List of people from San Francisco

This is a list of notable people from San Francisco, California. It includes people who were born/raised in, lived in, or spent 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 alphabetical order.

Academics

 * Andrew Smith Hallidie (1836–1900) promoter of the first cable car line, regent of the University of California from 1868-1900
 * Phoebe Hearst (1842–1919) first woman Regent of the University of California, socialite, philanthropist, feminist and suffragist
 * Terry Karl (born 1947), professor of Latin American Studies at Stanford University

Architects

 * Edward Charles Bassett (1922–1999) San Francisco based architect, designed many of the buildings in San Francisco with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.
 * Richard Gage, San Francisco based architect and 9/11 activist, founder of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth
 * George W. Homsey, known for design of BART stations, among other things.
 * Edgar Mathews (1866–1946), architect that designed many houses in Pacific Heights, often in a Tudor Revival influenced style with half-timbered, half-stucco, he resided in San Francisco at 2980 Vallejo Street.
 * George Matsumoto (1922–2016), Japanese-American Modernist architect, born in San Francisco.
 * Julia Morgan (1872–1957), architect, born in San Francisco
 * Willis Polk (1867-1924), architect of many well-known buildings in San Francisco

Designers

 * Gilbert Baker (1951–2017), artist, gay rights activist, and designer of the rainbow flag, lived in San Francisco from the 1970s until 1994.
 * Josh Begley (born 1984), digital artist and designer that works with data visualization, born in San Francisco
 * Yves Béhar (born 1967), industrial designer, resides in San Francisco in Cow Hollow.
 * Frank Kozik (born 1946), music poster artist, toy designer, resides in San Francisco

Fashion

 * Melrose Bickerstaff, model and fashion designer, runner-up of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 7
 * William Ware Theiss (1930–1992), costume designer

Illustrators and comic book artists

 * Arthur Adams (born 1963), comic book artist known for his work on Longshot and Monkeyman and O'Brien, as of 2001 he lives in San Francisco
 * Robert Crumb (born 1943), cartoonist, started his career in San Francisco
 * Rube Goldberg (1883-1970), American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor.
 * Larry Gonick (born 1946), cartoonist and comic artist, born in San Francisco
 * Aline Kominsky-Crumb (born 1948), cartoonist, lived in San Francisco for many years
 * Paul Terry (1887-1971 ), cartoonist and film producer who created Mighty Mouse
 * Mark Ulriksen (born 1957), The New Yorker illustrator, lives in Cole Valley, San Francisco

Mixed media and installation

 * Jim Campbell (born 1956), artist known for his LED light works
 * Bruce Conner (1933–2008), multimedia artist, lived in San Francisco in the mid-1960s
 * Pam DeLuco (born 1968), textile and fiber artist, papermaker and book arts, based in San Francisco
 * Jo Hanson (1918–2007), environmental artist and activist
 * David Ireland (1930–2009), American sculptor, conceptual artist and Minimalist architect
 * Aaron Kraten (born 1974), mixed media artist
 * Gay Outlaw (born 1959), sculptor, photographer & printmaker based in San Francisco.
 * Rex Ray (1956-2015), graphic designer and collage artist
 * Reminisce (born 1970), street artist, sculptor, painter, part of the Mission School art movement

Painters

 * Tauba Auerbach (born 1981), visual artist, painter, born and raised in San Francisco
 * Robert Bechtle (born 1932), American photorealist painter.
 * Warren Eugene Brandon (1916–1977), painter, born in San Francisco
 * Joan Brown (1938-1990), painter
 * Lenore Chinn (born 1949), painter
 * Jess Collins (1923-2004), painter
 * Jay DeFeo (1929-1989), visual artist, a co-founder of Six Gallery
 * Pele de Lappe (1916–2007), social realist painter and printmaker, and political cartoonist. She was born in San Francisco and lived there many years.
 * Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993), painter
 * Guy Diehl (born 1949), still life painter
 * Howard Hack (1923–2015), representational painter
 * Alice Maud Hartley, killed Nevada State Senator Murray D. Foley by gunshot in 1894
 * Wally Hedrick (1928–2003), painter
 * Ester Hernandez (born 1944), Chicana artist and painter
 * Peregrine Honig (born 1976), painter
 * Chris Johanson (born 1968), painter, part of the Mission School art movement
 * Kali (1918–1998), Polish painter and World War II veteran, moved to San Francisco in 1953 and died in San Francisco in 1998.
 * Margaret Kilgallen (1967–2001), painter, part of the Mission School art movement
 * Jane Kim (born 1981), painter, science illustrator and the founder of Ink Dwell studio, based in San Francisco
 * Anna Elizabeth Klumpke (1856–1942), portrait and genre painter born in San Francisco, life partner of French painter Rosa Bonheur (1822–1899).
 * Barry McGee (born 1966), painter, part of the Mission School art movement
 * Nathan Oliveira (1928–2010), painter, lived in San Francisco for many years, part of the Bay Area Figurative Movement
 * Frederick E. Olmsted (1911–1990), painter, born and raised in San Francisco, former student of Ralph Stackpole and he has a mural is at CCSF.
 * Jules Eugene Pages (1867–1946), painter
 * Charles Dorman Robinson (1847–1933), painter
 * Clare Rojas (born 1976), artist, painter, part of the Mission School art movement
 * Peter Saul (born 1934), American painter associated with Pop Art, Surrealism, and Expressionism.
 * Ralph Stackpole (1885–1973) sculpture, social realist painter and muralist, active in San Francisco in 1920 and 1930s, contributed to the Coit Tower mural project.
 * Wayne Thiebaud (born 1920), painter
 * Ted Vasin (born 1966), painter and sound artist
 * Martin Wong (1946–1999) painter from New York's East Village art scene of the 1980s, grew up in San Francisco's Chinatown.

Photographers

 * Ansel Adams (1902–1984), photographer and environmentalist, born and raised in San Francisco.
 * Victor Burgin, photographer
 * John Gutmann (1905-1998), German-born American photographer and painter
 * Michael Jang (born 1951), photographer
 * Dorothea Lange, photographer

Sculptors

 * Ruth Asawa (1926–2013), sculptor, lived and died in San Francisco
 * Beniamino Benvenuto Bufano (1890–1970), sculptor, lived and died in San Francisco
 * Alexander Calder (1898-1976), sculptor
 * Vincent Fecteau (born 1969), sculptor
 * Sargent Johnson (1888–1967) sculptor, one of the first African-American artists working in California to achieve a national reputation
 * Ron Nagle (born 1939), sculptor, musician and songwriter
 * Manuel Neri (born 1930), sculptor, part of the Bay Area Figurative Movement
 * Gottardo Piazzoni (1872-1945), painter, muralist, sculptor
 * Richard Serra (born 1962), artist
 * Beatrice Wood (1893–1998), ceramicist

Business

 * Albert Abrams (1863?–1924), inventor of medical equipment in the field of electricity therapy
 * Sam Altman (born 1985), chairman of Y Combinator and co-chairman of OpenAI.
 * Melvin Belli (1907–1996), lawyer known as "The King of Torts", died in San Francisco
 * Marc Benioff (born 1964), founder & co-CEO of Salesforce
 * Nathan Blecharczyk (born 1983), chief strategy officer & co-founder of Airbnb
 * 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 & co-founder of Airbnb
 * Ron Conway (born 1951), angel investor and philanthropist
 * Jack Dorsey (born 1976), co-founder & CEO of Twitter, founder & CEO of Square
 * 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), famous investor, author, entrepreneur
 * Joe Gebbia (born 1981), co-founder & 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
 * Elizabeth Holmes (born 1984), founder and former CEO of Theranos
 * Jonathan Ive (born 1967), chief design officer of Apple, industrial designer
 * 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
 * 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. Mayer formerly served as the 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 (born 1929), 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
 * William Chapman Ralston (1826–1875), founder of the Bank of California
 * Kevin Rose (born 1977), internet entrepreneur who co-founded Revision3, Digg, Pownce, and Milk
 * Charles R. Schwab (born 1937), businessman, founder of Schwab investment firm
 * 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 from 1895 until 1897
 * Aaron Swartz (1986–2011), co-founder of Reddit
 * Eric Swenson (1946–2011), co-founder of Thrasher Magazine & Independent Truck Company
 * Peter Thiel (born 1967), co-founder of PayPal, founder of Clarium Capital
 * Richard M. Tobin, (1866–1952), president of Hibernia Bank and Minister to the Netherlands
 * George Treat (1819–1907) early Gold Rush-era pioneer in the Mission District, of San Francisco, a businessman, abolitionist, a member of the first Committee of Vigilance of San Francisco, and horse racing enthusiast.
 * Walter Varney, (1888–1967), aviation pioneer, founded the predecessors to both United Airlines and Continental Airlines
 * Fausto Vitello (1946–2006), creator of Thrasher Magazine and co-creator of Independent Trucks
 * Evan Williams (born 1972), co-founder and CEO of Twitter, founder of Medium and blogger
 * Ilya Zhitomirskiy (1989–2011), co-founder of Diaspora
 * Mark Zuckerberg (born 1984), co-founder and CEO of Facebook

Chefs

 * Mario Batali, chef
 * Dominique Crenn, chef and owner of the two Michelin stars rated, Atelier Crenn and Petit Crenn in San Francisco
 * Jeremiah Tower, chef at Chez Panisse and Stars
 * Martin Yan, television chef

Crime

 * Jim Jones (1931–1978), cult leader
 * The Zodiac Killer, unidentified serial killer active in the 1960s

Actors

 * Gracie Allen (1895–1964) actress, comedian, born in San Francisco
 * Dianna Agron (born 1986), actress
 * Gracie Allen (1895–1964), comedian
 * W. Kamau Bell (born 1973), comic, television host
 * Bill Bixby (1934–1993), actor
 * Joan Blackman (born 1938), actress
 * Mel Blanc (1908–1989), voiceover actor
 * Lisa Bonet (born 1967), actress
 * Benjamin Bratt (born 1963), actor
 * Todd Bridges (born 1965), actor
 * Kari Byron (born 1974), television personality
 * Scott Capurro (born 1962), comedian, actor
 * Carol Channing (1921-2019), actress
 * Kevin Cheng (born 1969), actor
 * Mandy Cho (born 1982), actress
 * Margaret Cho (born 1968), comedian, actress
 * Jamie Chung (born 1983), actress
 * William Collier Jr. (1902-1987), silent film and stage actor
 * Darren Criss (born 1987), actor in Glee
 * Eric Dane (born 1972), actor
 * Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, television personality
 * Dimitri Diatchenko (born 1968), actor and musician
 * Minnie Dupree (1875–1947), actress
 * Barbara Eden (born 1934), actress
 * Kathy Gori (born 1951), actress
 * Danny Glover (born 1946), actor
 * Tom Hanks (born 1956), actor
 * China Kantner (born 1971), actress
 * Bruce Lee (1940–1973), actor and martial artist
 * Marjorie Lord (1918–2015), actress
 * Leslie Mann (born 1972), actress, born in San Francisco
 * Cheech Marin, actor
 * Marc Maron, comedian & podcaster
 * Edna McClure (born c. 1888), Broadway actress
 * Bridgit Mendler, actress and singer
 * Vera Michelena (1885–1961), actress, dancer and singer
 * Melissa Ng (born 1972), Hong Kong television actress, raised in San Francisco
 * Larisa Oleynik (born 1981), actress
 * Patton Oswalt, comedian
 * Brian Posehn, comedian
 * Paula Poundstone (born 1959), comedian and panelist on NPR's Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me
 * Rob Schneider (born 1963), actor
 * Liev Schreiber (born 1967), actor
 * Harry Shum, Jr. (born 1982), actor
 * Alicia Silverstone (born 1976), actress
 * Genevieve Stebbins (1857–1934), actress, author, teacher
 * David Strathairn (born 1949), actor
 * Sharon Stone (born 1958), actress
 * Jeffrey Tambor (born 1944), actor
 * Phillip Terry (1909–1993), actor
 * Gregg Turkington, a.k.a. Neil Hamburger
 * Aisha Tyler (born 1970), actress and TV personality
 * Robin Williams, comedian, actor
 * Stuart Whitman (born 1928), actor
 * Ali Wong (born 1982), actress, comic, writer
 * BD Wong (born 1960), actor
 * Natalie Wood (1938–1981), actress
 * Terri J. Vaughn (born 1969), actress

Dancers

 * Carol Doda (1937–2015), first public topless dancer
 * Isadora Duncan (1877–1927), "mother" of modern dance
 * Margaret Jenkins (born 1942), choreographer

Filmmakers

 * David Butler (1894–1979), film director, actor, writer and producer
 * Chris Columbus (born 1958), director
 * Francis Coppola, film director, writer, producer, winery owner, San Francisco restaurateur
 * Sofia Coppola (born 1971), director
 * Delmer Daves (1904–1977), director
 * Clint Eastwood (born 1930), director, actor, producer
 * David Fincher (born 1962), director
 * Philip Kaufman, film director
 * Mervyn LeRoy (1900–1987), director, producer, actor
 * George Lucas (born 1944), director and producer
 * Andy Luckey (born 1965), TV writer, producer, director
 * The Mitchell brothers, Jim and Artie, adult industry pioneers including adult cinema and adult film production
 * Jenni Olson (b. 1962), film curator, filmmaker, author, and LGBT film historian
 * Walter Shenson (1919–2000), film producer
 * Jay Ward (1920–1989), creator and producer of animated TV series
 * Wayne Wang (born 1949), director
 * Tommy Wiseau, director of the cult film The Room

Promoters & Managers

 * Bill Graham (1931-1991), rock promoter, known for Winterland Ballroom, The Fillmore, Fillmore West and Bill Graham Presents
 * Chet Helms (1942-2005), 1960's rock promoter
 * Rock Scully (1941-2014), manager of the Grateful Dead

Theatre

 * David Belasco (1853–1931) theatrical producer, impresario, director and playwright, born in San Francisco
 * Darren Criss (born 1987) Broadway actor, singer and songwriter, born in San Francisco
 * Carole Shorenstein Hays, theatrical producer and owner of Curran Theatre.

Military

 * James Millikin Bevans (1899–1977), US Air Force Major General
 * Daniel Callaghan, (1890–1942) Medal of Honor Recipient, Rear Admiral, USN
 * Robert L. Fair (1923–1983), US Army Lieutenant General, Silver Star winner
 * William Harrington Leahy (1904–1986), US Navy Rear Admiral
 * G. S. Patrick, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, Navy Cross winner
 * William T. Shorey (1859–1919), first black San Francisco sea captain
 * Arthur Wolcott Yates, U.S. Army general
 * John C. Young (1912–1987), US Army Colonel, Chinatown leader
 * Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. (1920–2000), US Navy Admiral

Musicians and bands

 * 4 Non Blondes, rock band
 * 8 Legged Monster, Jazz band based in San Francisco
 * A.B. Skhy, 1960's blues-rock band
 * The Ace of Cups, 1960's rock band
 * The Aislers Set, indie rock band
 * Allegiance, hardcore band
 * American Music Club, indie rock band
 * A Minor Forest, math rock band
 * Lorin Ashton a.k.a. Bassnectar (born 1978), DJ & record producer
 * Avengers, punk band
 * Penelope Houston (born 1958), singer
 * Marty Balin (1949-2018), singer Jefferson Airplane
 * Richard Baluyut (born 1966), lead singer and guitarist for Versus
 * Beau Brummels, 1960's rock band
 * Tony Bennett (born 1926), singer, signature song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
 * Jello Biafra (born 1958), singer for Dead Kennedys
 * Black Pearl, 1960's/1970's rock band
 * Kat Bjelland (born 1963), bassist for Babes in Toyland
 * Blue Cheer, early hard rock band
 * Mike Bordin (born 1962), drummer for Faith No More and Ozzy Osbourne
 * Mike Burkett a.k.a. "Fat Mike" (born 1967), bassist/songwriter for NOFX
 * Jack Casady (born 1944), bassist for Jefferson Airplane & Hot Tuna
 * Billy Gould (born 1963), bass guitarist for Faith No More
 * Mike Patton (born 1968), singer for Faith No More
 * Paul Bostaph (born 1964), heavy metal drummer
 * Jim Campilongo (born 1958), guitarist
 * Kevin Cadogan (born 1970), guitarist, known for his work with the band Third Eye Blind on the albums Third Eye Blind and Blue
 * Michael Carabello (born 1947), percussionist with Santana
 * Caroliner, experimental band
 * Vanessa Carlton, singer
 * Adam Carson (born 1974), drummer for AFI
 * The Fucking Champs, progressive punk band
 * Tracy Chapman (born 1964), singer-songwriter
 * Craig Chaquico (born 1954), rock, jazz and new age guitarist
 * The Charlatans, folk rock & psychedelic rock band
 * Chrome, foundational industrial rock band
 * Counting Crows, alternative rock band
 * Patrick Cowley (1950-1982), disco composer
 * Todd Tamanend Clark (born 1952), poet and composer
 * Helios Creed (born 1953), singer/songwriter
 * Creeper Lagoon, rock band
 * Crime, early punk band
 * Cypher in the Snow, queercore band
 * Dead Kennedys, punk band
 * Dead to Me, punk band
 * Paul Desmond (1924-1977), jazz saxophonist
 * The Dicks, early punk band
 * Dave Dictor (born 1951), founder & singer of MDC
 * Dieselhed, country punk band
 * The Dils, early punk band
 * Dominant Legs, indie pop group
 * David Dondero (born 1969), singer/songwriter
 * The Dwarves, punk band
 * John Dwyer (born 1974), multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter
 * Mark Eitzel (born 1959), musician
 * Hanni El Khatib (born 1981), a blues rock artist born in San Francisco, currently based in Los Angeles
 * Engine 88, rock band
 * Andy Ernst, punk rock music producer, engineer, musician, and songwriter
 * Erase Errata, post-punk band
 * Greg Errico (born 1948), drummer for many bands, most notably Sly & the Family Stone
 * Faith No More, rock band
 * Maude Fay (1878–1964), operatic dramatic soprano
 * Jennifer Finch (born 1966), bassist for L7
 * Flamin' Groovies, rock band
 * Flipper, early punk band
 * Michael Franti (born 1967), singer/songwriter
 * Lars Frederiksen, guitarist/singer/songwriter with Rancid
 * Bobby Freeman (1940-2017), rock, soul, and R&B singer and producer
 * Frightwig, punk band
 * Girls, rock band
 * Grass Widow, indie punk band
 * Grateful Dead, rock band
 * Jerry Garcia (1942–1995), psychedelic and folk-rock guitarist and singer for Grateful Dead
 * Bob Weir (born 1947), songwriter/guitarist for Grateful Dead
 * Phil Lesh (born 1949), bassist for Grateful Dead
 * Mickey Hart (born 1943), drummer for Grateful Dead
 * Bill Kreutzmann (born 1946), drummer for Grateful Dead
 * Tom Constanten (born 1944), keyboardist for Grateful Dead
 * Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (1949-1973), keyboardist and founding member of Grateful Dead
 * Ryan Green, record producer & sound engineer
 * Vince Guaraldi (1928–1976), jazz musician and pianist, born in San Francisco
 * Sammy Hagar (born 1947), singer for Montrose & Van Halen
 * Henry's Dress, indie pop band
 * Cindy Herron (born 1961), R&B singer in EnVogue, born in San Francisco
 * Gary Holt (born 1964), thrash metal guitarist for Exodus
 * Hickey, punk band
 * Tiffany Hwang (born 1989), member of pop group Girls' Generation
 * Imperial Teen, rock band
 * Chris Isaak (born 1956), singer and musician
 * Etta James (1938-2012), blues/R&B/soul icon
 * Stephen Jenkins (born 1964), singer/songwriter for Third Eye Blind
 * Janis Joplin (1943-1970), rock singer
 * Jawbreaker, punk/emo band
 * Blake Schwarzenbach (born 1967), singer, songwriter & guitarist for Jawbreaker & Jets to Brazil
 * J Church, punk band
 * Jefferson Airplane, rock band
 * Jefferson Starship, rock band
 * Jessica Jung (born 1989), former member of pop group Girls' Generation
 * Journey, rock band
 * Krystal Jung (born 1994), member of pop group f(x)
 * John Kahn (1947–1996), bassist for Jerry Garcia Band
 * Paul Kantner (born 1941–2016) rock musician and co-founder of the band Jefferson Airplane
 * Jorma Kaukonen (born 1940), guitarist for Jefferson Airplane & Hot Tuna
 * Mark Kozelek (born 1967), singer/songwriter, Red House Painters & solo
 * Kreayshawn (born 1989), rapper
 * Kronos Quartet, classical ensemble
 * CoCo Lee, CantoPop singer and actress
 * Maxime Le Forestier (born 1949), French singer/songwriter
 * Huey Lewis (born 1950), Lead singer for Huey Lewis and the News
 * The Little Deaths, rock band
 * Courtney Love (born 1964), singer and actress
 * Bamboo Mañalac (born 1978) rock singer, former lead vocals for Rivermaya and Bamboo (band), coach of The Voice Philippines
 * Tony Martin (1913-2012), American actor and popular singer
 * Mates of State, indie-pop duo
 * Dmitri Matheny (born 1965), jazz flugelhornist
 * Johnny Mathis (born 1935), pop singer
 * Bobby McFerrin (born 1950), singer/songwriter
 * Kirke Mechem, composer
 * The Mermen, surf-rock band
 * Metallica, heavy metal band
 * Cliff Burton (1962–1986), bass guitarist for thrash metal band Metallica
 * Kirk Hammett (born 1962), lead guitarist for thrash metal band Metallica
 * James Hetfield (born 1963), singer and rhythm guitarist for thrash metal band Metallica
 * Lars Ulrich, (born 1963), drummer for thrash metal band Metallica
 * Moby, electronic music artist
 * Moby Grape, rock band
 * The Mojo Men, 1960's rock band
 * Chante Moore (born 1967), R&B and jazz singer
 * Sonny John Moore a.k.a. Skrillex (born 1988), electronic producer, DJ, musician
 * Bob Mould (born 1960), singer/guitarist, Hüsker Dü, Sugar
 * The Mummies, garage rock band
 * Stuart Murdoch (born 1968), singer/songwriter, Belle & Sebastian
 * The Mutants, early punk band
 * The Mystery Trend, 1960's garage rock band
 * Graham Nash (born 1942), singer, songwriter & guitarist for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and The Hollies
 * Dan Nakamura a.k.a. Dan the Automator (born 1966), hip hop producer
 * Matt Nathanson, singer/musician
 * Negative Trend, punk band
 * New Riders of the Purple Sage, rock band
 * Andre Nickatina (born 1970), rapper
 * The Nuns, punk band
 * The Oh Sees, garage rock band
 * The Offs, punk band
 * Christopher Owens (born 1979), singer, songwriter
 * Christopher Olsen (born 1957), folk singer-songwriter
 * The Ophelias, psychedelic rock band
 * Buzz Osborne (born 1964), singer/songwriter/guitarist with The Melvins
 * Pablo Cruise, pop/rock band
 * Pagan Babies, rock band
 * Tim Pagnotta (born 1977), guitarist
 * Pansy Division, punk band
 * Esa-Pekka Salonen (born 1958), Finnish orchestral conductor, composer, music director-designate of the San Francisco Symphony.
 * Linda Perry, lead singer of 4 Non Blondes
 * Faith Petric (1915-1913), American folk singer
 * Liz Phair (born 1967), singer/songwriter
 * Polkacide, punk-polka band
 * Rappin' 4-Tay (Anthony Forte) (born 1968), rapper
 * Red House Painters, rock band
 * The Residents, avant-garde music and visual arts group
 * Tina Root, ex-vocalist of the now defunct darkwave band Switchblade Symphony
 * Quicksilver Messenger Service, rock band
 * Linda Ronstadt (born 1946), singer
 * Doug Sahm (1941–1999), singer-songwriter
 * Michael Shrieve (born 1949), drummer for Santana
 * Sister Double Happiness, punk band
 * San Quinn (born 1977) rapper, raised in the Western Addition, a neighborhood of San Francisco
 * Carlos Santana (born 1947), rock, blues, salsa guitarist and singer
 * Ty Segall (born 1987), musician
 * Deke Sharon (born 1967), a cappella singer The House Jacks
 * Virgil Shaw, singer-songwriter, member of Brent's TV & Dieselhed
 * Sic Alps, garage rock band
 * Sir Douglas Quintet, rock band
 * Grace Slick (born 1939), singer for Jefferson Airplane
 * Sopwith Camel, 1960's psychedelic rock band
 * Martin Sorrondeguy, singer for Los Crudos & Limp Wrist, & founder of Lengua Armada Discos
 * Skip Spence (1946-1999), singer-songwriter, and member of Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Moby Grape
 * Sly Stone (born 1943), funk icon
 * Steel Pole Bath Tub, noise-punk band
 * The Stinky Puffs, alternative rock band
 * Stone Fox, rock band
 * Sun Kil Moon, folk rock band
 * Swingin' Utters, street punk band
 * Sylvester, disco singer & performer
 * Janice Tanaka (born 1963), bassist
 * Third Eye Blind, alt-rock band
 * Michael Tilson Thomas (born 1944), conductor
 * Those Darn Accordions, accordion band
 * Peter Tork (1942-2019), keyboardist and bassist for The Monkees
 * Trainwreck Riders, alt-country punk band
 * Tribe 8, queercore punk band
 * The Tubes, new wave/punk band
 * Two Gallants, guitar/drum duo
 * Ross Valory (born 1949), bass player for many bands, most notably Journey
 * John Vanderslice (born 1967), musician, songwriter, & recording engineer
 * Sid Vicious (1957-1979), bassist for Sex Pistols
 * Martha Wash (born 1953), R&B, Soul, and pop singer
 * George Watsky (born 1986), hip hop artist
 * We Five, 1960's folk rock group
 * White Trash Debutantes, punk band
 * Kevin Woo (born 1991), member of Korean boygroup U-Kiss
 * 11/5, rap group
 * Eric Melvin (born 1966), guitarist for NOFX
 * RBL Posse, rap group

News and commentary

 * Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913), journalist
 * Ben Blank (c.1921–2009), television graphics innovator
 * Phil Bronstein (born 1950), editor of San Francisco Chronicle & San Francisco Examiner
 * Herb Caen (1916–1997), newspaper columnist
 * Tucker Carlson (born 1969), conservative political commentator for Fox News
 * Ben Fong-Torres, journalist, best known for work with Rolling Stone
 * C.H. Garrigues, jazz reviewer
 * Lester Holt, journalist and news anchor for the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC
 * Gregg Jarrett (born 1955), news commentator with Fox News
 * Whit Johnson, journalist
 * William Randolph Hearst (1863–1951), newspaper magnate and publisher
 * Lewis Lapham, editor of Harper's
 * Kent Ninomiya, journalist
 * Jake Phelps (1962-2019), editor-in-chief of Thrasher Magazine
 * Michael Savage, radio personality and conservative political commentator
 * Lincoln Steffens (1866–1936), journalist
 * David Talbot (born 1951), creator of Salon.com, journalist
 * Stephen Talbot (born 1949), reporter, producer, KQED and PBS Frontline
 * Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone founder
 * Marla Tellez, journalist
 * Tim Yohannan, founder of MaximumRockNRoll and 924 Gilman Street

Political figures, activists and civil servants

 * Jeff Adachi (1959-2019), San Francisco Public Defender
 * Jewett W. Adams, fourth Governor of Nevada; resident of San Francisco
 * Art Agnos (born 1938), 38th Mayor of San Francisco
 * Tom Ammiano (born 1941), California State Assemblyman, San Francisco Supervisor, Mayoral candidate and LGBT rights activist
 * Luis Antonio Argüello (1784–1830), first governor of Alta California
 * Earle D. Baker (1888–1987), Los Angeles City Council member, 1951–59
 * George W.C. Baker, Los Angeles City Council member, 1931–35
 * John Perry Barlow (1948-2018), poet and essayist, cyberlibertarian political activist, Grateful Dead lyricist, and founding member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Freedom of the Press Foundation
 * London Breed, (born 1974), Mayor of San Francisco, (2017-)
 * Stephen Breyer (born 1938), United States Supreme Court Associate Justice
 * Jerry Brown (born 1938), former Governor of California, former Governor of California, former Mayor of Oakland, former California Attorney General
 * Pat Brown (1905–1996), former Governor of California
 * Willie Brown (born 1934), Mayor of San Francisco, 1996–2004, Speaker of the California State Assembly, 1980–1995
 * Christopher Augustine Buckley ("Blind Boss" Buckley, 1845–1922), Democratic Party boss
 * Wayne M. Collins (1899-1974), civil rights attorney
 * Belle Cora (Arabella Ryan), (1827–1862) Madam of the Barbary Coast, Vigilance Committee
 * Ben Fee (1908) Chinese activist in San Francisco's Chinatown
 * Dianne Feinstein (born 1933), San Francisco's first female mayor (1978–1988) and U.S. Senator since 1992
 * Joseph Flores, Governor of Guam
 * John Gilmore (born 1955), co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Cypherpunks mailing list, and Cygnus Solutions, creator of the alt.* hierarchy in Usenet and is a major contributor to the GNU Project.
 * C.J. Goodell, Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal (1945–1953)
 * Terence Hallinan (born 1936), former San Francisco Supervisor and District Attorney
 * Peter D. Hannaford (born 1932), former aide to Ronald W. Reagan; author, public relations consultant
 * George Hearst, politician
 * Frank Jordan (born 1935), police chief and former Mayor of San Francisco
 * Ed Lee (1952-2017), former Mayor of San Francisco
 * Mark Leno (born 1951), California State Senator, former San Francisco Supervisor, and mayoral candidate
 * Monica Lewinsky (born 1973), activist and former White House intern, born in San Francisco
 * Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, activists, first same-sex couple to get a marriage license in San Francisco
 * Robert McNamara (1916–2009), former Secretary of Defense and CEO of Ford Motor Company
 * Harvey Milk (1930-1978), former city supervisor of San Francisco, gay icon
 * George Moscone (1929-1978), attorney and Democratic politician, 37th mayor of San Francisco (1976-1978), "the people's mayor," California State Senator & majority leader (1967-1976).
 * Gavin Newsom (born 1967), current Governor of California, former Mayor of San Francisco & Lieutenant Governor of California
 * José de Jesús Noé (1805–1862), was the last alcalde of Yerba Buena, which became San Francisco after the Mexican–American War
 * Michael O'Shaughnessy (1864–1934), civil engineer who became city engineer for the city of San Francisco during the first part of the twentieth century and developed the Hetch-Hetchy water system.
 * Nancy Pelosi (born 1940), Congresswoman, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
 * Aaron Peskin (born 1964), San Francisco Supervisor
 * James Duval Phelan (1861–1930), civic leader and banker. Mayor of San Francisco from 1897 to 1902 U.S. Senator from 1915 to 1921. Central to effort to bring Hetch Hetchy & municipal water to San Francisco.
 * Anthony Ribera, Chief of San Francisco police department.
 * James Rolph Jr. (1869-1934), 27th governor of California & 30th (and longest-serving) mayor of San Francisco.
 * John Roos (born 1955), former United States Ambassador to Japan under Barack Obama, technology lawyer, and CEO of Silicon Valley-based law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
 * Angelo Rossi (1878-1948), 31st mayor of San Francisco
 * George P. Shultz (born 1920), Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan and Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Labor & Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Richard Nixon
 * Theresa Sparks (born 1949) activist, former president of the San Francisco Police Commission, business woman
 * Edgar Wayburn (1906-2010), environmentalist, five-time president of the Sierra Club
 * Caspar Weinberger (1917–2006), former Secretary of Defense
 * Cecil Williams, pastor and community leader

Scientists

 * Augustus Jesse Bowie Jr. (1872–1955), technology engineer, inventor and entrepreneur
 * Paul Ekman (born 1934), pioneer in the study of emotions and their relation to facial expressions
 * Laura J. Esserman, surgeon and breast cancer oncology specialist who practices at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine.
 * Dian Fossey (1932–1985), primatologist, researcher and animal advocate
 * Clifford Geertz (1926–2006), anthropologist
 * Eugene Gu (born 1986), doctor and CEO of Ganogen Research Institute Also a news media writer, born in San Francisco.
 * Stephen Herrero, biologist, bear expert, professor at University of Calgary
 * Duncan Irschick (born 1969), evolutionary ecologist in animal performance
 * Daniel Levitin (born 1957) cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, writer, musician, and record producer
 * Gabriel L. Plaa (1930–2009), toxicologist
 * Mervyn Silverman, physician and public health supervisor of San Francisco during the city's initial response to the AIDS crisis
 * Kazue Togasaki (1897–1992) Japanese woman who served as a medical doctor in Japanese internment camps
 * Paul Volberding, American physician known for his pioneering work in treating persons with HIV
 * Robert Wartenberg (1887–1956) neurologist and clinical professor of neurology at the University of California
 * John W. Young (born 1930), astronaut

Socialites

 * Marian and Vivian Brown (1927–2013, 2014), identical twin socialites and locally known San Francisco personalities
 * Abigail Folger (1943–1969), Folgers coffee heiress and victim of the Tate murders
 * Gordon Getty (born 1933), heir to oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, philanthropists, classical music composer, business man, born and raised in San Francisco
 * Noël Sullivan (1890–1956), concert singer, philanthropist and patron of the arts, born and raised in San Francisco.
 * Charlotte Mailliard Shultz (born 1933), philanthropist, socialite
 * Tabe Slioor, socialite, news reporter, photojournalist

Writers

 * Maya Angelou, poet
 * William Bayer, crime fiction writer
 * David Belasco (1853–1931), playwright
 * Ambrose Bierce, journalist and author
 * Clark Blaise, Canadian author
 * Richard Brautigan (1935–1984), poet, writer
 * Neal Cassady (1926-1968), beatnik poet, husband of Carolyn Cassady
 * Carolyn Cassady (1923-2013), writer, wife of Neal Cassady
 * Eli Coppola (1961–2000), poet and spoken word performer
 * Greg Downs (born 1971), short-story writer
 * Robert Duncan (1919-1988), poet
 * Dave Eggers (born 1970), author
 * Jeffrey Eugenides (born 1960), author
 * Marcus Ewert (b. 1972), writer, actor, and director
 * Lawrence Ferlinghetti (born 1919), poet, co-founder of City Lights Bookstore
 * Robert Frost (1874–1963), iconic poet
 * Adam Gidwitz (born 1982), children's book author
 * Allen Ginsberg (1926–1997), iconic poet of the beat generation
 * Clay Meredith Greene (1850-1933), playwright, director, actor
 * Thom Gunn (1929–2004), poet
 * Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961), author of hard-boiled detective novels
 * Daniel Handler (born 1970), better known as Lemony Snicket
 * George Hitchcock (1914–2010) Poet, playwright, actor, professor, editor of the San Francisco-based Kayak poetry journal, lived in San Francisco from 1958 until 1970.
 * Shirley Jackson (1916–1965), author
 * Alan Kaufman (born 1952), author, poet, editor
 * Gus Lee (born 1946), Asian-American author
 * Fritz Reuter Leiber, Jr. (1910–1992), author of science fiction novels
 * Daniel Levitin (born 1957), writer, scientist, musician
 * Ron Loewinsohn (1937–2014), poet, novelist
 * Jack London (1876–1916), writer
 * Ki Longfellow (born 1944), writer
 * Devorah Major (active since 1990s), poet, novelist
 * Armistead Maupin (born 1944), writer
 * Midori, author and sex educator
 * Carol Anne O'Marie (1933–2009), Roman Catholic nun, mystery writer
 * Emelie Tracy Y. Swett Parkhurst (1863-1892), poet and author
 * Peter Plate, author
 * Charles Plymell (b. 1935), poet, novelist, and small press publisher
 * Kenneth Rexroth (1905-1982), poet
 * Anne Rice, author
 * Gary Snyder (born 1930), poet of the beat generation
 * Rebecca Solnit (born 1961), writer
 * Lorenzo Sosso (1867-1965), Italian-American poet
 * Jack Spicer (1925–1965), poet of the beat generation, lived in the 1950s and 1960s in San Francisco and died in San Francisco
 * Joseph Staten, writer (Halo: Contact Harvest)
 * Danielle Steel, author
 * Dale J. Stephens, author
 * Robert Louis Stevenson author, lived in San Francisco from 1879–1880
 * Amy Tan (born 1952), author
 * Michelle Tea, author, poet, editor
 * Walter Tevis (1928–1994), author, The Hustler
 * Robert Alfred Theobald (1884–1957), US Navy Rear Admiral, author of The Final Secret of Pearl Harbor
 * Alice B. Toklas (1877–1967), cookbook author, partner to Gertrude Stein, born and lived in San Francisco
 * Mark Twain, author
 * Vendela Vida (born 1971), writer
 * Philip Whalen (1923-2002), poet
 * Oscar Wilde, author and playwright, spent 1882 in San Francisco
 * Naomi Wolf (born 1962), writer
 * Curtis Yarvin (born 1973), American political theorist and computer scientist
 * Laurence Yep (born 1948), Asian-American writer
 * Helen Zia (born 1952), writer, journalist, and activist

Baseball
See San Francisco Giants 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 (born 1929), 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 (born 1928), shortstop
 * Dom DiMaggio (1917–2009), outfielder
 * Bob Elliott (1916–1966), player and manager
 * Jim Fregosi (1942–2014), player and manager
 * Al Gallagher (born 1945), 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 (born 1916), 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 (born 1938), 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

 * Mike Brown (born 1970), basketball coach for Golden State Warriors
 * Kevin Durant (born 1988), NBA player with Golden State Warriors
 * Steve Kerr (born 1965), head coach of Golden State Warriors
 * Jason Kidd (born 1973), basketball player
 * Tom Meschery (born 1938)
 * Pete Newell (1915–2008), Olympic and USF coach
 * Gary Payton, NBA player
 * Bill Russell (born 1934), led USF to two NCAA championships
 * Phil Smith (1952–2002)
 * Phil Woolpert (1915–1987), San Francisco high school and college coach

Boxing

 * Abe Attell (born 1884), 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
 * Eddie Forrest (1921–2001), NFL offensive lineman for San Francisco 49ers
 * Jason Hill (born 1985), NFL wide receiver for 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 (born 1936), 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 (born 1947), 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

 * 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
 * Otey Cannon (born 1968), first black American player in the North American Soccer League
 * Cheerleader Melissa, pro wrestler
 * 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
 * Laird Hamilton (born 1964), surfer
 * Hans Halberstadt (1885–1966), German-born American Olympic fencer
 * Helen Jacobs (1908–1997), tennis player
 * Jeremy McGrath (born 1971), motocross rider
 * Jonny Moseley (born 1975), freestyle skiing Olympic gold medalist
 * Brooks Orpik (born 1980), NHL player for the Washington Capitals
 * Bill Schaadt (1924–1995), fly fisherman
 * Emerson Spencer (1906–1985), Olympic track and field gold medalist
 * Shawn Spikes (born 1996), thoroughbred jockey
 * Shannon Rowbury (born 1984), 2-time track & field Olympian, American Record Holder at 1500m, World Record Holder in Distance Medley Relay
 * Ben Wildman-Tobriner (born 1984), Olympic swimming gold medalist
 * Al Young (born 1946), drag racing world champion

Other

 * Brace Belden (born 1989), columnist, militiaman, union organizer, Twitter personality
 * Maciej Cegłowski (born 1975), web developer, entrepreneur, speaker, and social critic
 * Eleanor Dumont (Madame Moustache), Gold Rush era professional card dealer and gambler
 * Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Steve Jobs, founder of Emerson Collective
 * Anton LaVey, founder of the Church of Satan, author, musician and occultist, lived and died in San Francisco
 * Emperor Norton, Gold Rush entrepreneur, eccentric, egalitarian and original visionary of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
 * Maria Seise, first Chinese woman to immigrate to California
 * Owsley Stanley (1935-2011), American audio engineer and clandestine chemist
 * Tye Leung Schulze, interpreter and first Chinese-American woman to vote in a US primary election
 * Jacob Weisman (born 1965), publisher of Tachyon Publications, editor