This is a list of notable Croatian Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Croatian American or must have references showing they are Croatian American and are notable.
Academics Mladen Bestvina – mathematician Jakša Cvitanić – professor of mathematical finance William Feller – mathematician Gordana Matic – mathematician Emil M. Mrak – food scientist, microbiologist and former chancellor of the University of California, Davis
Vladimir Parpura – neuroscientist Drazen Prelec – mathematician Pasko Rakic – neuroscientist David Sanjek – professor of music Marin Soljačić – professor of physics at MIT Henry Suzzallo – president of the University of Washington Victor Wickerhauser – mathematician
Artists Ivan Meštrović – sculptor and professor at Syracuse and Notre Dame Anton Perich – filmmaker, photographer and video artist Michael Trcic – sculptor and special effects artist Maksimiljan (Makso) Vanka – painter Matthew Yuricich – Academy Award-nominated special effects artist Richard Yuricich – three-time Academy Award-nominated special effects artist
Entertainers Actors Eric Bana – actor George Beban – actor, singer George Birimisa – playwright, actor, editor, director Anna Chlumsky – actress Al Christy – actor Claire Dubrey – actress (father was from Dalmatia) Ryan Eggold – actor (his mother is of half Croatian and half Austrian-Jewish ancestry) Jenna Elfman – television and movie actress (of partial Croatian descent; niece of Tony Butala) Josip Elic – actor Judah Friedlander – actor and comedian (mother of Croatian descent) Ryan Kiera Armstrong - actress (Croatian mother, Berta Bacic) Mira Furlan – television and film actress Jay Grdina – pornographic film actor Gloria Grey – actress and director Damian Hurley - actor John Malkovich – actor (father of Croatian descent) Joe Manganiello – actor (mother of Croatian descent) Mark Matkevich – actor Ivana Miličević – actress John Miljan – actor Daniella Monet (née Zuvic) - actress, entrepreneur, singer and television personality Patrick Muldoon – actor (mother of Croatian descent) Rick Rossovich – actor (father of Croatian descent; brother of Tim Rossovich) Tim Rossovich – actor (father of Croatian descent; brother of Rick Rossovich) Mia Slavenska – prima ballerina of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet Goran Višnjić – Croatian actor; became naturalized U.S. citizen Louis Zorich – actor, musician
Screenwriters, directors, producers and film workers Christina Cindrich – television producer and actress Michael Jelenic – American animator, storyboard artist, screenwriter, producer, and director. Branko Lustig – movie producer, two-time Academy Award winner Sergio Mimica-Gezzan – Croatian-born American director, second unit director, assistant director, producer and actor Marty Pasetta – television producer and director Frank Pavich – film director
Musicians Thana Alexa – (born Thana Alexa Pavelić) American jazz vocalist Nenad Bach – recording artist, composer, performer, producer and peace activist Tony Butala – co-founder and member of the singing group The Lettermen (uncle of actress Jenna Elfman) Dillon Francis – American electronic musician, record producer and DJ Alex Katunich – founding bassist of Incubus"United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKTL-PXWC : accessed 4 November 2023), Alex Katunich in entry for George Katunich, Indiana, United States, 09 Apr 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Post-Tribune, born-digital text. Jim Korthe (1970–2010) – singer Stephen Kovacevich – pianist and conductor Katrina Leskanich – singer Radoslav Lorković is a Croatian-born American based classically trained folk and blues musician on accordion and piano Clair Marlo (born Clara Veseliza) – singer-songwriter, composer, record producer Željko Marasović – composer of classical and film music Miljenko Matijevic – musician Johnny Mercer – singer-songwriter (mother of Croatian and Irish descent) Helen Merrill – jazz singer Zinka Milanov – operatic soprano Tomo Miličević – musician, guitarist Paul Mirkovich – musical director (The Voice) Joey Miskulin is an American accordionist and member of western music and comedy group Riders in the Sky Guy Mitchell – singer and actor Steve Novosel - jazz bass bassist Krist Novoselic – musician, bassist. Founding member of rock band Nirvana (band) David Paich – composer, producer and keyboardist Marty Paich – pianist, composer, arranger, record producer, music director, and conductor Walter Parazaider – founding member and saxophone player Tristan Perich – contemporary composer and sound artist Steve Popovich – record producer Plavka – singer Paul Salamunovich – conductor, brother of producer Mike Salamunovich Hillel Slovak - founding guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. His father was Jewish Croatian. Louis Svećenski – violinist Milka Ternina – operatic soprano "Weird Al" Yankovic – musician and actor. His father is of Croat and Slovenian descent.
Military personnel Sylvester Antolak – US Army Sergeant, recipient of the Medal of Honor Paul William Bucha – US Army Captain, recipient of the Medal of Honor; highly decorated American Vietnam War veteran; foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign Norman Cota – US Army Major General in World War II Louis Cukela – double recipient of the Medal of Honor Albert A. Francovich – Navy Cross recipient Rade Grbitch – US Navy, recipient of the Medal of Honor Ron Kovic – US Marine Corps, Vietnam War veteran; peace activist Richard Marcinko – US Navy SEAL commander and Vietnam War veteran Michael J. Novosel – US Army Chief Warrant Officer, recipient of the Medal Of Honor; veteran of World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War Ivan L. Slavich Jr. – US Army colonel Peter Tomich – US Navy Chief Watertender, World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor John J. Tominac – US Army First Lieutenant, recipient of the Medal of Honor Albert Vadas – US Navy, recipient of the Medal of Honor Donald W. Wolf – Navy Cross recipient
Politicians Michael D. Antonovich – Los Angeles County Supervisor, 5th District, nine terms from 1980 to 2016 (second longest tenure in Los Angeles County history); former California State Assemblyman for six years (Republican) Mark Begich – one-term U.S. Senator from Alaska; former mayor of Anchorage, Alaska (Democrat) Nick Begich – U.S. Representative (D-AK; 1971–1972) (Democrat) Nick Begich III, member of US Congress, Alaska (Republican) Michael Bilandic – Illinois politician; Mayor of Chicago (Democrat) John Bonacic – New York State Senator (Republican) John Cherberg – politician, football coach, teacher and television executive Renee Ellmers – U.S. Representative (R-NC; 2011–2017); mother of partial Croatian descent Frank Ivancie – Portland City Council; Mayor of Portland, Oregon (1980–1985) (Democrat) John Kasich – former member of U.S. House of Representatives (Ohio) and Governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019 (Republican); mother of Croatian descent Dennis Kucinich – former mayor of Cleveland; member of U.S. House of Representatives (D-Ohio); 2004 Democratic presidential candidate Tony P. Mardesich – Washington State Representative from 1949 to 1950 (Democrat) August P. Mardesich – Washington State Representative from 1950 to 1963 (Democrat) Mary Matalin – political commentator, strategist and pundit; assistant to U.S. President George W. Bush (Republican) George W. Milias – California State Assemblyman from 1962 to 1970 (Republican) Rose Perica Mofford – 18th governor of Arizona from 1988 to 1991 (Democrat) Emil Mrkonic – former member of the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives (Democrat) Tony Peraica – Cook County Commissioner for the 16th district; nominee for Cook County Board President in 2006 (Republican) Rudy Perpich – former governor, lieutenant governor, and United States Senator from Minnesota (Democrat) George Radanovich – businessman (vintner); California politician; former member of U.S. House of Representatives (Republican) Mark Sokolich – politician; Mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey (Democrat) Michael A. Stepovich – politician; last governor of the Alaska Territory from 1957 to 1958 (Republican) Rudy Svorinich – Los Angeles City Councilman and Council President Pro Tempore representing the 15th (Greater Harbor Area) district from 1993 to 2001 (Republican) Vincent Thomas – represented San Pedro's 68th and 52nd Districts in the California State Assembly from 1941 to 1979 (Democrat) Carmen Trutanich – Los Angeles City Attorney from 2009 to 2013 (Independent) Andy Vidak – California State Senator for 16th district → then 14th district (Republican)
Scientists, inventors and engineers Lada Adamic – network scientist Ralph S. Baric – epidemiologist Tanja Bosak – geobiologist Milislav Demerec – geneticist Anthony Francis Lucas – oil explorer; inventor; organized with Pattillo Higgins the drilling of an oil well near Beaumont, Texas that became known as Spindletop, which led to the widespread exploitation of oil and the start of the petroleum age Daniel Gajski – computer scientist Anthony Grbic – electrical engineer Victor Grinich – one of the "traitorous eight" who founded Silicon Valley Terry Jonathan Hart – former astronaut Hedvig Hricak – radiologist Brian Krzanich – CEO, Intel Ferdo Ivanek – electrical engineer Branka Ladanyi – physical chemist John M. Martinis – physicist, 2025 Nobel prize winner John Miscovich – inventor Egon Matijevic – chemist Jacob Matijevic, Ph.D. – NASA engineer, posthumously, NASA named a hill on Mars after him Igor Mezić – mechanical engineer and mathematician Paul L. Modrich – biochemist, 2015 Nobel Prize Winner Steven Z. Pavletic – NIH medical doctor, cancer researcher Hrvoje Petek – physicist Stephen Polyak – neuroanatomist Andrija Puharich – medical and parapsychological researcher, medical inventor Mario Puratić – inventor of the fishing Puretic power block Mark Russinovich – Microsoft technical fellow Nikola Rušinović – physician, psychiatrist and wartime diplomat of the Independent State of Croatia Nenad Sestan – neuroscientist Vincent Sarich – chemist, anthropologist Branimir Ivan Sikic – medical doctor Jadranka Skorin-Kapov – operations research scientist George M. Skurla – aeronautical engineer for the Apollo program, director of operations at the Kennedy Space Center, former president of the Grumman Corporation Marin Soljačić – Ph.D. professor of physics, electrical engineer at MIT; inventor Davor Solter – biologist James Spudich – biochemist
Sportspeople John Abramovic – former basketball player Cameron Johnson, NBA player Travis Kelce, NFL player Jason Kelce, NFL player Greg Dulcich, NFL player Mario Ančić – in legal department of the NBA; former professional tennis player, once ranked No. 7 in the world Marijon Ancich – football coach in California Johnny Babich – former baseball player Gary Beban – former NFL player, 1967 Heisman Trophy winner Bill Belichick – NFL football head coach; six-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots Steve Belichick – football player Pete Bercich – former NFL player and coach with the Minnesota Vikings; currently the color commentator on KFAN radio Scott Boras – sports agent Nick Burley, born Nicholas Barovich – bare-knuckle boxer, Heavyweight Champion of the Yukon Territory in 1902 Pete Carroll – Super Bowl-winning coach, Seattle Seahawks; former USC football coach Tom Cecic – US National Soccer Team player Ann Cindric – All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player Ralph Cindrich – former NFL player Fred Couples – golfer (Croatian mother) Helen Crlenkovich – diver, actress