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.
0-9 7L & Esoteric – rap group
A
Joel Abbot (1776–1826) – naval officer Amos Abbott (1786–1868) – born in Westford, member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts Austin Abbott (1831–1896) – born in Boston; lawyer, novelist, and academic Benjamin Vaughan Abbott (1830–1890) – born in Boston, lawyer and legal writer Joseph Carter Abbott (1825–1882) – publisher of the Boston Bee Josiah Gardner Abbott (1814–1891) – member of United States House of Representatives 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 Abijah Adams (1754–1816) – born in Boston, journalist, often embroiled in lawsuits against him Charles Francis Adams Sr. (1807–1886) – born in Boston; son of Abigail Adams and John Adams; congressman; diplomat; writer Edwin Adams (1834–1877) – born in Medford, 19th-century stage actor Eliphalet Adams (1677–1753) – born in Medford, clergyman and missionary Hannah Adams (1755–1831) – born in Medfield, famous Christian writer Henry Adams (1838–1918) – born in Boston, journalist, historian, academic and novelist Jasper Adams (1793–1841) – born in Medway, clergyman and college president Nehemiah Adams (1806–1878) – clergyman and author Sammy Adams – musician Samuel Adams – American Revolution patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence Aerosmith – band Ben Affleck – Academy Award-winning actor, screenwriter and director, brother of Casey Casey Affleck – Academy Award-winning actor, brother of Ben George Aiken (1830–1876) – born in Boston, actor and playwright Amos T. Akerman (1821–1880) – United States attorney general, born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire Akrobatik – hip hop artist, member of The Perceptionists Al B. Sure – singer Harriet Ryan Albee (1829–1873) – born and died in Boston; social reformer and philanthropist Mildred Albert (1905–1991) – fashion show producer and radio and television personality Louisa May Alcott – 19th-century author of Little Women Horatio Alger Jr. – author Fred Allen – radio comedian Frederick Lewis Allen – writer Joseph Allen (1749–1827) – born in Boston, United States congressman Nathaniel M. Allen – soldier in Civil War, awarded Congressional Medal of Honor The Almighty RSO – rap group Stanley Alves – soccer player John Amaechi – basketball player American Hi-Fi – band American Nightmare – hardcore band Amerie – R&B artist Ed Ames – actor and singer Rich Amiri – rapper Tony Amonte – NHL player Leroy Anderson – composer for Boston Pops Orchestra Arthur L. Andrews – chief master sergeant of the Air Force Mary Antin – author Ashkanov Apollon – soccer player Apollo Sunshine – band Thomas Gold Appleton (1812–1884) – writer Isabel Atkin – British–American skier and Olympic medalist for Great Britain Oliver F. Atkins – photographer, served as the chief official White House photographer Crispus Attucks – American Revolution patriot Red Auerbach – Boston Celtics coach and president, Basketball Hall of Famer John Augustus (1785–1859) – born in Boston, philanthropist and pioneer of probation James Trecothick Austin (1784–1870) – born in Boston, member of Massachusetts General Court and Massachusetts attorney general Jonathan Loring Austin (1748–1826) – born in Boston; officer in American Revolutionary War; Massachusetts state representative, senator, secretary, and treasurer
B
Bad Rabbits – band Arthur Baker – rap DJ, music producer Bang Camaro – rock band 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 Dana Barros – former basketball player Zered Bassett – professional skateboarder Benjamin E. Bates – founder and namesake of Bates College Ruth Batson – civil rights and education activist Susan Batson – actress, author, and producer; daughter of Ruth Batson Peter D. Bear – Wisconsin State Senator Bell Biv DeVoe – music group Gaston Bell – stage and silent film actor Tobin Bell – actor (born in Queens, NY, raised in Weymouth) Mark Bellhorn – MLB player Cora Agnes Benneson – attorney, lecturer, and writer Frank Weston Benson – impressionist artist Rick Berlin – musician Leonard Bernstein – New York Philharmonic conductor, composer and pianist Big D and the Kids Table – band Big Shug – rapper Traci Bingham – actress, model Mike Birbiglia – comedian Molly Birnbaum – writer William Blackstone (also spelled Blaxton) – first European settler Arthur Blake – athlete Will Blalock – former basketball player David Blatt (born 1959) – Israeli-American basketball player and coach (most recently for the Cleveland Cavaliers) C. L. Blood – physician Matt Bloom – NFL player and professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE Michael Bloomberg – former mayor of New York City Bob and Ray – comedy team Ernie Boch Jr. – president of Boch Enterprises Ray Bolger – actor and dancer, Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz Veda Ann Borg – film actress Boston – band Boys Like Girls – band Ron Brace – NFL player, New England Patriots Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee – architect William J. Bratton – chief of police for NYPD and LAPD Connie Britton – actress John Britton – abortion provider Edward W. Brooke – first African American elected by popular vote to United States Senate Ames T. Brown – Adjutant General of New York Bobby Brown – singer Carolyn Brown – dancer, writer, choreographer Earle Brown – composer Lexie Brown – basketball player for the Seattle Storm Sam Brown – comedian from IFC sketch comedy show The Whitest Kids U' Know Scott Brown – U.S. senator William B. Broydrick – Wisconsin state assemblyman Aimee Buchanan (born 1993) – American-born Olympic figure skater for Israel Buffalo Tom – band Charles Bulfinch – architect who designed Massachusetts State House, original United States Capitol dome and rotunda James "Whitey" Bulger – organized crime boss Ephraim Wales Bull – creator of the concord grape Ephraim Wales Bull article on page 38 of the book Ancient Middlesex with Brief Biographical Sketches. Chris Burden – sculptor/installation artist, performance artist Thomas Burke – sprinter Bill Burr – comedian Edwin C. Burt – shoemaker Bury Your Dead – band George H. W. Bush – 41st president of the United States Vannevar Bush – scientist
C
C60 – band Louis C.K. – comedian and actor Will Calhoun – drummer for Living Colour (born in NY, lived in Boston) William Francis Channing - inventor of the telegraph fire alarm system Steve Carell – actor and comedian, The Office, The Daily Show, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Despicable Me The Cars – band Melnea Cass – community and civil rights activistMelnea A. Cass papers, 1954-1979, located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA Peggy Cass – actress and TV game show panelist John Cazale – actor, The Godfather, The Deer Hunter, Dog Day Afternoon John Cena – professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE Nicholas Raymond Cerio – founder of Nick Cerio's Kenpo Kevin Chapman – actor Julius Caesar Chappelle – Massachusetts legislator'Black Legislators in the Massachusetts General Court 1867-Present,' State Library of Massachusetts: 2010 Simone Charley – soccer player Ken Cheeseman – actor Gary Cherone – singer (Extreme and Van Halen) Michael Chiklis – actor, The Shield Neil Cicierega – Internet personality, created Potter Puppet Pals Lenny Clarke – comedian and actor The Click Five – band Alex Cobb – baseball pitcher J. A. Coburn – blackface minstrel performer, troupe owner and manager John A. Collins – chief of chaplains of the U.S. Air Force Misha Collins – actorMisha Collins Jerry Colonna – entertainer Greg Comella – NFL fullback James Bryant Conant – chemist, 23rd president of Harvard University Dane Cook – comedian and actor Calvin Coolidge – 30th president of the United States Harriet Abbott Lincoln Coolidge – author, philanthropist, reformer Jennifer Coolidge – actress, American Pie, A Mighty Wind, Legally Blonde Eugenia Cooney – YouTuber, internet personality, model Miriam O'Leary Collins – actress Gerry Connolly – U.S. representative for Virginia and president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly John Singleton Copley – artist Chick Corea – Grammy Award-winning jazz musician and composer Jeff Corwin – TV personality Aisha Cousins (born 1978) – artist/performance art score writer Lynne Cox – professional swimmer Charlie Coyle (born 1992) – hockey player Zach Cregger – actor, comedian, star of the IFC sketch comedy series WKUK Norm Crosby – comedian Marcia Cross – actress, Desperate Housewives James Michael Curley – mayor of Boston, Massachusetts governor, and U.S. representative Jane Curtin – actress and comedian Johnny Curtis – professional wrestler, known for his time in WWE Thomas Curtis (1873–1944) – athlete Richard Cushing – archbishop of Boston and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church Susan Webb Cushman (1822–1859) – stage actress Jay Cutler – 4x IFBB Mr. Olympia, bodybuilder
D
Joey Daccord – ice hockey goaltender Dick Dale – musician Matt Damon – actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter, Good Will Hunting, The Departed, Ocean's Eleven and Bourne Identity series Evan Dando – musician 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 Margaret Bryan Davis – palynologist and paleoecologist 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 William P. Doyle – commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission 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 Neal Dunn – representative for Florida 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 – Quaker martyr
E Ed O.G. – hip hop artist Ayo Edebiri – actress 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 Charles C. Eldredge – art historian and educator