Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to San Jose

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Famous people · San Jose

Performers stand out among the 54 famous people born in San Jose

With articles in 105 languages, Steve Wozniak is the most widely known. 25 of them were born since 1970. The list runs from Lloyd Bacon, born in 1889, to Naomi Girma, born in 2000. For every 10,000 residents the town has 0.5, while at least half the towns in California list nobody born there.

#2 best knownMichio KakuScience & Medicine · born 1947
+50more
Born here
54
notable people
Best known
Steve Wozniak
in 105 Wikipedia languages
First
1889
Lloyd Bacon
Youngest
2000
Naomi Girma
Most common field
Film, TV & Stage
20 people
Also called it home
10
notable residents

What stands out about San Jose’s famous people

★ What stands out · The best known

Born in San Jose

All three are scientists and doctors.

SW#1
Science & Medicine

Steve Wozniak

born 1950

American computer pioneer, inventor, computer engineer and programmer; co-founder of Apple Inc.

105 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Michio Kaku#2
Science & Medicine

Michio Kaku

born 1947

U.S.-American theoretical physicist, futurist and author

75 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Dudley R. Herschbach#3
Science & Medicine

Dudley R. Herschbach

born 1932

American chemist

52 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Known for

What San Jose is known for

Compared with the usual town, performers are the most over-represented field, at 3.9 times.

The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.

Through the years

When San Jose’s famous people were born

No decade has more births than the 1970s, at 12.

Mills & railroadsThe American centuryToday190019502000DJ ShadowMichio KakuFarley GrangerJosh Holloway
Film, TV & StageSportsScience & MedicineMusicWriting & ArtsFaithNotablePolitics & LawBusiness

Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.

Everyone

Everyone else born in San Jose

51 more, 20 of them performers.

Josh Holloway

Josh Holloway

born 1969

American actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Farley Granger

Farley Granger

1925–2011

American actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Charles Martinet

Charles Martinet

born 1955

American actor and voice actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Aaron Gordon

Aaron Gordon

born 1995

American basketball player (born. 1995)

Lloyd Bacon

Lloyd Bacon

1889–1955

Actor, director

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Rick Warren

Rick Warren

born 1954

American Baptist pastor and writer

RG

Renée Elise Goldsberry

born 1971

American actress and singer

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Lauren Faust

Lauren Faust

born 1974

American animator, writer, voice director, and storyboard artist

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
TW

Tad Williams

born 1957

American fantasy and science fiction writer

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Brandi Chastain

Brandi Chastain

born 1968

American soccer player

Norman Mineta

Norman Mineta

1931–2022

American politician

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
SB

Steven Beitashour

born 1987

Iranian footballer

Arthur Cronquist

Arthur Cronquist

1919–1992

American botanist

Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Dustin Diamond

Dustin Diamond

1977–2021

American actor, musician, director, and stand-up comedian

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Isaác Brizuela

Isaác Brizuela

born 1990

Mexican association football player

MB

Michael Burry

born 1971

American hedge fund manager

Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
A chosen home

Also called San Jose home

10 notable people born elsewhere made the town home, Cain Velasquez the best known.

Cain Velasquez

Cain Velasquez

born 1982

American mixed martial artist

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
LB

Lucy Bacon

1857–1932

American artist

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
KC

Ken Caminiti

1963–2004

American baseball player

MA

Miklós Ajtai

born 1946

Hungarian computer scientist

Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
SC

Scott Coker

born 1962

American sports executive

DT

Dean Takahashi

born 1964

American journalist

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
JH

Jan Hutchins

born 1949

American journalist

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
NP

Nancy Pyle

1930–2023

American politician (died 2023)

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
WK

William Ross Knudsen

1892–1977

American socialist political activist and trade union organizer

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
The town’s pick

Who’s the most famous person from San Jose?

Pick one and say why. Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.

Town Square →
Your pick
No picks yet

Be the first to say who San Jose’s most famous person is.

Or tell us
Next door

Famous people from the towns next door

Of the towns nearby, Santa Clara lists the most people: 61.

From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is San Jose and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.

Photo credits (29)