List of people from Boston

This is a list of people who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Boston, Massachusetts and its surrounding metropolitan statistical area.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

0-9

• 7L & Esoteric – rap group

A

 

Samuel Adams

 

Ben Affleck

 

Crispus Attucks

• Abiel Abbot (1770–1828) – born in Andover, clergyman and author^[1]
• Ezra Abbot (1819–1884) – biblical scholar, taught at Harvard Divinity School^[1]
• Joel Abbot (1776–1826) – naval officer^[1]
• Amos Abbott (1786–1868) – born in Westford, member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts^[1]
• Austin Abbott (1831–1896) – born in Boston; lawyer, novelist, and academic^[1]
• Benjamin Vaughan Abbott (1830–1890) – born in Boston, lawyer and legal writer^[1]
• Joseph Carter Abbott (1825–1882) – publisher of the Boston Bee^[1]
• Josiah Gardner Abbott (1814–1891) – member of United States House of Representatives^[1]
• Abdul-Malik Abu (born 1995) – basketball player in the Israeli Premier Basketball League
• Edith Achilles (1892–1989) – psychologist
• Abigail Adams (1744–1818) – born in Weymouth, First Lady of the United States^[1]
• Abijah Adams (1754–1816) – born in Boston, journalist, often embroiled in lawsuits against him^[1]
• Charles Francis Adams Sr. (1807–1886) – born in Boston; son of Abigail Adams and John Adams; Congressman; diplomat; writer^[1]
• Edwin Adams (1834–1877) – born in Medford, 19th-century stage actor^[1]
• Eliphalet Adams (1677–1753) – born in Medford, clergyman and missionary^[1]
• Hannah Adams (1755–1831) – born in Medfield, famous Christian writer^[1]
• Henry Adams (1838–1918) – born in Boston, journalist, historian, academic and novelist^[1]
• Jasper Adams (1793–1841) – born in Medway, clergyman and college president^[1]
• Nehemiah Adams (1806–1878) – clergyman and author^[1]
• Sammy Adams – musician^[2]
• Samuel Adams – American Revolution patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence^[3]
• Aerosmith – band^[4]
• Ben Affleck – Academy Award-winning actor, screenwriter and director, brother of Casey^[5]
• Casey Affleck – Academy Award-winning actor, brother of Ben^[6]
• George Aiken (1830–1876) – born in Boston, actor and playwright^[1]
• Amos T. Akerman (1821–1880) – United States Attorney General, born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire^[1]
• Akrobatik – hip hop artist, member of The Perceptionists^[7]
• Al B. Sure – singer^[8]
• Harriet Ryan Albee (1829-1873), born and died in Boston; social reformer and philanthropist^[9]
• Mildred Albert (1905–1991) – fashion show producer and radio and television personality
• Louisa May Alcott – 19th-century author of Little Women^[10]
• Horatio Alger Jr. – author^[11]
• Fred Allen – radio comedian^[12]
• Frederick Lewis Allen – writer^[13]
• Joseph Allen (1749–1827) – born in Boston, United States Congressman^[1]
• Nathaniel M. Allen – soldier in Civil War, awarded Congressional Medal of Honor^[14]
• The Almighty RSO – rap group^{[citation needed]}
• John Amaechi – NBA player^[15]
• American Hi-Fi – band^{[citation needed]}
• American Nightmare – hardcore band
• Amerie – R&B artist^{[citation needed]}
• Ed Ames – actor and singer^{[citation needed]}
• Tony Amonte – NHL player^[16]
• Anarchy Club – band^{[citation needed]}
• Leroy Anderson – composer for Boston Pops Orchestra^[17]
• Mary Antin – author^[18]
• Apollo Sunshine – band^{[citation needed]}
• Thomas Gold Appleton (1812–1884) – writer^[1]
• Isabel Atkin – British–American skier and Olympic medalist for Great Britain^[19]
• Crispus Attucks – American Revolution patriot^[20]
• Red Auerbach – Boston Celtics coach and president, Basketball Hall of Famer^[21]
• John Augustus (1785–1859) – born in Boston, philanthropist and pioneer of probation^[1]
• James Trecothick Austin (1784–1870) – born in Boston, member of Massachusetts General Court and Massachusetts Attorney General^[1]
• Jonathan Loring Austin (1748–1826) – born in Boston; officer in American Revolutionary War; Massachusetts state representative, senator, secretary, and treasurer^[1]

B

 

Boston

• Bad Rabbits – band^{[citation needed]}
• Arthur Baker – rap DJ, music producer^{[citation needed]}
• Bang Camaro – rock band^{[citation needed]}
• Sasha Banks – WWE wrestler, former WWE Raw Women's Champion, former NXT Women's Champion
• Maria Barrett – US Army Major General; older sister of US Army General Paula Lodi^[22][23]
• Dana Barros – former NBA player^[24]
• Zered Bassett – professional skateboarder^[25]
• Benjamin E. Bates – founder and namesake of Bates College^[26]
• Ruth Batson – civil rights and education activist^[27]
• Susan Batson – actress, author, and producer; daughter of Ruth Batson^{[citation needed]}
• Peter D. Bear – Wisconsin State Senator^[28]
• Bell Biv DeVoe – music group^{[citation needed]}
• Gaston Bell – stage and silent film actor^{[citation needed]}
• Tobin Bell – actor (born in Queens, NY, raised in Weymouth)^{[citation needed]}
• Mark Bellhorn – MLB player^[29]
• Asher Benjamin – architect and author^[30]
• *Cora Agnes Benneson – attorney, lecturer, and writer^[31]
• Frank Weston Benson – Impressionist artist^[32]
• Rick Berlin – musician^{[citation needed]}
• Leonard Bernstein – New York Philharmonic conductor, composer and pianist^[33]
• Big D and the Kids Table – band^{[citation needed]}
• Big Shug – rapper^[34]
• Traci Bingham – actress, model^{[citation needed]}
• Mike Birbiglia – comedian^{[citation needed]}
• Molly Birnbaum – writer^[35]
• William Blackstone (also spelled Blaxton) – first European settler
• Arthur Blake – athlete
• Will Blalock – former NBA player for ^[36]
• David Blatt (born 1959) – Israeli-American basketball player and coach (most recently, for the Cleveland Cavaliers)^[37]
• C. L. Blood – physician^[38]
• Matt Bloom – NFL player and professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE^{[citation needed]}
• Michael Bloomberg – former Mayor of New York City^[39]
• Bob and Ray – comedy team^[40]
• Ernie Boch Jr. – president of Boch Enterprises^[41]
• Ray Bolger – actor and dancer, Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz
• Veda Ann Borg – film actress
• Boston – band^{[citation needed]}
• Boys Like Girls – band^{[citation needed]}
• Ron Brace – NFL player, New England Patriots^[42]
• Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee – architect^[43]
• William J. Bratton – chief of police for NYPD and LAPD^[44]
• Connie Britton – actress
• John Britton – abortion provider^[45]
• Edward W. Brooke – first African American elected by popular vote to United States Senate^[46]
• Bobby Brown – singer^{[citation needed]}
• Carolyn Brown – dancer, writer, choreographer^{[citation needed]}
• Earle Brown – composer^{[citation needed]}
• Lexie Brown – basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks^[47]
• Sam Brown – comedian from IFC sketch comedy show Whitest Kids U' Know^{[citation needed]}
• Scott Brown – U.S. Senator^[48]
• William B. Broydrick – Wisconsin State Assemblyman^[49]
• Aimee Buchanan (born 1993) – American-born Olympic figure skater for Israel
• Charles Bulfinch – architect who designed Massachusetts State House, original United States Capitol dome and rotunda^[50]
• James "Whitey" Bulger – organized crime boss^{[citation needed]}
• Ephraim Wales Bull – creator of the concord grape ^[51]
• Thomas Burke – sprinter
• Bill Burr – comedian
• Edwin C. Burt – shoemaker^{[citation needed]}
• Bury Your Dead – band^{[citation needed]}
• George H. W. Bush – 41st President of The United States^{[citation needed]}
• Vannevar Bush – scientist^{[citation needed]}

C

• C60 – band^{[citation needed]}
• Louis C.K. – comedian and actor^{[citation needed]}
• Will Calhoun – drummer for Living Colour (born in NY, lived in Boston)^{[citation needed]}
• Steve Carell – actor and comedian, The Office, The Daily Show, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Despicable Me^{[citation needed]}
• The Cars – band^{[citation needed]}
• Melnea Cass – community and civil rights activist^[52]
• Peggy Cass – actress and TV game show panelist^{[citation needed]}
• John Cazale – actor, The Godfather, The Deer Hunter, Dog Day Afternoon^{[citation needed]}
• John Cena – professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE^{[citation needed]}
• Nicholas Raymond Cerio – founder of Nick Cerio's Kenpo^[53]
• Kevin Chapman – actor^[54]
• Julius Caesar Chappelle – Massachusetts legislator^[55]
• Ken Cheeseman – actor^{[citation needed]}
• Gary Cherone – singer (Extreme and Van Halen)^{[citation needed]}
• Michael Chiklis – actor, The Shield^[56]
• Neil Cicierega – Internet personality, created Potter Puppet Pals^{[citation needed]}
• Lenny Clarke – comedian and actor^{[citation needed]}
• The Click Five – band^{[citation needed]}
• Alex Cobb – baseball pitcher^{[citation needed]}
• John A. Collins – Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force^[57]
• Misha Collins – actor^{[58][circular reference]}
• Jerry Colonna – entertainer^[59]
• Greg Comella – NFL fullback^[60]
• James Bryant Conant - chemist, 23rd president of Harvard University
• Dane Cook – comedian and actor^[61]
• Calvin Coolidge – 30th President of the United States
• Harriet Abbott Lincoln Coolidge – author, philanthropist, reformer^[62]
• Jennifer Coolidge – actress, American Pie, A Mighty Wind, Legally Blonde^[63]
• Miriam O'Leary Collins – actress^[64]
• John Singleton Copley – artist^[65]
• Chick Corea – Grammy Award-winning jazz musician and composer^{[citation needed]}
• Jeff Corwin – TV personality^{[citation needed]}
• Aisha Cousins (born 1978) – artist/performance art score writer^[66]
• Lynne Cox – professional swimmer^[67]
• Charlie Coyle (born 1992) – hockey player
• Zach Cregger – actor, comedian, star of the IFC sketch comedy series WKUK^{[citation needed]}
• Norm Crosby – comedian^[68]
• Marcia Cross – actress, Desperate Housewives^{[citation needed]}
• James Michael Curley – Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts Governor, and U.S. Representative^[69]
• Jane Curtin – actress and comedian^[70]
• Johnny Curtis – professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE^{[citation needed]}
• Thomas Curtis (1873–1944) – athlete
• Richard Cushing – Archbishop of Boston and Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church^{[citation needed]}
• Susan Webb Cushman (1822–1859) – stage actress^[71]
• Jay Cutler – 4x IFBB Mr. Olympia, bodybuilder

D

 

Matt Damon

 

W. E. B. Du Bois

• Joey Daccord – ice hockey goaltender
• Dick Dale – musician^[72]
• Matt Damon – actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter, Good Will Hunting, The Departed, Ocean's Eleven and Bourne Identity series^[73]
• Evan Dando – musician^[74]
• Duncan Daniels – Nigerian-American afropop and afrobeat musician, producer and songwriter
• Bette Davis – Academy Award-winning actress, Dark Victory, Jezebel, All About Eve
• Daniel Davis Jr. – nineteenth century inventor
• Geena Davis – Academy Award-winning actress, The Accidental Tourist
• Henry Dearborn – physician, general, and politician
• Henry Alexander Scammell Dearborn – lawyer, author, statesman, soldier, Mayor of Roxbury; son of Henry Dearborn
• Death Before Dishonor – band
• Patrick DeCoste – musician
• Manny Delcarmen – MLB pitcher
• Becky DelosSantos – Playboy Playmate centerfold, April 1994
• Brad Delp – singer
• Tony DeMarco – boxer, welterweight champion, born 1932 in North End
• Paul Demayo – IFBB professional bodybuilder
• Joseph Dennie – writer
• Joe Derrane (1930–2016) – accordion player
• Michael Dertouzos (1936–2001) – computer scientist
• Albert DeSalvo – serial killer known as "The Boston Strangler"
• Jack DeSena – actor, played Sokka in Avatar: The Last Airbender
• P. T. Deutermann – author
• Diamante – rock singer
• Dinosaur Jr. – band
• Rick DiPietro – NHL goaltender (from Boston suburbs)
• Tony Dize – reggaeton singer
• Ken Doane – professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE
• The Dresden Dolls – punk cabaret duo
• Robert Drinan – former U.S. Congressman
• Drop Nineteens – band
• Dropkick Murphys – band
• Shem Drowne – America's first weathervane maker
• W. E. B. Du Bois – scholar, professor; first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard; founder of NAACP
• Joseph Dudley – Colonial Governor of Massachusetts
• Michael Dukakis – Massachusetts governor, US presidential candidate in 1988
• William C. Durant – founder of General Motors
• Adam Duritz – singer-songwriter for Counting Crows (born in Baltimore, lived in Boston)
• Eliza Dushku – actress
• Mary Dyer – martyr

E

• Ed O.G. – hip hop artist
• Ryan Edell (born 1983) – professional baseball player
• Adam Edelman (born 1991) – American-born four-time Israeli National Champion in skeleton event, and Israeli Olympian
• Richard J. Egan – founder and chairman of EMC Corporation
• Charles H. Eglee – television screenwriter
• Jeremy Elbertson - Live streamer, YouTuber, and internet comedian
• Charles C. Eldredge – art historian and educator
• Ralph Waldo Emerson – essayist, lecturer, poet
• Ernie and the Automatics – band
• Mike Eruzione – captain of USA's 1980 Winter Olympics hockey team (from Boston suburbs)
• Julius Erving – Basketball Hall of Famer, UMass, New York Nets, Philadelphia 76ers
• William Eustis – early American statesman, Governor of Massachusetts
• Chris Evans – actor, known for role as "Captain America"
• Patrick Ewing – Basketball Hall of Famer, NCAA champion, center for New York Knicks
• Patrick Ewing Jr. – NBA player, New York Knicks, New Orleans Hornets
• Extreme – band

F

 

Robert Frost

• Louis Farrakhan – head of Nation of Islam
• Charles Farrell – actor
• Spike Feresten – screenwriter and television personality
• John Ferruggio – led evacuation of Pan Am Flight 93, hijacked in 1970^[75]
• Arthur Fiedler – Boston Pops orchestra conductor
• Charles L. Fletcher – architect and interior designer; owner of Charles Fletcher Design
• Doug Flutie – Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Boston College; AFL, CFL, and NFL player, television commentator
• Robert Bennet Forbes – sea captain, China trader
• Ben Foster – actor (born in Boston)
• Dwight Foster – Massachusetts Attorney General; associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court^[76]
• Jon Foster – actor (born in Boston)
• Toby Fox – composer and video game developer known best for creating Undertale
• Arlene Francis – actress, radio and TV personality (What's My Line?)
• Black Francis – of the band Pixies
• Benjamin Franklin – author, public servant, diplomat, signer of the Declaration of Independence
• Bettina Freeman – opera singer
• Robert Frost – iconic poet

G

 

Robert Goulet

• The G-Clefs – Top 40 soul group
• Tony Gaffney (born 1984) – basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Greg Gagne – MLB player
• Ryan Gallant – professional skateboarder (Plan B Skateboards, DC Shoes)
• Gang Green – band
• Gang Starr – rap group
• Erle Stanley Gardner – lawyer, author, creator of Perry Mason
• Kevin Garnett – retired professional basketball player
• Edmund H. Garrett – prolific 19th- and 20th-century book illustrator and artist
• Althea Garrison – politician and first known transgender member of a state legislature in the United States^[77]
• Peter Gerety – actor
• Elbridge Gerry – signer of Declaration of Independence; Governor of Massachusetts; Vice President of the United States; gave his name to "gerrymandering"
• Kahlil George Gibran – sculptor
• Charles Dana Gibson – illustrator
• Joy Giovanni – professional wrestler, known for her time in WWE
• Paul Michael Glaser – actor and director, Starsky & Hutch
• Tom Glavine – Hall of Fame baseball pitcher for Atlanta Braves
• Sumner Jules Glimcher – professor, author and filmmaker
• Godsmack – band
• Jared Goldberg – Olympic skier
• Duff Goldman – star of Food Network TV show Ace of Cakes (born in Detroit, lived in MA)
• Ezekiel Goldthwait (1710–1782) – prominent in town affairs in the years leading up to the American Revolution
• Benjamin Gould – astronomer
• Robert Goulet – Grammy Award-winning singer and Tony-winning actor (born in Lawrence)
• Paul Graham – hacker, painter, essayist, tech startup guru
• Kaz Grala – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, youngest ever to win a NASCAR Touring Series race
• Geoffrey Gray (born 1997) – American-Israeli professional basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Jane Loring Gray – editor
• Ari Graynor – actress
• Clark Gregg – actor
• Justine Greiner – Playboy Playmate centerfold, February 1984
• Mike Grier – NHL player
• Tammy Grimes – actress, singer
• Hattie Tyng Griswold (1842–1909) – author, poet
• Matt Grzelcyk – NHL player
• Bill Guerin – NHL player
• Louise Gunning – musical actress
• Guru – rapper, member of Gang Starr
• Guster – band
• Jasmine Guy – actress and singer

H

 

Winslow Homer

• Betsy Hager – farmer and blacksmith who produced weapons for the American Revolution
• Marvelous Marvin Hagler – middleweight boxing champion of the world
• Edward Everett Hale – author
• Jack Haley – actor, known as Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz
• Anthony Michael Hall – actor, The Breakfast Club, The Dead Zone
• Marc-André Hamelin – pianist, composer
• John Hancock – statesman, signer of Declaration of Independence
• Noah Hanifin – ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015
• Kay Hanley – musician
• G Hannelius – actress
• Bob Hansen – MLB player
• Hannah Hanson Kinney – alleged serial killer
• Beth Harrington – filmmaker and musician
• Maggie Hassan – United States Senator and former governor of New Hampshire
• Matt Hasselbeck – NFL quarterback for the Tennessee Titans
• Tim Hasselbeck – NFL quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals
• Juliana Hatfield – musician
• Have Heart – hardcore band
• Kevin Hayes – NHL player
• Roy Haynes – jazz musician
• Heads of State – music group
• Ed Healey – NFL Hall of Fame player for Chicago Bears
• William Hooper - North Carolina signer of United States Declaration of Independence
• Armand Van Helden – DJ
• Ed Herlihy – radio and television announcer
• John Michael Higgins – game show TV host/cartoon narrator
• Rich Hill – MLB pitcher
• Karl Hobbs – George Washington University basketball coach
• Oliver Wendell Holmes – physician and author
• Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. – U. S. Supreme Court Justice
• Winslow Homer – artist
• Michelle Hoover – author
• The Hope Conspiracy – hardcore band
• Allen Hoskins – actor
• Joan Imogen Howard – educator
• Christine Hunschofsky – politician

I

• Dorothy Iannone (1933–2022) – visual artist
• Ice Nine Kills – music group
• Isis – music group

J

• Shar Jackson – actress
• Jada – pop and R&B singing group signed to UniversalMotown
• Marie Jansen – musical actress^[78]
• Jerma – Twitch streamer, YouTuber
• Martin Johnson – lead singer of Boys Like Girls
• Thomas Johnston – engraver, organ builder, japanner, and heraldic painter
• JoJo – singer, actress
• Julia Jones – actress
• Sam Jones III – actor, Glory Road
• Darin Jordan – NFL player
• Rebecca Richardson Joslin – author, lecturer, benefactor, clubwoman
• Jujubee – drag queen
• Tom Jung – art director, graphic designer, illustrator, storyboard artist

K

 

Keytar Bear

• Madeline Kahn – actress, Blazing Saddles
• Mindy Kaling – actress, The Office
• Alex Karalexis – UFC, WEC fighter
• Karmin – musical group
• Robert Kelly – actor, comedian
• Edward "Ted" Kennedy (1932–2009) – longtime Massachusetts Senator
• John F. Kennedy – Massachusetts Senator and 35th President of the United States
• Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. – ambassador; father of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Edward Kennedy
• Myles Kennedy – singer, songwriter
• Robert F. "Bobby" Kennedy – U.S. Attorney General and New York Senator
• Jack Kerouac – beat poet and writer
• Nancy Kerrigan – Olympic figure skating silver medalist
• John Kerry – U.S. Secretary of State, longtime Massachusetts Senator (1985–2013) and presidential candidate in 2004
• Keytar Bear – keytarist in a bear costume who commonly performs at MBTA stations^[79][80]
• Killswitch Engage – metalcore band
• John King – CNN chief political correspondent^[81]
• Kofi Kingston – professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE (born in Ghana, lived in Boston)
• Jonathan Knight – singer, dancer (New Kids on the Block)
• Jordan Knight – singer, dancer (New Kids on the Block)
• Henry Knox – first U.S. Secretary of War, Founding Father, Senior General in the Continental Army under Washington
• Yitzhak Aharon Korff – Grand Rabbi, diplomat, international consultant
• Lauren Koslow – soap opera actress
• Walter "Killer" Kowalski – professional wrestler, teacher, photographer
• Bob Kraft – owner of the New England Patriots
• John Krasinski – actor (Jim Halpert in NBC's The Office)
• Sol Kumin – businessman, philanthropist and racehorse owner

L

 

Amy Lowell

 

Jack Lemmon

x* Phil Labonte – musician

• PJ Ladd – professional skateboarder
• Liz LaManche – public artist
• Jack Landron – folk singer, songwriter
• Robert Lanza – medical doctor and scientist
• Lewis Howard Latimer – inventor
• Denis Leary – actor, comedian, writer and director
• Matt LeBlanc – actor, Friends
• Dennis Lehane – author
• Jack Lemmon – Academy Award-winning actor, Mister Roberts, Save the Tiger, The Odd Couple, Grumpy Old Men
• Jay Leno – comedian and television personality
• Letters To Cleo – rock band
• Elma Lewis – founder of National Center of Afro-American Artists (including a museum) and Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts
• Gary Russell Libby – art historian, museum director, curator
• William Linn – defender of the Alamo
• Henry Cabot Lodge – politician
• Paula Lodi – US Army Brigadier General; younger sister of US Army General Maria Barrett^[82]
• Edward Lawrence Logan – military officer, jurist, politician
• Howie Long – NFL player
• Edward "Ted" Kennedy (1932–2009) – longtime Massachusetts Senator
• Amy Lawrence Lowell – Pulitzer Prize-winning poet
• Robert Lowell – poet
• Joyner Lucas – rapper
• Adam Lundquist – radio DJ
• Lyte Funky Ones – pop trio

M

 

Samuel Morse

• Aimee Mann – singer
• Jonathan Mann – HIV/AIDS researcher and World Health Organization administrator; killed on Swissair Flight 111
• Rob Mariano – Survivor contestant
• Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch – rap group
• Pedro Martínez – retired professional baseball player, member of National Baseball Hall of Fame
• Connie Martinson – talk show host
• Mike Matarazzo – professional bodybuilder
• Aaron Maund – Major League soccer player
• Masspike Miles – singer, songwriter, producer, Perfect Gentlemen (Maybach Music Group)
• Cotton Mather – Puritan minister and author
• Jonah Matranga – singer/songwriter
• Greg Mauldin – NHL player, Ottawa Senators
• John Mayer – singer-songwriter (born in Connecticut, lived in Boston)
• Charles Johnson Maynard – naturalist and ornithologist
• Chris McCarron – jockey
• Tommy McCarthy – baseball player^[83]
• John P. McDonough – Chief of Chaplains of U.S. Air Force
• Neal McDonough – actor
• Sean McDonough – sports announcer
• Will McDonough – sportswriter
• Richard McGonagle – voice actor
• Joey McIntyre – singer, dancer, actor (New Kids on the Block)
• Amy Upham Thomson McKean – pianist, songwriter and composer
• Ed McMahon – television personality
• Peter McNeeley – boxer (born in Medfield)
• Michael McShane – actor
• Maria Menounos – actress, journalist, professional wrestler
• Nelson Merced – activist and politician, first Hispanic elected to Massachusetts General Court
• David Merkow – golfer
• The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – band
• Roger Miller – musician
• Wayne Millner – NFL Hall of Famer
• Mission of Burma – band
• Joe Moakley – congressman
• Leo Monahan (1926–2013) – sports journalist^[84]
• William Monahan – screenwriter
• Morphine – band
• Van Morrison – singer, musician, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee in 1993 (born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has lived in Boston for years)
• Robert Morse – actor
• Samuel F. B. Morse – inventor and painter, inventor of electric telegraph and Morse code
• Eddie Mottau – guitarist
• Mr. Lif – hip-hop artist, member of The Perceptionists
• Helen Messinger Murdoch (1862–1956) – photographer; pioneered use of autochromes in travel photography
• Connor Murphy – professional ice hockey player

N

 

Jack Nance

 

Edward Norton

• Jack Nance – actor, title character in Eraserhead
• Jason Nash – actor
• Packy Naughton – Major League Baseball pitcher
• William Cooper Nell – abolitionist
• Betty Jo Nelsen – member of Wisconsin State Assembly
• Victor Folke Nelson – author, prison reform advocate, and sensational prison escapist
• New Edition – music group
• New Kids on the Block – band
• Nicky Jam – reggaeton singer and songwriter, Latin Grammy winner
• Terry Nihen – Playboy Playmate
• Leonard Nimoy – actor, known as Mr. Spock from Star Trek
• Zack Norman – actor, producer, financier
• Edward Norton – actor, American History X, Fight Club, The Italian Job
• B. J. Novak – actor, writer for NBC's The Office (from Newton)
• Christopher Nowinski – professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE

O

• Bill O'Brien – former head coach of Penn State football and the NFL's Houston Texans
• Conan O'Brien – television personality
• Mike O'Malley – actor
• On Broken Wings – band
• Patrice O'Neal – actor, comedian
• Thomas "Tip" O'Neill – U.S. Congressman, Speaker of the House
• David Ortiz – retired professional baseball player
• James Otis Jr. – patriot

P

 

Evelyn Parnell

 

Sylvia Plath

• Robert Treat Paine – signer of Declaration of Independence
• Amanda Palmer – songwriter and performer
• Evelyn Parnell – opera singer
• George Patton IV – U.S. Army general; son of famed World War II General George S. Patton III
• Susan Paul – abolitionist
• John Peck – naval architect and merchant^[85]
• The Perceptionists – rap group
• Esther Petrack – contestant on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 15
• Paul Pierce – professional basketball player.
• John Pigeon – Massachusetts Commissary General during Revolutionary War
• Albert Pike – C.S. Army general; author, poet, orator, jurist and prominent member of the Freemasons
• John Pinette – actor and comedian
• The Pixies – band
• Sylvia Plath – poet and author
• Edgar Allan Poe – poet and writer
• Amy Poehler – actress and comedian
• John Pollini – art historian
• Ellen Pompeo – actress
• Poppy (Moriah Rose Pereira) – musician and YouTube personality
• Tom Poti – NHL player, Washington Capitals
• Powerman 5000 – metal band
• Seth Putnam – musician

Q

• Dionne Quan – voice actress
• John Quinlan – pro wrestler

R

 

Lee Remick

• Nicole Raczynski – pro wrestler known as Nikki Roxx, and as Roxxi in TNA Wrestling
• Aly Raisman – gymnast and Olympic gold medalist
• Sumner Redstone – chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Viacom
• Maia Reficco – actress and singer
• Arthur E. Reimer – two-time presidential candidate of Socialist Labor Party of America
• James Remar – actor, known for roles of Ajax in The Warriors and of Harry Morgan in Dexter
• Lee Remick – actress, Days of Wine and Roses, Anatomy of a Murder
• Jerry Remy – MLB player and sportscaster
• Patrick Renna – actor, known for role of Ham in The Sandlot
• Frank Renzulli – writer, actor
• Paul Revere – silversmith and American Revolution patriot
• Abbie Richards – TikToker
• Ellen Swallow Richards – "mother" of home economics and sewage treatment
• Jonathan Richman – musician
• Sam Rivers – jazz musician
• Alex Rocco – actor, known for role of Moe Greene in The Godfather
• Norman Rockwell – artist
• Jeremy Roenick – NHL player
• Jereme Rogers – professional skateboarder
• Mitt Romney – 70th Governor of Massachusetts; 2012 U.S. presidential candidate
• Francis Rosa – sports journalist for The Boston Globe^[86]
• Eli Roth – director, writer, producer, actor
• Lillian Roth – actress, singer
• John Rowe (1715–1787) – Boston resident merchant and diarist, original developer of Rowes Wharf^[87]
• Nathaniel Ruggles – U.S. Representative
• Bill Russell – professional basketball player and coach, NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist
• Blanchard Ryan – actress

S

• Alicia Sacramone – gymnast, world champion and Olympic silver medalist
• Perry Saturn – pro wrestler
• Richard Scarry – author, illustrator
• Jeremy Scott – televangelist, nudist, poet
• Edward Seaga – former Jamaican politician and statesman; his parents returned to Jamaica with him when he was three months old
• Ebenezer Seaver – U.S. Representative, chairman of Roxbury Board of Selectmen
• Anne Sexton – poet
• Dan Shaughnessy – Boston Globe sports columnist
• John H. Sherburne – U.S. Army brigadier general^[88]
• William E. Sheridan – actor
• Timothy Shriver – Chairman of Special Olympic Committee
• Anthony T. Shtogren – U.S. Air Force general
• Fatima Siad – fashion model, third place on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10
• Bill Simmons – sports columnist, "The Sports Guy" on ESPN.com
• Slaine – hip hop artist
• Slapshot – band
• Jenny Slate – actress, comedian, Saturday Night Live cast member
• Emily Goodrich Smith - newspaper correspondent
• Jean Kennedy Smith (1928–2020) – sister of president John F. Kennedy; former United States Ambassador to Ireland
• Samuel Francis Smith – composer
• Edward Dexter Sohier – lawyer
• Joseph B. Soloveitchik – rabbi
• Thankful Southwick (1792–1867) – abolitionist, women's rights activist
• James Spader – actor, Boston Legal, The Blacklist
• Clinton Sparks – hip hop DJ, producer
• Statik Selektah – record producer and DJ
• Special Teamz – rap group
• Billy Squier – rock musician
• Lesley Stahl – television journalist, 60 Minutes
• Staind – band
• Larry Stark – theater critic
• Maurice Starr – musician, producer (New Edition and New Kids on the Block)
• Frederick Stevens – U.S. Representative from Minnesota^[89]
• Jane Agnes Stewart — author, editor, and contributor to periodicals
• Sonny Stitt – jazz saxophonist
• Street Dogs – band
• John J. Sullivan – diplomat
• John L. Sullivan – first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing
• Louis Sullivan – architect
• Donna Summer – singer
• William H. Sumner – developer of East Boston
• John Sununu – junior U.S. Senator from New Hampshire (born in Boston)
• William H. Swanson – chairman and CEO of Raytheon Company

T

• Edmund C. Tarbell – painter
• Lofa Tatupu – NFL linebacker^{[citation needed]}
• James Taylor – folk singer
• Ruth Carol Taylor – first African-American flight attendant in the United States
• That Handsome Devil – band
• John Thomas – first man to clear 7 feet (2.1 m) in high jump
• Thomas W. Thompson – United States Representative and United States Senator^[90]
• Henry David Thoreau – iconic poet, novelist
• Uma Thurman – actress, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill
• Maura Tierney – actress
• 'Til Tuesday – band
• Jimmy Tingle – stand-up comedian, actor
• Jane Toppan – serial killer and nurse
• Eve Torres – professional wrestler
• John Tortorella – NHL coach, head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets
• Touré – writer, TV host
• Eliza Townsend – poet
• Judy Traub – Minnesota state senator
• Ralph Tresvant – singer
• Kevin Trudeau – author, pocket billiards promoter, salesman
• Jen Trynin – musician
• Jonathan Tucker – actor
• John Tudor – MLB pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals^{[citation needed]}
• Charles Tufts – founder of Tufts University

U

• Unearth – band
• Hezekiah Usher – first bookseller in the 13 colonies

V

• Sarah Van Patten – ballet dancer
• Steven Van Zandt – musician with Bruce Springsteen band and actor, The Sopranos
• Vanna – band
• Jimmy Vesey – ice hockey player
• Brian Viglione – musician

W

 

Phillis Wheatley

• Philip Waggenheim – gangster
• Ashley Wagner (born 1991) – figure skater
• Donnie Wahlberg – actor, singer, producer (New Kids on the Block)
• Mark Wahlberg – actor, rapper, producer, Boogie Nights, The Perfect Storm, The Departed, The Fighter
• David Walker – abolitionist
• Jimmy Walker – NBA All-Star
• Mike Wallace – television journalist
• Marty Walsh – Mayor of Boston
• Barbara Walters – television journalist
• An Wang – computer engineer and inventor, co-founder of Wang Laboratories
• Fiske Warren – paper manufacturer and philanthropist
• Gretchen Osgood Warren – poet and muse
• Joseph Warren – founding father and Son of Liberty who died at the Battle of Bunker Hill
• Sam Waterston – actor
• Jack Welch – businessman, CEO of General Electric
• Westbound Train – band
• Phillis Wheatley – poet and former slave
• Colin White – ice hockey player
• Eli Whitney – inventor of the cotton gin
• Jermaine Wiggins – NFL player
• Alfred J. Wiggin – painter and society portraitist
• Tony Williams – jazz drummer
• Alan Wilson – singer, guitarist (Canned Heat)
• Oren Elbridge Wilson – Mayor of Albany, New York, born in Boston^[91]
• Robert Scott Wilson – actor, first male model on The Price Is Right
• Clara Winthrop – philanthropist, art collector
• Danny Wood – singer (New Kids on the Block)
• Gene Wood – game show announcer
• George Wood – baseball player^[83]
• Brian Woods – documentary filmmaker
• Benjamin Edward Woolf – British-born composer, playwright, journalist for Boston Saturday Evening Gazette and Boston Globe
• Steven Wright – Academy Award-winning comedian, actor and writer

X

 

Malcolm X

• Malcolm X – civil rights activist, Muslim minister (lived in Roxbury)

Y

• Donnie Yen – Hong Kong actor, martial artist

Z

• Katya Zamolodchikova – drag queen, actor
• Rob Zombie – musician, director, producer

See also

•   Biography portal
•   Cities portal
•   Massachusetts portal

References

1. Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1967.
2. "Samuel Adams Wisner". 999-2014 Starpulse.com. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
3. "Samuel Adams". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
4. . 1996 – 2014 Museum of Science, Boston. Archived from the original on 30 April 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
5. "Ben Affleck". 2014 Time Inc. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
6. "Casey Affleck". 2014 NY Times Co. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
7. Caballero, Martín (10 June 2011). "Akrobatik". Boston.com. 2014 Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
8. "Al B. Sure". 1999-2014 Starpulse.com. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
9. Channing Home. Report (1913). Boston. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
10. "Louisa May Alcott". 2014 Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
11. "Horatio Alger, Jr". University of Rochester. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
12. Havig, Alan (9 June 2010). Fred Allen's Radio Comedy. Temple University Press, Jun 9, 2010. pp. 27–28. ISBN 9781439905609.
13. Bolino, August C. (6 August 2012). Men of Massachusetts: Bay State Contributors to American Society. iUniverse, Aug 2, 2012. p. 225. ISBN 9781475933765.
14. "Nathaniel M. Allen". 2014 www.militarytimes.com. from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
15. "John Amaechi". 2000-2014 Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
16. . NHL Alumni Pro-Am Boston. Archived from the original on 30 April 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
17. "Leroy Anderson". PBS. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
18. "Mary Antin". 1998–2014, Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
19. "Isabel Atkin – British Ski and Snowboard". www.teambss.org.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
20. "Crispus Attucks". WGBH | PBS Online. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
21. "Red Auerbach". 2014 NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
22. "2 sisters make Army history as first pair to attain general rank". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
23. "Lieutenant General Maria B. Barrett - General Officer Management Office". www.gomo.army.mil. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
24. "Dana Barros". 2000-2014 Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
25. "Zered Bassett". ocusskatemag. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
26. . Bates College. Archived from the original on 9 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
27. "Ruth Batson". 2003 The New York Times Company. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
28. "Peter D. Bear". 1996-2014 Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
29. "Mark Bellhorn". 2000-2013 Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
30. "Asher Benjamin". 2014 Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
31. Nazzal, James A. (2000). "'Verite Sans Peur': Cora Agnes Benneson, a First-Wave Feminist of Illinois". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 93 (3): 273–286. JSTOR 40193344.
32. "Frank Weston Benson". GALLERY FRANCE. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
33. "Leonard Bernstein". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
34. "Big Shug". 2014 Billboard. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
35. . Molly Birnbaum. Archived from the original on 2011-06-21. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
36. "Will Blalock". 2014 CBS Interactive. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
37. "Boston-born Blatt Hired to Coach Maccabi Tel Aviv". Necn.
38. "Oxygenized Air". Lewiston Evening Journal. 1867-05-01. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
39. Grynbaum, Michael M. (18 March 2012). "Mayor's Ties to Hometown Fade, but for a Few, They Are Still Felt". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
40. . 2013 Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame at Massasoit Community College. Archived from the original on 17 September 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
41. "Ernie Boch, Jr". Boch.com. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
42. "Ron Brace". 2014 CBS Interactive. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
43. "Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee". Brighton-Alston Historical Society. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
44. "William J. Bratton". 2014 UMass Boston. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
45. "John Britton (doctor)". 2014 U.S. News & World Report LP. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
46. "Edward W. Brooke". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
47. Czupryn, Jonathan (2015-04-05). "Born to a Star and Becoming One for Maryland". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
48. "Scott Brown". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
49. The State of Wisconsin Blue Book. Legislative Reference Bureau, 1981. 1981. p. 33.
50. "Charles Bulfinch". Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
51. Ephraim Wales Bull article on page 38 of the book Ancient Middlesex with Brief Biographical Sketches.
52. Melnea A. Cass papers, 1954-1979, located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA
53. "Nicholas Raymond Cerio". 2014 maLineage.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
54. "Kevin Chapman". 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
55. 'Black Legislators in the Massachusetts General Court 1867-Present,' State Library of Massachusetts: 2010
56. "Michael Chiklis". 2014 Universal Sports, Universal Sports trademarks and copyrights are the property of NBC Universal Inc. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
57. "John A. Collins". New England Historical Society. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
58. Misha Collins
59. "Jerry Colonna (entertainer)". 2000-2014 HistoryOrb.com. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
60. "Greg Comella". 2001 CNN/Sports Illustrated. An AOL Time Warner Company. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
61. "Dane Cook". 2008-2012 Digital Library Consulting. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
62. Willard, Frances Elizabeth; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice (1893). A Woman of the Century: Fourteen Hundred-seventy Biographical Sketches Accompanied by Portraits of Leading American Women in All Walks of Life. Moulton. pp. 205–.
63. "Jennifer Coolidge". 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
64. Willard, Frances Elizabeth; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice (1893). "COLLINS, Mrs. Miriam O'Leary". A Woman of the Century: Fourteen Hundred-seventy Biographical Sketches Accompanied by Portraits of Leading American Women in All Walks of Life. Charles Wells Moulton. pp. 194–95.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
65. "John Singleton Copley". 2000 American Council of Learned Societies. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
66. "Artifact from "From Here I Saw What Happened and I Could Not Understand" (One of two "Kanga Twin" dresses designed by Hekima Hapa, fabric from Tanzania)". Brooklyn Museum. Brooklyn Museum. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
67. "Lynne Cox". BookBrowse LLC 1997-2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
68. "Norm Crosby". 2014 Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
69. "James Michael Curley". 2014 Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
70. "Jane Curtin". 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
71. Dictionary of American Biography, Vol. III. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1959.
72. Debolt, Baugess, Abbe A., James S. (12 December 2011). Encyclopedia of the Sixties: A Decade of Culture and Counterculture. ABC-CLIO 2011. p. 161. ISBN 9780313329449.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
73. Diamond, Hemmings, Maxine, Harriet (1998). Matt Damon: A Biography. Pocket Books 1998. ISBN 9780671026493. Matt Damon.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
74. Time Out Boston. Time Out Guides 2011. 2011. p. 262. ISBN 9781846701887.
75. Marquard, Bryan (June 22, 2010). "John Ferruggio, at 84; hero of 1970 Pan Am hijacking". Boston Globe. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
76. Chase, Salmon Portland and Niven, John (1993). The Salmon P. Chase Papers. Kent State University Press. p. 648. ISBN 9780873384728.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
77. Eaklor, Vicki L. (2008). Queer America: A GLBT History of the 20th Century. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-313-33749-9. Retrieved October 20, 2010. The nineties also saw the first openly transgender person in a state office, Althea Garrison, elected in 1992 but serving only one term in Massachusetts' House.
78. Marie Jansen Dies at 65.New York Times, March 21, 1914; p. 13
79. "Boston's Keytar Bear Tells All". 4 April 2014.
80. "Teddy bear shreds on keytar". YouTube.
81. "CNN Programs - Anchors/Reporters - John King". CNN.
82. "Major General Paula C. Lodi - General Officer Management Office". www.gomo.army.mil. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
83. Reichler, Joseph L., ed. (1979) [1969]. The Baseball Encyclopedia (4th ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8.
84. Marquard, Bryan (April 2, 2013). "D. Leo Monahan, 86; Boston sports reporter, columnist". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts.
85. Howard I. Chapelle: The History of American Sailing Ships. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1935; republished: New York: Bonanza Books, 1982, p. 138
86. Births registered in the City of Boston for the year 1920, State of Massachusetts State, 1920, p. 168
87. . Massachusetts Historical Society. Archived from the original on February 22, 2006. Retrieved August 22, 2006.
88. Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. (1998). Generals In Khaki. Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press. pp. 330–331. ISBN 978-1-5719-7088-6 – via Google Books.
89. "STEVENS, Frederick Clement (1861–1923)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
90. "THOMPSON, Thomas Weston (1766 - 1821)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
91. The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. XVII. New York, NY: James T. White & Company. 1927. p. 7 – via Google Books.