson (1865–1939), architect
Ellsworth Kelly (born 1923), artist
John Kessel (born 1950), author
Verlyn Klinkenborg, member of New York Times editorial board; writer and farmer
Nancy Kress (born 1948), author
Matt Lauer (born 1957), anchor of The Today Show
Zoe Leonard (born 1961), photographer and visual artist
Robert Longo (born 1953), artist
Mabel Dodge Luhan (1879–1962), writer and patron
Norman Mailer (1923–2007), author
Francis Mallison, journalist, helped organize the Great Civil War Gold Hoax; from Rome
Brice Marden (born 1938), artist
Herman Melville (1819–1891), author of Moby-Dick
Ogden Nash (1902–1971), poet
Joyce Carol Oates (born 1938), author
William Ordway Partridge (1861–1930), sculptor 
Tim Powers (born 1952), author
Thomas Pynchon (born 1937), author
Ishmael Reed (born 1938), poet
John Reed (born 1969), author, Snowball's Chance
Seymour Reit (1918–2001), writer and cartoonist
Norman Rockwell (1894–1978), painter
Spain Rodriguez (born 1940), cartoonist
Milton Rogovin (1909–2011), photographer
Charles Rohlfs (1853–1936, craftsman
Tim Russert (1950–2008), host of NBC's Meet the Press
David Sedaris (born 1956), humorist and author
Tony Sisti (1901–1983), painter
Eugene Speicher (1883–1962), painter
Fran Striker (1903–1962), creator of the Lone Ranger and Green Hornet
Elizabeth Swados (born 1951), author
Dorothy Thompson, born in Lancaster
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933), artist
Tom Toles (born 1951), cartoonist
Israel Tsvaygenbaum (born 1961), Russian-American artist
Mark Twain (1835–1910), author
Andrew Vachss (born 1942), author, activist, and lawyer
Richard A. Waite (1848–1911), architect
J. Alden Weir (1852–1919), painter
Edith Wharton (1862–1937), author
Walt Whitman (1819–1892), poet
Brian Williams (born 1959), anchor of NBC Nightly News
John Zogby, pollster and blogger from Utica

Science and medicine
Richard Axel (born 1946), scientist, Nobel prize winner
Gertrude B. Elion (1918–1999), biochemist, pharmacologist, Nobel prize winner
Richard P. Feynman (1918–1988), physicist, Nobel prize winner
Carl Sagan (1934–1996), astronomer
Jonas Salk (1914–1995), scientist, developed first polio vaccine

Athletics

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born 1947), NBA player
Lisa Aukland (born 1957), professional bodybuilder and powerlifter
Moe Berg (1902–72), Major League Baseball baseball player, and spy (New York City)
Sue Bird (born 1980), Women's National Basketball Association point guard; two-time Olympic champion; four-time All-Star (Seattle Storm) (Syosset)
Andrulla Blanchette (born 1966), British professional bodybuilder
Andy Bloom (born 1973), Olympic shot putter
Laura Creavalle (born 1959), Guyanese-born Canadian/American professional bodybuilder
Lisa Cross (born 1978), British professional bodybuilder
Al "Bummy" Davis (1920–45), professional boxer (Brooklyn)
Shay Doron (born 1985), professional basketball player
Tommy Dreamer (born 1971), professional wrestler (Yonkers)
Julius Erving (born 1950), NBA player
Mick Foley (born 1965), professional wrestler and author
Whitey Ford, baseball player
Heather Foster (born 1966), Jamaica-born American professional bodybuilder
Bev Francis (born 1955), Australian professional bodybuilder, powerlifter, and national shot put champion
John Franco, baseball player
Lou Gehrig (1903–1941), Baseball Hall of Famer
Sid Gordon (1917–75), two-time All Star major league baseball player
Hank Greenberg (1911–1986), Baseball Hall of Famer (Greenwich Village)
Jon Jones (born 1987), UFC champion
Seymour H. Knox III (1926–1996), co-founder of the Buffalo Sabres
Sandy Koufax (born 1935), Baseball Hall of Famer
Scott Lipsky (born 1981), tennis player
Boyd Melson, boxer
Joe Nathan (born 1974), baseball player, Minnesota Twins; born in Pine Bush)
Colette Nelson (born 1974), professional bodybuilder
Eric Nystrom (born 1983), NHL player
Beth Phoenix (born 1980), professional wrestler (born in Elmira, New York)
A. J. Pierzynski (born 1976), baseball player (Chicago White Sox) (born in Bridgehampton)
Lipman Pike (1845–93), Major League Baseball baseball player, 4x home run champion (New York City)
Alex Rodriguez (born 1975), MLB player
Alana Shipp (born 1982), Barbadian-born Israeli/American professional bodybuilder
Carl Yastrzemski (born 1939), Baseball Hall of Famer

Infamous New Yorkers
David Berkowitz (born 1953), serial killer "Son of Sam"
Robert Garrow (1936–1978), spree killer
Eric Harris (1981–1999), Columbine High School massacre co-perpetrator
Timothy McVeigh (1968–2001), convicted terrorist responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing
Theodore Rinaldo (1944–2000), convicted child sex offender
Jimmy Walker (1881–1946), NYC mayor forced into resigning by the Seabury Commission
Shirley Winters (born 1948), convicted arsonist and accused serial killer

Lawyers and jurists

Kumiki Gibson
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
John Jay (1745–1829), first Chief Justice of the United States
Elena Kagan
John G. Roberts
Antonin Scalia
Sonia Sotomayor

Religious leaders
Avraham Qanai, leader of one of the first Karaite Jewish congregations in the United States
Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Other
Lina Beecher (1841–1915), roller coaster designer and inventor
Grace Brown (1886–1906, murder victim)
Mary Therese Friel (born 1960), Miss USA 1979, model, businesswoman
Wilson Greatbatch (1919–2011), inventor
Harry Houdini (1874–1926), magician
Kimberly Pressler (born 1977), Miss USA 1999
Margaret Sanger (1879–1966), activist
Frances Shimer (1826–1901), founder of Shimer College
Richard Stallman (born 1953), programmer of Emacs, founder of GNU
Josephine Terranova (1889–1981), criminal defendant

References

New York
people