List of people from San Jose, California

This is a list of notable people from San Jose, California. It includes people who were born/raised in, lived in, or spent portions of their lives in San Jose, or for whom San Jose is a significant part of their identity, as well as music groups founded in San Jose. This list is in alphabetical order by surname.

Actors and entertainment industry

 * Elisa Marina Alvarado, Chicana director, actress, educator, born in San Jose
 * Frank Bacon, actor, playwright and father of Lloyd Bacon, raised in San Jose and lived there for 17 years
 * Lloyd Bacon, Hollywood director, son of actor Frank Bacon, born in San Jose
 * Adrienne Barbeau, actress, attended Del Mar High School class of 1963
 * Calum Best, British television personality, son of footballer George Best, born in San Jose
 * Brett Dalton, actor, born in San Jose
 * Vernon Dent, comedy actor in numerous Three Stooges shorts, born in San Jose
 * Rosanna DeSoto, actress, born in San Jose
 * Dustin Diamond, child actor, known as Screech from Saved By The Bell, born in San Jose
 * Ricco Fajardo, voice actor in Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School and various anime, TV actor, born in San Jose
 * Renée Elise Goldsberry, actress, known for originating the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway musical Hamilton, born in San Jose
 * Michael Gough, voice actor, born in San Jose
 * Farley Granger, actor, best known for Strangers on a Train, born in San Jose
 * Nick Groff, paranormal investigator and television personality, born in San Jose
 * Krazy George Henderson, cheerleader, inventor of "The Wave", sports entertainment
 * Josh Holloway, actor, Lost, born in San Jose
 * Gabriela Sepúlveda, singer and actress, Jenni Rivera: Mariposa De Barrio, born in San Jose
 * Fran Jeffries, singer and actress, born in Palo Alto
 * Anjelah Johnson, comedian, born in San Jose
 * Neil Kaplan, voice actor, attended elementary through high school in San Jose
 * Jeannie Mai, TV personality, talk show host, fashion expert, makeup artist, born in San Jose
 * Peverell Marley, Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-winning cinematographer, born in San Jose
 * Charles Martinet, actor and voice actor, best known for providing the voice of Nintendo's Mario, born in San Jose
 * Candi Milo, voice actress, born in San Jose
 * Linda Park, actress, originally from Seoul, South Korea and raised in San Jose
 * Miguel Perez, actor, born in San Jose
 * Kurtwood Smith, actor, That '70s Show
 * Smothers Brothers, musical comedy duo and actors
 * Ernie Reyes Jr., actor and martial artist, born in San Jose
 * Diane Rodriguez, theatre director, actor, writer, born in San Jose
 * Dave Tatsuno, Japanese-American internment camp resident who made amateur film Topaz, about camp life
 * Kathy Uyen, actress and producer for Vietnamese cinema, born in San Jose
 * Kate Walsh, actress, born in San Jose
 * Luis Valdez, playwright and director
 * Kung Fu Vampire, musician, also on the Discovery Channel's "Oddities", born in San Jose
 * Akhil Akkineni, Indian-American actor who predominantly works in Telugu film Industry of India.

Comics and zines

 * Brent Anderson, comic artist with DC Comics, born in San Jose
 * Jan Eliot, comic artist of Stone Soup, born in San Jose
 * Julia Kaye, comic artist of Up and Out, illustrator, raised in San Jose
 * Jhonen Vasquez, creator of alternative comics for Slave Labor Graphics and Invader ZIM, born in San Jose

Mixed media

 * Susan O'Malley (artist), public art, museum curation, and author, raised in San Jose.

Painters

 * Lucy Bacon, Impressionist painter lived in San Jose from 1898 until 1909, taught at the Washburn Preparatory School.
 * James Caprell, fine artist, born in San Jose
 * Ernest de Saisset, portrait artist.
 * Chris Johanson, fine artist part of the Mission School art movement, born in San Jose
 * Bill Koeb, illustrator and painter, also comics, known for his illustrative work for Clive Barker's Hellraiser series
 * Suzanne Scheuer, painter known for her New Deal-era murals, born in San Jose
 * Herman Volz, fine artist that worked with the Federal Art Project, lived in San Jose from 1960 to 1990, died in San Jose

Photographers

 * Bill Owens, photographer and photojournalist documenting suburbia, born in San Jose
 * Alfred T. Palmer, photographer of Americana during World War II, born in San Jose

Sculptors

 * Ruthadell Anderson, sculptor, fiber artist, textile artist; born in San Jose and attended San Jose State University.
 * Therese May, fine art quilting, lived in San Jose

Athletes

 * Yorgo Alexandrou, Olympic bobsledder for Armenia (two-man bobsleigh, 2002 Salt Lake City), born and raised in San Jose
 * Chidobe Awuzie NFL player, born in San Jose
 * Scott Baker, Major League Baseball player, born in San Jose
 * Bayley, WWE wrestler
 * Isaac Brizuela, footballer, born in San Jose
 * Brent Burns, pro hockey player San Jose Sharks, lives in San Jose
 * Steve Caballero, professional skateboarder, born in San Jose
 * Mark Canha, baseball player, born in San Jose
 * Ken Caminiti, pro baseball player (San Jose State), 1996 NL MVP
 * Rich Campbell, NFL player, played high school football in San Jose
 * John Carlos, Olympic silver medalist, 200m (1968 Mexico City); track and field athlete; pro football player
 * Andre Carter, pro football player
 * Henry Cejudo, 2012 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, MMA fighter, born in San Jose
 * Brandi Chastain, soccer player, World Cup champion, born in San Jose
 * Amy Chow, Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics (1996), born in San Jose
 * Kay Cockerill, professional golfer, born in San Jose
 * Jerry Coleman, decorated combat pilot, MLB player and manager, Ford Frick Award-winning sportscaster, born in San Jose
 * Angelo Caloiaro (born 1989), American-Italian basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
 * Sam Delaplane (born 1995), professional baseball pitcher
 * Michelle Do, Olympic table tennis player
 * Polina Edmunds, Olympic figure skater
 * Herman Edwards, NFL player, coach, TV commentator
 * Jon Fitch, UFC fighter
 * Peggy Fleming, 1968 Winter Olympics figure skating gold medalist, born in San Jose
 * Rudy Galindo, national champion figure skater, born in San Jose
 * Jeff Garcia, pro football quarterback (San Jose State)
 * Jeremy Giambi, baseball player, born in San Jose
 * Naomi Girma, soccer player for the United States
 * Dan Gladden, baseball player, two-time World Series champion (1987, 1991 with Minnesota Twins), born in San Jose
 * Aaron Gordon, player for the Denver Nuggets and brother of Drew Gordon, born in San Jose
 * Drew Gordon, player for the Philadelphia 76ers and brother of Aaron Gordon, born in San Jose
 * Shawn Green, MLB 2-time All-Star outfielder
 * Kyle Harrison (born 2001), baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants
 * Dany Heatley, pro hockey player, San Jose Sharks
 * Mike Holmgren, NFL coach and executive
 * Cass Jackson, former college football head coach, one of the first African-American head football coaches at a predominantly white college (Oberlin College).
 * John Johnson, NBA basketball, First Team All American at the University of Iowa, lived and died in San Jose
 * Brent Jones, football player, Santa Clara University, San Francisco 49ers, three-time Super Bowl champion, born in San Jose
 * James Jones, pro football player (San Jose State), Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders, born in San Jose
 * Carney Lansford, pro baseball player, Oakland A's, 1989 World Series champion, 1981 A.L. batting champion, born in San Jose
 * Joe Leonard, automobile and motorcycle champion
 * Cung Le, Vietnamese mixed martial arts fighter, three-time Sanshou bronze medalist
 * Roger Maltbie, professional PGA golfer and NBC Sports On Air golf analyst
 * Patrick Marleau, pro hockey player, San Jose Sharks
 * Jake McGee, baseball player
 * Kyle McLaren, pro hockey player San Jose Sharks
 * Tommy Medica, baseball player, born in San Jose
 * Marty Mornhinweg, NFL player and coach
 * Evgeni Nabokov, pro hockey player, San Jose Sharks
 * James Nunnally (born 1990), professional basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the Euroleague, and formerly in the NBA, born in San Jose
 * Brian Oldfield, athlete, world and American record holder in shot put
 * Jesús Padilla, soccer player for Chivas de Guadalajara, born in San Jose
 * Jim Plunkett, quarterback, Stanford University, 1970 Heisman Trophy winner, Oakland Raiders, two-time Super Bowl champion (SB XV MVP), born in San Jose
 * John Powell, two-time Olympic bronze medalist (1976 Munich, 1984 L.A.), discus throw
 * Dave Righetti, baseball player; 1981 A.L. Rookie of the Year (N.Y. Yankees); pitched no-hitter on July 4, 1983; San Francisco Giants pitching coach, born in San Jose
 * Ricco Rodriguez, mixed martial artist, UFC and ADCC champion, born in San Jose
 * Frank Shamrock, MMA fighter
 * Tommie Smith, Olympic gold medalist - 200m, (1968 Mexico City), track and field athlete (San Jose State), pro football player
 * Dave Stieb, pro baseball pitcher
 * Carl Sullivan, football player, born in San Jose
 * Mike Swain, Olympic gold medalist, four-time Olympian, San Jose State judo coach
 * Mike Swick, UFC fighter
 * Josh Thomson, mixed martial artist and model, born in San Jose
 * Joe Thornton, pro hockey player, San Jose Sharks
 * Pat Tillman, pro football player and decorated Army Ranger, born in San Jose
 * Debi Thomas, Olympic figure skater, grew up in San Jose
 * Loren Toews, pro football player
 * Yosh Uchida, businessman, educator, contributor to San Jose State judo team, born in San Jose
 * Cain Velasquez, MMA fighter
 * Dick Vermeil, college and pro football head coach, Super Bowl champion (St. Louis Rams, 1999)
 * Aly Wagner, retired soccer player
 * Bill Walsh, college and pro football head coach, three-time Super Bowl champion (San Francisco 49ers)

Business leaders and entrepreneurs

 * Gurbaksh Chahal, entrepreneur
 * Andy Dinh, entrepreneur and professional gamer, born in San Jose
 * Amadeo Peter Giannini, founder of Bank of America, born in San Jose
 * Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple Inc., lived in San Jose
 * Donald Snyder, investment banker, born in San Jose
 * Peter Ueberroth, sports and business executive, San Jose State University alumnus
 * Ken Williams, MLB executive, general manager for 2005 World Series champion Chicago White Sox
 * Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Inc., born in San Jose
 * Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo!

Chefs

 * Angela Dimayuga, internationally known chef born and raised in San Jose

Dancers

 * Mythili Kumar, South Indian traditional dancer of Bharatanatyam, resides in San Jose, founder of Abhinaya Dance School of San Jose
 * Yuriko Kikuchi (née Amemiya), worked with the Martha Graham Dance Company, born in San Jose

Designers

 * Mai Kitazawa Arbegast, landscape architect, born in San Jose
 * Scott Campbell, video game concept artist for LucasArts then Double Fine Productions, art director, comic artist and illustration, born and raised in San Jose
 * Lauren Faust, animator, born in San Jose
 * Theodore Lenzen, Prussian-born architect, active in San Jose
 * Joe Murray, animator, born in San Jose
 * Emily Williams, pioneering female architect in the 20th century, attended California State Normal School (later known as SJSU)

Educators

 * Peter William Cassey, African-American 19th-century school founder, deacon, minister, educator, abolitionist, and political activist
 * Henry Suzzallo, educator; President of the University of Washington

Musicians and bands

 * Antwon, rapper, lives in San Jose
 * Ashe (singer), singer, born in San Jose
 * Bassnectar, DJ and electronic music producer
 * Louie Bellson, professional drummer
 * Tommy Castro, blues, rock
 * Charizma, rapper, born in San Jose
 * Count five, garage rock band, formed in San Jose
 * John "Sean" Byrne, musician with Count five, lived in San Jose
 * Irene Dalis, opera singer, founder of Opera San Jose, born in San Jose
 * Jimmy DeGrasso, heavy metal drummer
 * DJ Shadow, born Joshua Davis, instrumental hip-hop DJ, born in San Jose
 * Duster (band), indie rock band
 * The Doobie Brothers, rock band
 * Tom Johnston, lived in San Jose with the Doobie Brothers
 * Fleetwood Mac, rock band
 * Lindsey Buckingham, musician with Fleetwood Mac
 * Stevie Nicks, singer and musician with Fleetwood Mac
 * Jeff Foskett, guitarist and singer, best known for work with The Beach Boys
 * Getter, DJ, electronic music producer and rapper
 * Heavy Heavy Low Low, metal band formed in San Jose
 * Antony Hegarty, frontwoman of Antony and the Johnsons
 * The Holdup, reggae and hip hop band formed in San Jose
 * Greg Kihn, rock musician and radio DJ
 * Kung Fu Vampire, rapper from San Jose
 * Los Tigres del Norte, Mexican band formed in San Jose
 * Laura Mam - musician and music industry entrepreneur
 * Bryan Mantia, drummer for Primus and Guns N' Roses, born in San Jose
 * Kamtin Mohager, lead musician for The Chain Gang of 1974
 * No Use for a Name, band
 * Matt Riddle, bassist of No Use for a Name, born in San Jose
 * Tony Sly, lead singer and guitarist of No Use for a Name, born in San Jose
 * Peanut Butter Wolf, disc jockey and producer from San Jose
 * Plavka, international singing star, born in San Jose
 * Nikki Sixx, bassist for Mötley Crüe, born in San Jose
 * Sleep, doom metal band formed in San Jose
 * Smash Mouth, pop-rock band formed in San Jose
 * Snow Tha Product, rapper, born in San Jose
 * Skip Spence, co-founder of Moby Grape
 * Stone Temple Pilots, band
 * Eric Kretz, drummer for Stone Temple Pilots, Talk Show, and Spiralarms, born in San Jose
 * Scott Weiland, vocalist for Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver, Camp Freddy, The Wondergirls, Art of Anarchy, and The Magnificent Bastards, born in San Jose
 * Randy Stonehill, singer/songwriter, born in San Jose
 * Syndicate of Sound, garage rock band formed in San Jose
 * Traxamillion, rapper
 * Xiu Xiu (band), avant-garde band formed in San Jose
 * Yvette Young, singer/songwriter, guitarist/front-woman of Covet
 * Kim Yubin, member of South Korean girl group Wonder Girls
 * Quinn Godfrey, member of grunge rock band Heatmiser

Politicians, civil servants and activists

 * César Chávez, American labor leader and civil rights activist
 * C. C. Cottrell, 1933 to 1939 California State Assembly member
 * Nathan Damigo, founder of Identity Evropa an American neo-Nazi and white supremacist organization, grew up in San Jose.
 * Don Edwards, U.S. Representative from California 1963–1995, born in San Jose
 * Thomas Fallon, soldier, Mayor of San Jose
 * Ron Gonzales, Mayor of Sunnyvale, Mayor of San Jose
 * Mike Honda, U.S. Representative
 * Sherman Otis Houghton, Mayor of San Jose, U.S. Representative
 * Norman Mineta, Mayor of San Jose, United States Secretary of Transportation, United States Secretary of Commerce, born in San Jose
 * James F. Reed, organizer of the Donner Party, businessman and soldier
 * Michael A. Rice, biologist and Rhode Island politician, born in San Jose
 * Iola Williams, politician and civil rights activist, first African-American to serve on San Jose City Council (1979–1991), Vice Mayor of San Jose for two terms

Scientists

 * Edgar F. Codd, computer scientist
 * Dian Fossey, primatologist, SJSU graduate
 * Dudley R. Herschbach, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, born in San Jose
 * Michio Kaku, physicist, born in San Jose

Writers

 * Reza Aslan, Iranian-American author, religious studies scholar, producer, and television host; attended Del Mar High School (class of 1990)
 * Tad Williams, author of the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series.
 * Raymond Carver, American short story writer and poet
 * Carolyn Cassady, author of the Beat Generation, lived in San Jose
 * Neal Cassady, author of the Beat Generation, Merry Pranksters member, inspiration for character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's novel On The Road, lived in San Jose
 * Howard Dully, author, My Lobotomy
 * Kate Elliott, novelist
 * Khaled Hosseini, best-selling novelist, author of The Kite Runner, lived in San Jose
 * Wayne Koestenbaum, artist, poet, and cultural critic
 * William Lewis Manly, pioneer, hero, banker, and author of Death Valley in '49
 * Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction; attended Bellarmine College Preparatory
 * James Wesley Rawles, novelist
 * Al Ruffo, Mayor of San Jose
 * Kay Ryan, poet, former Poet Laureate of the United States, born in San Jose
 * Amy Tan, best-selling novelist, author of The Joy Luck Club
 * Louis Theroux, English documentary filmmaker, journalist and broadcaster
 * Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, author of the memoirs Farewell to Manzanar, attended high school and college in San Jose

Journalists

 * Francis B. Murdoch, founder and publisher of the San Jose Weekly Telegraph (1853–1860) and the San Jose Weekly Patriot (1863–1875)
 * Vicky Nguyen, NBC News anchor

Other

 * Isai Alvarado, professional video game player, Super Smash Bros. player
 * Susan Atkins, convicted murderer, Manson Family member
 * Joey Chestnut, competitive eater
 * Jason Dahl, captain of United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, born in San Jose
 * David Marius Guardino, psychic
 * Henry Morris Naglee, U.S. Civil War general and served in the Mexican–American War
 * Matt Stonie, competitive eater, born in San Jose
 * Rick Warren, Baptist evangelical Christian pastor and author
 * Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Rifle Company, occultist, architect to the Winchester Mystery House, lived in San Jose