This is a list of people who are from or have lived in Buffalo, New York. Individuals are listed in alphabetical order by last name in each category. Residents of Buffalo are commonly referred to as Buffalonians.
Architects Louise Blanchard Bethune (1856–1915) Gordon Bunshaft (1909–1990), Pritzker Prize winner Robert T. Coles (1929–2020) William H. Folsom (1815–1901), designed the Manti Temple E. B. Green (1855–1950) James A. Johnson (1865–1939) Duane Lyman (1886–1966) Richard A. Waite (1848–1911)
Arts and humanities Cory Arcangel (born 1978), new media artist Timothy D. Bellavia (born 1971), children's author, illustrator, and educator Charles E. Burchfield (1893–1967), watercolor painter Philip Burke (born 1956), caricaturist Hanson Carroll (1928–2013), nature and sports photographer Charles Clough (born 1951), painter Tony Conrad (1940–2016), media artist Steve Fiorilla (1961–2009), illustrator and sculptor Frank Kelly Freas (1922–2005), science fiction and fantasy artist Wilhelmina McAlpin Godfrey (1914–1994), painter, printmaker, and fiber artist Grace Knowlton (1932–2020), sculptor Justine Kurland (born 1969), photographer J. J. Lankes (1884–1960), illustrator, woodcut print artist, and author Sylvia Lark (1947–1990), Seneca painter and printmaker Robert Longo (born 1953), painter and sculptor Anne-Imelda Radice (born 1948), art historian and curator Asad Raza (born 1974), artist Spain Rodriguez (1940–2012), underground cartoonist Milton Rogovin (1909–2011), documentary photographer Charles Rohlfs (1853–1936), actor, patternmaker, stove designer, and furniture maker Michael Ross (1955), artist Bob Sarles (1957), documentary filmmaker, film editor, and radio host Paul Sharits (1943–1993), visual artist Cindy Sherman (born 1954), artist and photographer William Simpson (c.1818–1872), portrait artist Tony Sisti (1901–1983), painter Eugene Speicher (1883–1962), portrait, landscape, and figurative painter Chrysanne Stathacos (born 1951), print, textile, performance, and conceptual artist Tom Toles (born 1951), political cartoonist George Wilson (1921–1998), comic book artist Adam Zyglis (born 1982), editorial cartoonist
Authors and journalists John Arcudi, comic book author John Barth, novelist Gary Barwin, Irish writer Charles Baxter, author Lauren Belfer, author Wolf Blitzer, television journalist Lawrence Block, crime novelist Howard Bloom, publicist Dale Brown, aviator and author William Wells Brown, abolitionist and writer Taylor Caldwell, author Lucille Clifton, poet J. M. Coetzee, South African writer Burton Crane, financial journalist Robert Creeley, poet Barbara Culliton, science journalist and editor Marian de Forest, journalist and playwright Gregg Easterbrook, magazine journalist Marvin Farber, philosopher Leslie Feinberg, author and activist Leslie Fiedler, literary critic F. Scott Fitzgerald, novelist Josh Fruhlinger, creator of The Comics Curmudgeon Dawn Gallagher, author, beauty, and wellness expert Alice Gerard, journalist and peace activist Frances Gillmor, folklorist, scholar, and novelist Loss Pequeño Glazier, poet and director of the Electronic Poetry Center Anna Katharine Green, poet and novelist Terry Gross, radio personality A. R. Gurney, playwright Richard Hofstadter, historian Rich Hogan, screenwriter Karla F. C. Holloway, professor Paul Horgan, historian and author Elbert Hubbard, publisher Bruce Jackson, scholar John Kessel, sci-fi writer Nancy Kress, sci-fi writer Alex Levy, media strategist, speechwriter, and theater producer Mabel Dodge Luhan, patron of the arts Martha MacCallum, television journalist Norman E. Mack, editor and publisher of the Buffalo Times; chairman of the Democratic National Committee Steele MacKaye, playwright and theatrical producer Marguerite Merington, author Marion Juliet Mitchell, poet Joyce Carol Oates, author John Otto, radio talk show host Laura Pedersen, journalist, novelist, and playwright Tim Powers, sci-fi writer Ishmael Reed, poet and essayist Emma May Alexander Reinertsen, writer and social reformer Tim Russert, television journalist Joseph Sansonese, author Ruben Santiago-Hudson, playwright and actor Bob Smith, comedian and author Fran Striker, creator of the Lone Ranger and the Green Hornet Matt Taibbi, journalist Doug Turner, executive editor of the Courier Express, Washington Bureau Chief of the Buffalo News, and Olympic rower William W. Turner, writer and FBI agent. Mark Twain, pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens and iconic author Jane Meade Welch, journalist and lecturer Stuart Cary Welch, author and curator of Indian and Islamic art Lanford Wilson, playwright Bob Wojnowski, sports journalist Julia Evelyn Ditto Young, writer
Bands, composers, and musicians Laura Aikin, operatic coloratura soprano Michael Angelakos, singer, songwriter, and producer Harold Arlen, prolific composer of popular music who won an Academy Award for "Over the Rainbow" Darrell Banks, singer Benny the Butcher, rapper and songwriter The Bloody Hollies, band Juini Booth, jazz double-bassist Buffalo Bills, barbershop quartet Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, classical orchestral symphony The Bunny The Bear, band Julie Byrne, singer-songwriter Armani Caesar, rapper Tommy Calandra, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer Cannibal Corpse, band Peter Case, singer-songwriter and guitarist Ray Chamberlain, jazz guitarist and bassist Johny Chow, musician and bassist for Stone Sour Stacy Clark, singer-songwriter Willis Conover, jazz producer and broadcaster Conway the Machine, rapper and songwriter Patrick Cowley, composer and recording artist Cute is What We Aim For, band Vic Dana, dancer and singer Danimal Cannon, video game composer and performer Daringer, record producer Lance Diamond, lounge singer and personality Ani DiFranco, singer, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, poet, and songwriter Julius Eastman, composer, pianist, and singer Every Time I Die, band JoAnn Falletta, classical musician and orchestral conductor Florian-Ayala Fauna, noise musician and music producer Morton Feldman, composer Joe Ford, jazz saxophonist Lukas Foss, composer, pianist, and conductor Jackson C. Frank, folk musician Charles Gayle, jazz saxophonist, pianist, bass clarinetist, and bassist Teddy Geiger, singer-songwriter Girlpope, band E. Ray Goetz, Broadway composer and producer Goo Goo Dolls, band Grabbitz, singer-songwriter Green Jellÿ, band Jim Hall, jazz guitarist, composer, and arranger Alan Heatherington, orchestra conductor Ray Henderson, songwriter Edna Indermaur, classical singer It Dies Today, band Jackdaw, band Rick James, singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer Joe Public, band Joe Kraemer, composer Jordan Kyle, producer, songwriter, and engineer Lemuria, band Mel Lewis, drummer, jazz musician, and bandleader John Lombardo, musician and founding member of 10,000 Maniacs and John & Mary David Lucas, composer Gary Mallaber, drummer, percussionist, and singer Nicholas Mason, drummer Brian McKnight, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host, and multi-instrumentalist Don Menza, saxophonist, arranger, composer, session musician, and jazz educator Mercury Rev, band Bobby Militello, jazz saxophonist and flautist The Modernaires, 1940s vocal harmony group Moe, band Nina Morgana, soprano with the Metropolitan Opera Gurf Morlix, vocalist, songwriter, and record producer NicePeter, comedian, musician, and personality Willie Nile, singer-songwriter Che Noir, rapper and record producer Sam Noto, jazz trumpeter Ookla the Mok, band Tina Parol, singer-songwriter Leonard Pennario, pianist and songwriter Pentimento, band Lucky Peterson, blues guitarist and keyboardist Kristen Pfaff, musician and bassist for Hole Anna Ware Poole, composer, pianist, teacher, and vocalist Mary Ramsey, musician and founding member of 10,000 Maniacs and John & Mary Raven, late 60s rock band The Reign of Kindo, band The Road, late 60s early 70s rock Band John Rzeznik, musician and founding member of the Goo Goo Dolls Scary Chicken, band Marc Scibilia, singer-songwriter Billy Sheehan, bassist Paul Siebel, singer-songwriter Harry B. Smith, writer, lyricist, and composer Dr. Lonnie Smith, jazz organist Snapcase, band Joanie Sommers, singer concentrating on jazz, standards, and pop Alexis Spight, gospel musician Spyro Gyra, jazz band STEMM, band April Stevens, singer John Stevens, classic pop singer Stevie J., musician, record producer, songwriter, and television personality Elizabeth Swados, writer, composer, musician, and theatre director Stan Szelest, musician Talas, 1970s-80s rock band Nino Tempo, singer Until I Wake, post-hardcore band John Valby, musician and comedian Grover Washington, Jr., jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist Cory Wells, singer of Three Dog Night Westside Gunn, rapper Patrick Wilson, musician and founding member of Weezer Andy Williams, musician and rhythm guitarist of Every Time I Die; professional wrestler Jack Yellen, lyricist and screenwriter Z. Mann Zilla, rapper
Business and industry John J. Boland, co-founder of the American Steamship Company and Boland and Cornelius Company Robert Borthwick Adam, co-founder of Adam, Meldrum & Whiting Joseph Dart, lawyer, businessman, and entrepreneur; creator of Dart's Elevator William H. Donaldson, chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Under Secretary of State for International Security Affairs; chairman and CEO of the New York Stock Exchange; and chairman, president, and CEO of Aetna Joseph Ellicott, surveyor, city planner, land office agent, lawyer, and politician William G. Fargo, co-founder of American Express Company and Wells Fargo Anson Goodyear, president of the Great Southern Lumber Company Charles W. Goodyear, co-founder of the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad, Great Southern Lumber Company, Goodyear Lumber Company, Buffalo & Susquehanna Coal & Coke Company, and the New Orleans Great Northern Railroad Company Wilson Greatbatch, engineer and inventor who held more than 325 patents Arthur Hayes, co-founder and former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX George A. Hormel, founder of Hormel Foods Corporation Jeremy Jacobs, chairman of Delaware North and owner of the Boston Bruins Sidney Janis, writer, art dealer, and collector; founder of Sidney Janis Gallery John J. Kennedy, businessman and politician; New York State Treasurer, 1911–1914 Seymour H. Knox I, founder of the F. W. Woolworth Company Seymour H. Knox II, chairman of the F. W. Woolworth Company John D. Larkin, founder of the Larkin Company and Buffalo Pottery Jon L. Luther, chairman and CEO of Dunkin' Brands; chairman of Arby's Restaurant Group Sherman J. Maisel, economist who served on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Darwin D. Martin, businessman best known for the house he commissioned from Frank Lloyd Wright Gerald C. Meyers, chairman and CEO of American Motors Corporation, 1977–1982 John R. Oishei, co-founder of Tri-Continental Corporation Ralph Peo, founder of Frontier Industries; chairman and CEO of Houdaille Industries Pat Powers, film producer associated with Walt Disney Robert E. Rich Sr., food processing pioneer and founder of Rich Products Cindy Rose, CEO of WPP Chris Sacca, billionaire venture investor; founder of Lowercase Capital Grace Carew Sheldon, journalist, author, editor, and businesswoman Ellsworth Milton Statler, founder of Statler Hotels Henry Wells, co-founder of American Express Company and Wells Fargo John G. Wickser, president of the Buffalo German Insurance Company and the Buffalo Commercial Insurance Company Robert G. Wilmers, former chairman and CEO of M&T Bank
Entertainers and actors Stephanie Allynne, actress Jacob Artist, actor Nick Bakay, voice actor