This is a list of notable people from San Francisco, California. It includes people who were born or raised in, lived in, or spent significant portions of their lives in San Francisco, or for whom San Francisco is a significant part of their identity, as well as music groups founded in San Francisco. This list is in order by primary field of notability, and then in alphabetical order by last name.
Academics
James Reed Averill (1935–2024), psychologist and professor Andrew Smith Hallidie (1836–1900), promoter of the first cable car line, regent of the University of California 1868–1900 Phoebe Hearst (1842–1919), first female regent of the University of California, socialite, philanthropist, feminist, and suffragist Terry Karl (born 1947), professor of Latin American Studies at Stanford University
Artists and designers
Athletes Baseball See San Francisco Giants#Baseball Hall of Famers for San Francisco Giants players in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Jim Baxes (1928–1996), third baseman Ping Bodie (1887–1961), outfielder, played for the Chicago White Sox (1911–1914), Philadelphia Athletics (1917) and New York Yankees (1919–1921), born and raised in San Francisco Sam Bohne (originally "Sam Cohen"; 1896–1977), Major League Baseball player Barry Bonds (born 1964), outfielder Bobby Bonds (1946–2003), outfielder Fred Breining (born 1955), pitcher for San Francisco Giants (1980–1984) Madison Bumgarner (born 1988), pitcher for San Francisco Giants Matt Cain (born 1984), pitcher Dolph Camilli (1907–1997), first baseman, played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers, born and raised in San Francisco Ike Caveney (1894–1949), shortstop Orlando Cepeda (born 1937), 1st baseman, inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame Gino Cimoli (1929–2011), outfielder, born and raised in San Francisco Joe Corbett (1875–1945), pitcher, born in San Francisco Joe Cronin (1906–1984), infielder, Baseball Hall of Fame, born and raised in San Francisco Frankie Crosetti (1910–2002), shortstop and coach Tim Cullen (born 1942), infielder Babe Dahlgren (1912–1996), first baseman Joe DeMaestri (1928–2016), shortstop Dom DiMaggio (1917–2009), outfielder Bob Elliott (1916–1966), player and manager Jim Fregosi (1942–2014), player and manager Al Gallagher (1945–2018), third baseman for the San Francisco Giants and California Angels (1970–1973) Jonny Gomes (born 1980), outfielder for Boston Red Sox Herb Gorman (1924–1953), player in one MLB game Harry Heilmann (1894–1951), outfielder, Baseball Hall of Fame Keith Hernandez (born 1953), first baseman Jackie Jensen (1927–1982), also in the College Football Hall of Fame Eddie Joost (1916–2011), player and manager Willie Kamm (1900–1988), third baseman George Kelly (1895–1984), first baseman, Baseball Hall of Fame Steve Kerr (born 1965), head coach of the Golden State Warriors and eight-time NBA champion Mark Koenig (1904–1993), infielder for 1927 New York Yankees Tony Lazzeri (1903–1946), infielder, Baseball Hall of Fame Tim Lincecum (born 1984), pitcher Willie McCovey (1938–2018), 1st baseman, inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame Nyjer Morgan (born 1980), outfielder for Milwaukee Brewers Hunter Pence (born 1983), outfielder Mark Prior (born 1980), baseball pitcher for Chicago Cubs (2002–2004), born in San Francisco Charlie Sweeney (1863–1902), pitcher Mike Vail (born 1951), outfielder Tyler Walker (born 1976), relief pitcher for Washington Nationals
Basketball Jason Kidd (born 1973), basketball player Tom Meschery (born 1938) Pete Newell (1915–2008), Olympic and USF coach Gary Payton (born 1968), NBA player Phil Smith (1952–2002) Phil Woolpert (1915–1987), San Francisco high school and college coach
Boxing Abe Attell (1883–1970), world featherweight champion James J. Corbett (1866–1933), world heavyweight champion Andre Ward (born 1984), 2004 Olympics light heavyweight gold medal winner
Football Andre Alexander (born 1967), CFL wide receiver Gary Beban (born 1946), NFL quarterback and 1967 Heisman Trophy winner Ed Berry (born 1963), NFL defensive back for Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers Tom Brady (born 1977), NFL quarterback for New England Patriots and two-time NFL most valuable player Tedy Bruschi (born 1973), NFL linebacker for New England Patriots Al Cowlings (born 1947), USC and NFL defensive lineman Chris Darkins (born 1974), NFL running back for Green Bay Packers Bob deLauer (1920–2002), NFL center Matt Dickerson (born 1995), NFL defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons Eddie Forrest (1921–2001), NFL offensive lineman for San Francisco 49ers Beau Gardner, college football long snapper for the Georgia Bulldogs Jason Hill (born 1985), NFL wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars Mike Holmgren (born 1948), NFL head coach for Green Bay Packers and president of Cleveland Browns James Hundon (born 1971), NFL player Zeph Lee (born 1963), NFL player Joe Montana (born 1956), NFL quarterback for San Francisco 49ers, inductee into Pro Football Hall of Fame John Nisby (1936–2011), NFL guard with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins; one of the first African American players to play for the Washington Redskins Paul Oglesby (1939–1994), Oakland Raiders tackle Igor Olshansky (born 1982), NFL defensive end for Dallas Cowboys Jerry Rice (born 1962), NFL wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers, inductee into Pro Football Hall of Fame George Seifert (born 1940), head coach of the San Francisco 49ers (1989–1996), Carolina Panthers (1999–2001) O. J. Simpson (1947–2024), NFL running back with Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers (1985); inductee into Pro Football Hall of Fame; previously City College of San Francisco and USC running back Donald Strickland (born 1980), current NFL cornerback for the New York Jets Eric Wright (born 1985), NFL cornerback for Detroit Lions Steve Young (born 1961), NFL quarterback for San Francisco 49ers, inductee into Pro Football Hall of Fame
Golf Danielle Kang (born 1992), professional golfer Johnny Miller (born 1947), professional golfer, TV commentator Ken Venturi (1931–2013), professional golfer, TV commentator Michelle Wie (born 1989), professional golfer
Other sports Townsend Bell (born 1975), race car driver George Bignotti (1916–2013), motor racing team owner and mechanic Otey Cannon (born 1950), soccer player who was the first black American player in the North American Soccer League Cheerleader Melissa (born 1982), pro wrestler Mark Crear (born 1969), two-time Olympic medallist in 110m hurdles Ann Curtis (1926–2012), two-time Olympic gold medalist and one-time silver medalist in swimming Vicki Draves (1924–2010), two-time Olympic gold medalist, diver, first Asian American gold medalist Ken Flax (born 1963), Olympic hammer thrower Al Gordon (1902–1936), race car driver Hans Halberstadt (1885–1966), German-born American Olympic fencer Laird Hamilton (born 1964), surfer Helen Jacobs (1908–1997), tennis player Jeremy McGrath (born 1971), motocross rider Cruz Medina (born 2006), soccer player Jonny Moseley (born 1975), freestyle skiing Olympic gold medalist Jimmy Murphy (1894–1924), race car driver Bill Nelson (born 1944), bull rider Katelyn Ohashi (born 1997), artistic gymnast Brooks Orpik (born 1980), NHL player for the Washington Capitals Elaine Pedersen (1936–2000), long-distance runner Shannon Rowbury (born 1984), 2-time track & field Olympian, American record holder at 1500m, world record holder in distance medley relay Bill Schaadt (1924–1995), fly fisherman Emerson Spencer (1906–1985), Olympic track and field gold medalist Shawn Spikes (born 1996), thoroughbred jockey Ben Wildman-Tobriner (born 1984), Olympic swimming gold medalist Al Young (born 1946), drag racing world champion
Business Albert Abrams (1863–1924), inventor of medical equipment in the field of electricity therapy Sam Altman (born 1985), chairman of Y Combinator, co-chairman of OpenAI Melvin Belli (1907–1996), attorney known as the "king of torts", died in San Francisco Friedrich Bendixen (1864–1920), American-born German banker Marc Benioff (born 1964), founder and co-CEO of Salesforce Nathan Blecharczyk (born 1983), chief strategy officer and co-founder of Airbnb Thomas Henry Blythe (born Thomas Williams, 1822–1883), emigrated to the San Francisco from Wales and became a wealthy capitalist Bill Bowes (1926–2016), venture capitalist, philanthropist, and co-founder of U.S. Venture Partners Luke Brugnara (born 1963), real estate investor Brian Chesky (born 1981), CEO and co-founder of Airbnb Jason Citron (born 1984), CEO and co-founder of Discord and founder of OpenFeint Ron Conway (born 1951), angel investor and philanthropist George Washington Dennis (–1916), 19th-century entrepreneur, real estate developer, and advocate for Black rights Barry Diller (born 1942), co-founder of Fox Broadcasting Company Mickey Drexler (born 1944), CEO of J. Crew and Gap Inc. Donald Fisher (1928–2009), co-founder of the Gap clothing company Doris F. Fisher (born 1931), co-founder of the Gap clothing company Philip Arthur Fisher (1907–2004), investor, author, entrepreneur Aaron Fleishhacker (1820–1898), paper box manufacturer, Gold Rush-era entrepreneur, local philanthropist Joe Gebbia (born 1981), co-founder and chief product officer of Airbnb Gordon Getty (born 1934), oil philanthropist and composer Warren Hellman (1934–2011), private equity investor and founder of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival Jess Jackson (1930–2011), wine entrepreneur and founder of Kendall-Jackson wine company Steve Jobs (1955–2011), co-founder of Apple Inc., born in and adopted in San Francisco Max Levchin (born 1975), PayPal co-founder Lew Hing (1858–1934), Chinese-born American industrialist and banker; founder of Chinatown in San Francisco, as well as Chinatown in Oakland, California James Lick (1796–1876), real estate investor, carpenter, piano builder, land baron, and patron of the sciences Larry Livermore (born 1947), founder of Lookout Records Marissa Mayer (born 1975), information technology executive, and co-founder of Lumi Labs; former president and chief executive officer of Yahoo! Jesse B. McCargar (1879–1954), banker and industrialist Pete McDonough (1872–1947), bail bonds broker, called "the fountainhead of corruption" in 1937 police graft investigation Morris Meyerfeld Jr. (1855–1935), German-born entrepreneur and theater owner (Orpheum Vaudeville Circuit) Gordon E. Moore (1929–2023), co-founder of Intel Corporation, author of Moore's law Michael Moritz (born 1954), venture capitalist at Sequoia Capital Craig Newmark (born 1951), founder of Craigslist Alexis Ohanian (born 1983), co-founder of Reddit Jack O'Neill (1923–2017), founder of O'Neill surf equipment Jay Paul, real estate developer Mark Pincus (born 1966), founder of Zynga Bob Pritikin (1929–2022), advertising executive, creative director, author, art collector, and bon vivant William Chapman Ralston (1826–1875), founder of the Bank of California Kevin Rose (born 1977), internet entrepreneur, co-founded Revision3, Digg, Pownce, and Milk Stockton Rush (1962–2023), co-founder and CEO of the deep-sea exploration company OceanGate Charles R. Schwab (born 1937), businessman, founder of Schwab investment firm Jessie L. Seal (1864–1946), floriculturist; floristry business owner Theresa Sparks (born 1949), CEO of sex toy company Good Vibrations Tom Steyer (born 1957), hedge fund manager and political activist Levi Strauss (1829–1902), German-American Gold Rush-era businessman who founded the first company to manufacture blue jeans, Levi Strauss & Co., headquartered in San Francisco Rikki Streicher (1922–1994), LGBT leader, bar owner and co-founder of the Gay Games Adolph Sutro (1830–1898), German-American engineer, business man, politician and philanthropist who served as the 24th mayor of San Francisco 1895–1897