List of people from New York (state)
The following is a list of prominent people who were born in/lived in or around the U.S. state of New York, or for whom New York is a significant part of their identity.
Government and politics
Presidents
- Chester A. Arthur, 20th Vice President and 21st President of the United States – Schenectady
- Martin Van Buren, 8th Vice President and 8th President of the United States – Kinderhook
- Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th President of the United States – Fayetteville
- Millard Fillmore, 12th Vice President and 13th President of the United States – Moravia
- Theodore Roosevelt, 25th Vice President and 26th President of the United States – Manhattan
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States – Hyde Park
- Donald Trump, 47th President of the United States – Queens
Vice presidents
- Aaron Burr, 3rd Vice President of the United States – Manhattan
- George Clinton, 4th Vice President of the United States – Little Britain
- Schuyler Colfax, 17th Vice President of the United States – Manhattan
- Levi P. Morton, 22nd Vice President of the United States – Albany
- Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States – Albany
- James S. Sherman, 27th Vice President of the United States – Utica
- Daniel D. Tompkins, 6th Vice President of the United States – Scarsdale
- William A. Wheeler, 19th Vice President of the United States – Malone
Governors
- DeWitt Clinton, 6th Governor of New York, built the Erie Canal
- Andrew Cuomo, 56th Governor of New York, praised for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, but forced into resigning amid sexual harassment allegations
- Mario Cuomo, 52nd Governor of New York, father of Andrew Cuomo
- Howard Dean, former Governor of Vermont, and 2004 Democratic candidate for president
- Thomas E. Dewey, 47th Governor of New York, Republican nominee for president in 1944 and 1948
- Charles Evans Hughes, 36th Governor of New York, Secretary of State, 11th Chief Justice of the United States and 1916 Republican presidential nominee
- Kathy Hochul, 57th Governor of New York, and first woman to hold that position
- John Jay, 1st Chief Justice of the United States, 2nd Governor of New York, and 8th President of the Continental Congress
- David Paterson, 55th Governor of New York, first African American governor and lieutenant governor of New York
- George Pataki, 53rd Governor of New York, governor during the 9/11 attacks
- L. Bradford Prince, Governor of New Mexico Territory and member of New York's state assembly and state senate
- Horatio Seymour, 18th Governor of New York and 1868 Democratic presidential nominee
- Al Smith, 42nd Governor of New York and 1928 Democratic presidential candidate
- Samuel J. Tilden, 25th Governor of New York and 1876 Republican presidential candidate
Senators
- Barbara Boxer, longtime [List of United States senators from California|United States United States Senate|Senator from California] – New York City
- Hillary Clinton, former United States Secretary of State, New York Senator, and former First Lady, 2016 Democratic nominee for president – Chappaqua
- Roscoe Conkling, New York Senator and leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party – Albany
- Al Franken, Minnesota Senator – New York City
- Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Senator since 2009 – Albany
- Bob Menendez, New Jersey Senator – New York City
- Chris Murphy, former Congressman and current Connecticut Senator since 2013 – White Plains
- Bernie Sanders, Vermont Senator since 2007, former Mayor of Burlington, Vermont and 2016 and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate – Brooklyn
- Chuck Schumer, Democratic Leader of the United States Senate since 2017 and long-time New York Senator since 1999 cousin of comedian Amy Schumer – Brooklyn
- Robert F. Wagner, New York Senator – Manhattan
Mayors
- Eric Adams, 110th Mayor of New York City
- Bill de Blasio, 109th Mayor of New York City
- Michael Bloomberg, 108th Mayor of New York City
- Rudy Giuliani, 107th Mayor of New York City, mayor during the 9/11 attacks
- David Dinkins, 106th Mayor of New York City, first African-American Mayor of New York City
- Ed Koch 105th Mayor of New York City
- Fiorello La Guardia, 99th Mayor of New York City
- John Lindsay, 103rd Mayor of New York City
- Stephanus Van Cortlandt, 17th, and first native-born, mayor of New York City
- Robert Anderson Van Wyck, 91st Mayor of New York City, first Mayor post-consolidation
- Robert F. Wagner Jr., 102nd Mayor of New York City
- Jimmy Walker, flamboyant 97th Mayor of New York City forced into resigning by the Seabury Commission
Other politicians
- Parmenio Adams, sheriff and US congressman
- Alan Bersin - President Obama's "Border Czar," US Attorney for the Southern District of California, California Secretary of Education, Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, US Department of Homeland Security Secretary for International Affairs, and INTERPOL vice president
- Alessandra Biaggi, New York State Senator
- Mario Biaggi, decorated policeman and US congressman
- Shirley Chisholm, US congresswoman and 1972 Democratic presidential candidate
- Éamon de Valera, 3rd President of Ireland
- John "J.J." Dewey, territorial legislator in Minnesota
- August Dietrich, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- William H. Donaldson, 27th Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- Asaph Elston, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- Geraldine Ferraro, US congresswoman from New York and first female vice presidential candidate of a major political party in 1984
- Alexander Hamilton, first US secretary of the treasury
- Zach Iscol, US Marine Corps veteran, entrepreneur, candidate in the 2021 New York City Comptroller election
- Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- Lazarus Joseph, NY state senator and New York City Comptroller
- Jack Kemp, NFL football player for the Buffalo Bills, secretary of housing under President George H. W. Bush, and 1996 Republican nominee for vice president under Bob Dole
- Caroline Kennedy, former U.S. ambassador to Japan, and daughter of former president John F. Kennedy and former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
- William Loeb Jr., secretary to President Theodore Roosevelt
- Joseph McGoldrick, NYC comptroller and NY state residential rent control commissioner, lawyer, and professor
- Harvey Milk, first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California
- Mazi Melesa Pilip, Ethiopian-born American politician
- William M. Tweed, known as "Boss" Tweed; Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall
First Ladies
- Barbara Bush, First Lady of the United States as the wife of George H. W. Bush
- Rose Cleveland, First Lady of the United States as the wife of Grover Cleveland
- Abigail Fillmore, First Lady of the United States as the wife of Millard Fillmore
- Mary Arthur McElroy, acting First Lady of the United States as the sister of Chester A. Arthur
- Elizabeth Monroe, First Lady of the United States as the wife of James Monroe
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, First Lady of the United States as the wife of John F. Kennedy
- Frances Cleveland, First Lady of the United States as the wife of Grover Cleveland
- Nancy Reagan, First Lady of the United States as the wife of Ronald Reagan
- Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States as the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Julia Gardiner Tyler, First Lady of the United States as the wife of John Tyler
- Priscilla Cooper Tyler, First Lady of the United States as the wife of John Tyler
Entertainment
Film, television, theater, and dance
- George Abbott, stage producer
- Eva Allen Alberti, dramatics teacher
- Gia Allemand, actress
- Woody Allen, actor, director, and writer
- June Allyson, actress
- Tyler Alvarez, actor
- Michael Angarano, actor
- Diane Arbus, photographer
- Moisés Arias, actor
- Alan Arkin, actor
- Alison Arngrim, actress and comedian
- Rosanna Arquette, actress
- Jean Arthur, actress
- Jake T. Austin, actor
- Awkwafina, actress, rapper, and comedian
- Lauren Bacall, actress
- Morena Baccarin, Brazilian-born actress
- Alec Baldwin, actor, producer, and comedian
- Daniel Baldwin, actor, director, and producer
- Stephen Baldwin, actor, author, and producer
- William Baldwin, actor, producer, and writer
- Lucille Ball, actress
- Anne Bancroft, actress
- Joseph Barbera, animator, producer, and director
- Mikhail Baryshnikov, ballet dancer
- Frances Bavier, actor
- Barbara Bel Geddes, actress
- William Bendix, actor
- Constance Bennett, actress
- Matt Bennett, actor
- Mabelle Biggart, dramatic reader, preacher
- Yasmine Bleeth, actress
- Corbin Bleu, actor, model, singer-songwriter, dancer, and film producer
- Joan Blondell, actress
- Nikki Blonsky, actress
- Ann Blyth, actress
- Humphrey Bogart, actor
- Shirley Booth, actress
- Clara Bow, actress
- Abigail Breslin, actress
- Spencer Breslin, actor
- Richard Bright, actor
- Matthew Broderick, actor
- Adrien Brody, actor
- Mel Brooks, actor, producer, and director
- Steve Buscemi, actor, comedian, and director
- Edd Byrnes, actor
- James Caan, actor
- James Cagney, actor
- Jeanne Cagney, actress
- William Cagney, actor
- Néstor Carbonell, actor and director
- Richard S. Castellano, actor
- David Castro, actor
- Raquel Castro, actress, singer, and songwriter
- Harrison Chad, actor and voice actor
- Timothée Chalamet, actor
- Jeff Chandler, actor
- Chevy Chase, actor and comedian
- Ruth Chatterton, actress
- James Coco, actor
- Claudette Colbert, actress
- Jennifer Connelly, actress and model
- Elizabeth Marney Conner, dramatic reader
- Kevin Conroy, actor and voice actor
- Francis Ford Coppola, film director, producer, and screenwriter
- Kevin Corrigan, actor
- Billy Crudup, actor
- Tom Cruise, actor
- Jon Cryer, actor, screenwriter, television director, and film producer
- Billy Crystal, actor
- Kieran Culkin, actor
- Macaulay Culkin, actor, Kevin McAllister from Home Alone
- Rory Culkin, actor
- Tony Curtis, actor
- Alexandra Daddario, actress
- Matthew Daddario, actor
- Claire Danes, actress
- Rodney Dangerfield, comedian and actor
- Marion Davies, actress
- Sammy Davis Jr., actor and singer
- Agnes de Mille, dancer and choreographer
- Robert De Niro, actor
- Willy DeVille, singer
- Don Diamont, actor
- Guillermo Díaz, Cuban-American actor
- Vin Diesel, actor, producer, director, and screenwriter
- Ella Dietz, actress, poet
- Taye Diggs, actor
- Matt Dillon, actor
- Troy Donahue, actor
- Kether Donohue, actress and singer
- Kirk Douglas, actor and father of Michael Douglas
- Michael Douglas, actor, producer, and son of Kirk Douglas
- Robert Downey Jr., actor
- Robert Downey Sr., actor, filmmaker, and father of Robert Downey Jr.
- Fran Drescher, actress
- Lena Dunham, actress, filmmaker, and writer
- Jimmy Durante, entertainer, actor, singer, and comedian
- Jesse Eisenberg, actor
- Omar Epps, actor
- Peter Falk, actor
- Alice Faye, actress
- Jane Fonda, actress
- Spencer Fox, actor
- James Gandolfini, actor and producer
- John Garfield, actor
- Alex Garfin, actor
- Ben Gazzara, actor
- Sarah Michelle Gellar, actress
- Richard Genelle, actor
- Mel Gibson, American-born Australian/Irish actor and filmmaker
- Jackie Gleason, actor
- Paulette Goddard, actress
- Whoopi Goldberg, actress, comedian, and co-host of ABC's The View
- Cuba Gooding Jr., Academy Award-winning actor
- Elliott Gould, actor
- Jennifer Grey, actress
- Jason Griffith, voice actor
- A. R. Gurney, playwright
- Maggie Gyllenhaal, actress
- Estelle Harris, actress, voice actress, and comedian
- Jonathan Harris, actor
- Hurd Hatfield, actor
- Anne Hathaway, actress
- Maya Hawke, actress, model and singer-songwriter
- Susan Hayward, actress
- Rita Hayworth, actress
- Kathleen Herles, voice actress
- Philip Seymour Hoffman, actor
- Judy Holliday, actress
- Whitney Houston, singer, actress, producer, and model
- Sarah Hyland, actress
- Skai Jackson, actress
- Rick Jason, actor
- Scarlett Johansson, actress, model, and singer
- Jason Harris Katz, voice actor and television host
- Danny Kaye, actor, singer
- Jack Kelly, actor
- Moira Kelly, actress
- Morgana King, singer and actress
- Wayne Knight, actor, voice artist, and comedian
- Ricki Lake, actress, talk-show host
- Veronica Lake, actress
- Adam Lamberg, actor
- Burt Lancaster, actor
- Michael Landon, actor
- Linda Larkin, actress and voice actress
- Fredric Lebow, screenwriter
- Peyton Elizabeth Lee, actress
- Spike Lee, director, producer
- Melissa Leo, actress
- Laura Linney
- John Lithgow, actor, comedian
- Aliana Lohan, actress, singer and sister of actors Lindsay and Michael Lohan Jr.
- Lindsay Lohan, actress, singer and sister of actors Ali and Michael Lohan Jr.
- Kristanna Loken, actress
- Seth MacFarlane, actor, writer, producer, and creator of Family Guy
- Steele MacKaye, playwright and actor
- John Marley, actor
- Vincent Martella, actor
- John Martino, actor
- Lee Marvin, actor
- James Maslow, actor, singer, and dancer
- Alanna Masterson, actress
- Christopher Masterson, actor
- Danny Masterson, actor
- Walter Matthau, actor
- Al Matthews, actor and singer
- Julianna Rose Mauriello, actress and dancer
- Eaddy Mays, actress
- Jesse McCartney, actor, singer-songwriter
- Thomas McDonell, actor
- Michael McKean, comedian, actor and musician
- Caleb McLaughlin, actor
- Ethel Merman, actor and singer
- Lea Michele, actress and singer
- Arthur Miller, playwright
- Lenny Montana, actor and professional wrestler
- Robert Montgomery, actor
- Charlie Murphy, actor and comedian
- Chad Michael Murray, actor
- Jack Nicholson, actor and filmmaker
- Dylan O'Brien, actor
- Cameron Ocasio, actor
- Jerry O'Connell, actor
- Eugene O'Neill, playwright
- Lane Shi Otayonii, musician
- Al Pacino, actor
- Hayden Panettiere, actress, model, singer, and activist
- Jansen Panettiere, actor and voice actor
- Connor Paolo, actor
- Corey Parker, actor
- George A. Parkhurst, actor
- Josh Peck, actor
- Amanda Peet, actress and writer
- Nicola Peltz, actress
- Will Peltz, actor
- Anthony Perkins, actor
- Regis Philbin, actor, singer, and television personality
- Priscilla Presley, actress and business magnate
- Fátima Ptacek, actress and voice actress
- Bill Pullman, actor
- Mae Questel, actress
- George Raft, actor
- Gene Anthony Ray, actor
- Nancy Reagan, actress and former First Lady of the United States
- Alan Reed, actor and voice artist
- Christopher Reeve, actor
- Tara Reid, actress
- Leah Remini, actress
- Alfonso Ribeiro, actor, television director, dancer, and television personality; host of America's Funniest Home Videos and season 19 winner of Dancing with the Stars
- Thelma Ritter, actress
- Emma Roberts, actress and singer
- Edward G. Robinson, actor
- Ray Romano, actor, comedian
- Saoirse Ronan, American-born Irish actress
- Mickey Rooney, actor
- Emmy Rossum, actress, singer-songwriter
- Mickey Rourke, actor, screenwriter, and retired boxer
- Paul Rudd, actor, comedian, writer, and producer
- Gianni Russo, actor, singer, and restaurateur
- Talia Ryder, actress
- Ernie Sabella, actor and voice actor
- Zoe Saldaña, American-Dominican actress and dancer
- Ruben Santiago-Hudson, actor and playwright
- Ben Schwartz, actor, comedian, and writer
- Martin Scorsese, director
- George Segal, actor
- Matthew Senreich, screenwriter
- Charlie Sheen, actor
- Talia Shire, actress
- Sylvia Sidney, actress
- Christian Slater, actor
- Jamil Walker Smith, actor
- Kevin Spacey, actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, and singer
- Sylvester Stallone, actor, screenwriter, producer, and director
- Barbara Stanwyck, actor
- Rod Steiger, actor
- Howard Stern, actor, radio and television personality, author, and photographer
- Ben Stiller, actor, comedian, and filmmaker
- Oliver Stone, director
- Beatrice Straight, actress
- Lee Strasberg, Polish-born actor, director, and theatre practitioner
- Meryl Streep actress
- David Strickland, actor
- Kevin Sussman, actor and comedian
- Veronica Taylor, voice actress
- Benj Thall, actor
- Leon Thomas III, actor
- Charlotte Thompson, actress
- Gene Tierney, actress
- Ashley Tisdale, actress, singer, and producer
- Michelle Trachtenberg, actress
- Claire Trevor, actress
- John Turturro, American-Italian actor, writer, and filmmaker
- Abe Vigoda, actor
- Denzel Washington, Academy Award-winning actor
- Kerry Washington, actress
- Michael Weatherly, actor and director
- Scott Weinger, actor, voice actor, writer, and producer
- Tuesday Weld, actress
- Tom Welling, actor, director, producer, and model
- Ming-Na Wen, Macau-born actress and model
- Mae West, actor
- Kristen Wiig, actress
- Olivia Wilde, actress
- Tylen Jacob Williams, actor
- Tyler James Williams, actor
- Tyrel Jackson Williams, actor
- Zelda Williams, actress; daughter of late comedian and actor Robin Williams
- Lanford Wilson, playwright
- April Winchell, actress
- Paul Winchell, actor and comedian
- Alex Wolff, actor, musician, and composer
- Nick Zano, actor
Comedians, entertainers, and humorists
- Pamela Adlon, actress, voice actress, producer, and director
- Carlos Alazraqui, actor and comedian
- Woody Allen, comedian, screenwriter, director, actor, author, playwright, and musician
- Desmond Amofah, YouTuber better known as Etika
- Alec Baldwin, actor, comedian, and producer
- Lucille Ball, comedian, actress
- Mike Bocchetti, stand-up comedian and radio personality
- Zach Braff, actor, comedian, director, screenwriter, and producer
- Alyson Cambridge, operatic soprano and classical music, jazz, and American popular song singer
- Michael Carbonaro, actor and magician
- Eddie Carmel, born Oded Ha-Carmeili, Israeli-born entertainer with gigantism and acromegaly, popularly known as "The Jewish Giant"
- George Carlin, comedian and actor
- Michael Cole, WWE announcer
- Pete Davidson, comedian and actor
- Philip DeFranco, YouTuber and video blogger
- Danny DeVito, comedian, actor, producer, and director
- John DiMaggio, actor and comedian
- Jimmy Fallon, comedian, actor, and television host
- Nika Futterman, actress, voice actress, comedian, and singer
- Curly Howard, comedian, vaudevillian actor, and member of The Three Stooges
- Moe Howard, actor, comedian, and member of the Three Stooges
- Kevin James, comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer
- Colin Jost, comedian, actor and writer
- JWoww, reality television personality
- Daniel Keem, YouTuber better known as Keemstar
- Tom Kenny, actor, comedian, voice of SpongeBob SquarePants
- Jimmy Kimmel, comedian, producer, voice actor, musician, and television personality
- Jay Leno, comedian, former host of The Tonight Show
- Demetri Martin, comedian
- Chico Marx, vaudeville comedian with the Marx Brothers
- Groucho Marx, vaudeville comedian with the Marx Brothers
- Gummo Marx, vaudeville comedian with the Marx Brothers
- Harpo Marx, vaudeville comedian with the Marx Brothers
- Zeppo Marx, vaudeville comedian with the Marx Brothers
- Jackie Mason, comedian and actor
- Kate McKinnon, comedienne, actress, and voice actress
- Eddie Murphy, comedian, actor, writer, singer, producer, and voice actor
- Rosie O'Donnell, comedian, actress, and television personality
- Jordan Peele, comedian, actor, film director, and screenwriter
- Melissa Rauch, comedian and actress
- Kevin Michael Richardson, actor and voice actor
- Adam Richman, television personality
- Don Rickles, comedian
- Joan Rivers, actress and comedian
- Chris Rock, comedian and actor
- Adam Sandler, comedian, actor, screenwriter, film producer, and musician
- Adam Savage, co-host of MythBusters
- Amy Schumer, stand-up comedian and actress
- Jerry Seinfeld, comedian and actor
- Judy Sheindlin, lawyer and television personality
- Rowena Granice Steele, performer, writer
- Martha Stewart, businesswoman, writer, chef, and television personality
- Jon Stewart, comedian, actor, writer, producer, director, media critic, and television personality; former host of The Daily Show
- Fred Tatasciore, voice actor
- John Valby, comedian and musician
Singers and instrumentalists
- Aaliyah, singer, actress, model, and dancer
- Christina Aguilera, singer-songwriter, and actress
- Vinnie Amico, drummer
- Fiona Apple, singer
- Arcángel, reggaeton singer
- Harold Arlen, composer
- Ashanti, singer
- Adrienne Bailon, singer
- David Baker, singer
- Chris Barnes, musician
- Count Basie, jazz musician
- Bryan Bautista, Dominican-American pop singer and contestant on NBC's The Voice season 10
- Jay Beckenstein, saxophonist
- Madison Beer, singer
- Pat Benatar, singer
- Tony Bennett, jazz singer
- Mary J. Blige, singer-songwriter, and actress
- Jon Bon Jovi, singer-songwriter, record producer, philanthropist, and actor
- Laura Branigan, singer
- Keith Buckley, musician
- Clem Burke, musician and drummer
- Maria Callas, opera singer
- Mariah Carey, pop and R&B singer-songwriter
- Vanessa Carlton, pop singer-songwriter
- Blue Ivy Carter, singer
- Peter Case, singer-songwriter
- Peter Cincotti, singer-songwriter, and pianist
- Coko, singer
- John Coltrane, jazz musician
- Aaron Copland, composer
- Warren Cuccurullo, rock guitarist
- Vic Dana, singer
- Dawin, hip hop-R&B singer-songwriter and record producer
- Blossom Dearie, jazz singer and pianist
- Lana Del Rey, singer-songwriter
- Rob Derhak, bass guitarist
- Lance Diamond, singer
- Neil Diamond, singer-songwriter
- Ani DiFranco, singer-songwriter
- Jonathan Donahue, rock musician
- JoAnn Falletta, classical guitarist and orchestral conductor
- Morton Feldman, composer
- Ella Fitzgerald, singer
- John Flansburgh, singer-songwriter
- Brendan Fletcher, pop singer-songwriter and contestant on NBC's The Voice season 11
- Lukas Foss, composer and orchestral conductor
- Sawyer Fredericks, contemporary folk singer-songwriter, and winner of NBC's The Voice season 8
- Dave Fridmann, producer
- Lady Gaga, singer-songwriter
- Art Garfunkel, folk rock singer, poet, and actor
- Chuck Garvey, guitarist
- George Gershwin, composer
- Kim Gordon, bass guitarist, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and visual artist
- Lesley Gore, singer-songwriter, actress, and activist
- Andy Grammer, singer-songwriter and record producer
- Grasshopper, rock musician
- Jim Hall, jazz guitarist
- Debbie Harry, singer-songwriter, actress, and lead singer of Blondie
- Alan Heatherington, orchestral conductor
- Ray Henderson, songwriter
- Lauryn Hill, singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actress
- Joel Hirschhorn, songwriter
- Billie Holiday, jazz and blues singer
- Bob Holz, drummer and composer
- Lena Horne, singer and actress
- Whitney Houston, singer, actress, producer, and model
- Freddie Jackson, singer
- Rick James, singer
- Billy Joel, pianist, singer-songwriter
- Joe Jonas, singer-songwriter, actor, former member of the Jonas Brothers, brother of Nick, and current lead singer of DNCE
- Nick Jonas, singer-songwriter, producer, actor, brother of Joe, and former member of the Jonas Brothers
- Jerome Kern, composer
- Alicia Keys, singer-songwriter
- Carole King, singer-songwriter
- Linda Király, American-born Hungarian pop singer-songwriter and sister of Viktor
- Viktor Király, American-born Hungarian pop singer and contestant on NBC's The Voice season 9
- Cyndi Lauper, singer
- Jacquie Lee, pop singer and contestant on NBC's The Voice season 5
- Mel Lewis, drummer
- John Linnell, singer-songwriter
- Joe Locke, jazz artist
- John Lombardo, musician and songwriter
- Jennifer Lopez, singer, actress, and dancer
- David Lucas, composer
- Gary Mallaber, drummer
- Barry Manilow, singer-songwriter and musician
- Constantine Maroulis, singer
- Melanie Martinez, singer-songwriter, and music/video director
- Brian McKnight, R&B singer
- Don McLean, singer
- Don Menza, saxophonist
- Idina Menzel, singer-songwriter, actress, and voice of Elsa in Frozen
- Natalie Merchant, singer-songwriter
- Stephanie Mills, singer
- Janelle Monáe, musician, model, and actress
- Gurf Morlix, musician
- Hani Naser, Jordanian-American musician
- Josh Newton, bassist
- Willie Nile, singer-songwriter
- Laura Nyro, singer-songwriter
- Colby O'Donis, pop-R&B singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor
- Olivia, R&B singer known for contributing vocals to the 50 Cent song "Candy Shop"
- Jack Owen, guitarist
- Tina Parol, singer-songwriter
- J.N. Pattison, pianist and composer
- Caroline Pennell, singer-songwriter and contestant on NBC's The Voice season 5
- Alisan Porter, retired actress, singer-songwriter, and winner of NBC's The Voice season 10
- Charlie Puth, pop singer-songwriter and record producer
- Joey Ramone, punk rock singer-songwriter and musician
- Mary Ramsey, musician
- Sharon Redd, singer
- Lou Reed, singer-songwriter, and guitarist
- Bebe Rexha, singer-songwriter
- Neil Rosenshein, operatic singer and lyric tenor
- Rahzel, beatboxer
- Kevin Rudolf, pop/indie rock singer, musician, and record producer
- Jason Sebastian Russo, rock musician
- Justin Russo, rock musician
- John Rzeznik, musician
- Romeo Santos, singer
- Adam Schlesinger, musician, songwriter, producer, and arranger
- Al Schnier, guitarist
- John Serry Sr., concert accordionist, organist, composer, arranger, and educator
- Billy Sheehan, bass guitarist
- Kevin Shields, musician, singer-songwriter and record producer
- Paul Simon, folk rock musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and actor
- Frank Sinatra, iconic jazz/pop singer, actor, and producer
- Justine Skye, singer
- Lonnie Smith, jazz organist
- Dee Snider, singer-songwriter; front man of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister
- Ronnie Spector, singer
- John Stevens, singer
- Stevie J, musician
- Barbra Streisand, singer, actress
- Stan Szelest, musician
- Robby Takac, musician
- George Tutuska, musician
- Steven Tyler, Hard rock musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, former television music competition judge, and lead singer of the rock band Aerosmith
- Sal Valentinetti, Italian-American jazz singer and contestant on America's Got Talent season 11
- Grace VanderWaal, singer-songwriter, ukuleleist, and winner of America's Got Talent season 11
- Luther Vandross, singer
- Jeremy Wall, jazz musician
- Luke Walter Jr., Belgian musician
- Grover Washington Jr., saxophonist
- Gerard Way, pop punk-alternative/punk/emo rock musician, singer-songwriter, comic book writer, actor, and former lead singer of My Chemical Romance
- Alex Webster, bassist
- Mary Weiss, singer
- Cory Wells, singer
- Patrick Wilson, drummer
- Jack Yellen, lyricist, composer
Rappers
- 2Pac, rapper, record producer, actor, and poet
- 50 Cent, rapper, actor, businessman, and actor
- 6ix9ine, rapper, songwriter
- Amil, rapper and singer
- ASAP Rocky, rapper, record producer, director, actor, and model
- Cardi B, rapper
- Azealia Banks, rapper
- Moses Michael Levi Barrow, better known by his stage name Shyne, Belizean rapper and politician
- Beastie Boys, hip hop/hardcore punk band
- Big L, hip-hop recording artist
- Action Bronson, rapper and television presenter
- Lola Brooke, rapper
- Foxy Brown, rapper
- Busta Rhymes, hip hop recording artist, actor, record producer, and record executive
- Cam'ron, rapper, actor, and entrepreneur
- Sean Combs, rapper, singer-songwriter, actor, record producer, and entrepreneur
- Desiigner, rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, record executive, and actor
- DMX, rapper, record producer, and actor
- DreamDoll, rapper
- Dusty Locane, rapper
- Fabolous, rapper
- Fat Joe, rapper
- Fivio Foreign, rapper
- Freaky Tah, rapper
- Havoc, rapper and record producer, member of Mobb Deep
- Ice Spice, rapper
- Ja Rule, rapper
- Jadakiss, rapper
- Jay-Z, rapper, businessman, investor, and actor
- Jim Jones, hip-hop recording artist
- MC Jin, rapper and actor
- Joey Badass, rapper
- KRS-One, rapper and occasional producer
- Lil' Kim, rapper, songwriter, record producer, model, and actress
- LL Cool J, rapper, actor, and host of Spike TV's Lip Sync Battle
- Lil Mama, rapper and singer
- Biz Markie, rapper, DJ, and record producer
- Matisyahu, rapper, reggae vocalist, beatboxer, and alternative rock musician
- Travie McCoy, rapper singer, co-founder and lead singer of Gym Class Heroes
- Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, rapper, member of Run-DMC
- MF Doom, rapper and record producer
- Mr. Cheeks, rapper, member of Lost Boyz
- Mos Def, hip hop recording artist, actor, and activist
- Post Malone, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer
- Nicki Minaj, rapper, singer, songwriter, and actress
- Nas, hip hop recording artist, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur
- The Notorious B.I.G., rapper and actor
- Onyx
- Princess Nokia, rapper
- Pop Smoke, rapper
- Prodigy, rapper, member of Mobb Deep
- Rakim, rapper
- Remedy, rapper
- Remy Ma, rapper
- Rich the Kid, rapper
- Royal Flush, rapper
- Russ, rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer
- Juelz Santana, rapper and actor
- ScarLip, rapper
- Bobby Shmurda, rapper
- Diggy Simmons, rapper
- Joseph "Run" Simmons, rapper, member of Run-DMC
- A Tribe Called Quest
- Sheck Wes, rapper
- Wu-Tang Clan
- Adam Yauch, rapper, singer-songwriter, musician, director, and film distributor
- Young M.A, rapper
Bands
- AJR, indie pop band
- American Authors, pop rock band
- Aventura, bachata group
- Beastie Boys, hip hop/hardcore punk band
- Blondie, new wave-punk rock band
- Cobra Starship, dance-pop band
- Blue Öyster Cult, rock band
- Foreigner
- Goo Goo Dolls, alternative-pop rock band
- Gym Class Heroes, rap rock band
- KIϟϟ, hard rock band
- Naturally 7, a cappella band
- Ramones, punk rock band
- Steely Dan, jazz rock band
- Twisted Sister, heavy metal band
- Vampire Weekend
- X Ambassadors, alternative/pop rock band
Hip-Hop Groups
- 2 in a Room
- 3rd Bass
- A Tribe Called Quest
- Beastie Boys
- Black Moon
- Def Squad
- EPMD
- Eric B. & Rakim
- Flipmode Squad
- G-Unit
- Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
- Leaders of the New School
- Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz
- Mobb Deep
- Onyx
- Public Enemy
- Run-DMC
- Salt-N-Pepa
- Terror Squad
- Young Black Teenagers
Art, literature, journalism, and philosophy
- Lois Bryan Adams, writer, newspaper editor/proprietor
- Samuel Hopkins Adams, muckraker; born in Dunkirk
- Scott Adams, cartoonist and creator of Dilbert
- George Worsley Adamson, illustrator and cartoonist
- Nancy H. Adsit, art educator
- Marv Albert, basketball announcer on TNT
- Esther Saville Allen, author
- Lavilla Esther Allen, writer, poet, reader
- Estelle Mendell Amory, author
- Susan B. Anthony, women's rights activist
- Cory Arcangel, post-conceptual artist
- Tore Asplund, painter
- Emma Whitcomb Babcock, litterateur, author
- William Bliss Baker, landscape painter
- James Baldwin, writer and civil rights activist
- Mary E. C. Bancker, author
- Josephine Cushman Bateham, reformer, editor, writer
- Lydia Baxter, poet, hymnist
- Lauren Belfer, author
- J. Bowyer Bell, historian, artist and art critic
- Timothy D. Bellavia, artist and illustrator
- Emma Lee Benedict, author, editor
- Louise Blanchard Bethune, architect
- Jennie M. Bingham, author
- Suessa Baldridge Blaine, writer of temperance pageants
- Wolf Blitzer, CNN journalist, host of The Situation Room
- Lawrence Block, author
- Howard Bloom, author
- Sophia Braeunlich, journalist
- Joseph Brodsky, Russian-American poet
- Dale Brown, author
- Phoebe Hinsdale Brown, hymnist
- William F. Buckley Jr., conservative writer, public intellectual, political commentator and novelist
- Gordon Bunshaft, architect
- Charles E. Burchfield, artist
- Caroline Chesebro', writer, publisher
- Charles Clough, artist
- Jane Elizabeth Conklin, journalist, writer
- Frances Augusta Conant, journalist, editor
- Anderson Cooper, CNN journalist and television personality
- Howard Cosell, ABC Sports broadcaster from 1953 until 1985
- Bob Costas, longtime broadcaster for NBC Sports and television host of 12 Olympic Games
- Burton Crane, journalist
- Robert Creeley, poet
- Jasper Francis Cropsey, artist
- Arthur B. Davies, artist
- Helen Aldrich De Kroyft, author
- Don DeLillo, author
- Melvil Dewey, originator of Dewey Decimal System
- Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune advice columnist
- Anna Bowman Dodd, author
- Amanda Minnie Douglas, writer
- Frederick Douglass, editor and publisher of abolitionist newspapers such as The North Star
- Arthur Dove, artist
- E. J. Eames, writer, poet
- Philip Evergood, artist
- Emma Pike Ewing, educator, author
- Mary Galentine Fenner, poet, litterateur
- Laura Dayton Fessenden, author
- Leslie Fiedler, literary critic
- Steve Fiorilla, artist
- Ira Joe Fisher, author and weatherman; born and raised in Little Valley
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, author; raised in Buffalo
- Edith Willis Linn Forbes, poet, writer
- Helen Frankenthaler, artist
- Kelly Freas, artist
- Anna Katharine Green, author
- E.B. Green, architect
- Julia Boynton Green, poet
- Terry Gross, radio host of Fresh Air
- Caren Gussoff, author
- Alex Haley, poet, author
- Sean Hannity, radio and television talk show host
- Alfred Harvey, writer and publisher; founder of Harvey Comics
- Richard Hofstadter, author and philosopher
- Paul Horgan, author
- Roni Horn, artist
- Elbert Hubbard, philosopher and writer
- Sibyl Marvin Huse, author and teacher
- Idil Ibrahim, director
- Marilla Baker Ingalls, missionary, writer
- Washington Irving, author of Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
- Florence Carpenter Ives, journalist
- Henry James, author
- William James, philosopher
- Sally Jenkins, sports columnist and feature writer for The Washington Post, and author
- Electa Amanda Wright Johnson, philanthropist, writer
- James A. Johnson, architect
- Mary Catherine Judd, educator, author, peace activist
- Frank Judge, poet and translator
- Michael Kay, play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees
- Ellsworth Kelly, artist
- Megyn Kelly, political commentator
- John Kessel, author
- Maria Brace Kimball, elocutionist, writer
- Larry King, television and radio host
- Verlyn Klinkenborg, member of The New York Times writer and farmer; editorial board
- Nancy Kress, author
- Matt Lauer, anchor for The Today Show
- Zoe Leonard, photographer and visual artist
- Martha D. Lincoln, author and journalist
- Robert Longo, artist
- Mabel Dodge Luhan, writer and patron
- Bill Maher, host of HBO political talk show Real Time with Bill Maher
- Norman Mailer, author
- Francis A. Mallison, journalist and helped organize the Great Civil War Gold Hoax; from Rome
- Helen A. Manville, poet, litterateur
- Brice Marden, artist
- Herman Melville, author of Moby-Dick
- Jenny B. Merrill, educator, writer
- Magdalene Merritt, poet
- Al Michaels, longtime sportscaster for both NBC Sports and ABC Sports; play-by-play announcer on Sunday Night Football
- Nettie Leila Michel, magazine editor, writer
- Marion Juliet Mitchell, poet
- Aja Monet, American contemporary poet, writer, lyricist and activist from Brooklyn, New York.
- Morilla M. Norton, author, poet
- David Muir, ABC journalist and anchor
- Ogden Nash, poet
- Minerva Brace Norton, educator, author
- Emily S. Oakey, poet, hymnist
- Joyce Carol Oates, author
- Jessie Fremont O'Donnell, writer, lecturer
- Elizabeth M. Olmsted, poet
- Bill O'Reilly, host of The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News
- Anna Campbell Palmer, author
- Fanny Purdy Palmer, writer, poet
- Jane Marsh Parker, author, historian, clubwoman
- William Ordway Partridge, sculptor
- Jane Lippitt Patterson, writer, editor
- Margaret B. Peeke, lecturer, author
- Sarah Maria Clinton Perkins, minister, social reformer, editor, author
- Tim Powers, author
- Thomas Pynchon, author
- Harriet Newell Ralston, poet
- Ishmael Reed, poet
- John Reed, author of Snowball's Chance
- Emma May Alexander Reinertsen, writer
- Seymour Reit, writer and cartoonist
- Helen Hinsdale Rich, poet
- E. J. Richmond, author
- Norman Rockwell, painter
- Spain Rodriguez, cartoonist
- Milton Rogovin, photographer
- Charles Rohlfs, craftsman
- Al Roker, weather anchor for NBC's Today
- Christopher Ross, sculptor
- Tim Russert, host of NBC's Meet the Press
- Vin Scully, longtime broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers
- David Sedaris, humorist and author
- Mary Alice Seymour, music critic
- Emma Augusta Sharkey, journalist, writer
- Al Sharpton, civil rights activist and radio talk show host
- Emma L. Shaw, magazine editor
- Grace Carew Sheldon, journalist, writer, editor
- Tony Sisti, painter
- Jeanie Oliver Davidson Smith, poet, romancist
- Lura Eugenie Brown Smith, journalist, newspaper editor, writer
- Harriet Mabel Spalding, poet, litterateur
- Eugene Speicher, painter
- Stephen A. Smith, television personality, radio host, and sports analyst
- Amelia M. Starkweather, educator, author
- Esther Baker Steele, educator, author, editor, philanthropist
- Cynthia Morgan St. John, Wordsworthian, book collector, and author
- Baby Storme, alt-pop singer
- Fran Striker, creator of the Lone Ranger and Green Hornet
- Elizabeth Swados, author
- Susie Forrest Swift, editor
- Jake Tapper, news anchor for CNN
- Dorothy Thompson, journalist and radio broadcaster
- Louis Comfort Tiffany, artist
- Mike Tirico, sportscaster
- Tom Toles, cartoonist
- Sojourner Truth, slave and civil rights activist
- Israel Tsvaygenbaum, Russian-American artist
- Mark Twain, author
- Andrew Vachss, author, activist, and lawyer
- Mary Crowell Van Benschoten, author, newspaper publisher/editor
- Emily Elizabeth Veeder, author
- Richard A. Waite, architect
- J. Alden Weir, painter
- Jane Meade Welch, journalist
- Edith Wharton, author
- Walt Whitman, poet
- Marion Wiesel, Austrian-American Holocaust survivor, humanitarian, and translator
- Brian Williams, anchor of NBC Nightly News
- Jeneverah M. Winton, author, poet
- Julia McNair Wright, author
- Marie Robinson Wright, writer
- Julia Ditto Young, novelist, poet
- John Zogby, pollster and blogger
Sportspeople
Baseball
- Harrison Bader, Major League Baseball outfielder
- Moe Berg, Major League Baseball catcher and spy for the Office of Strategic Services
- Dellin Betances, baseball pitcher
- Craig Biggio, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Bobby Bonilla, baseball player
- Ralph Branca, baseball pitcher
- Ken Brett, baseball pitcher
- Dan Brouthers, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Alexander Cartwright, "father of modern baseball", founding member of the New York Knickerbockers Base Ball Club
- Eddie Collins, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Jimmy Collins, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Bill Dahlen, baseball player
- George Davis, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Harry Eisenstat, baseball player
- Mike Epstein, Major League Baseball first baseman
- Johnny Evers, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Whitey Ford, Baseball Hall of Famer
- John Franco, baseball pitcher
- Frankie Frisch, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Lou Gehrig, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Sid Gordon, two-time All-Star major league baseball player
- Hank Greenberg, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Bucky Harris, baseball manager
- Orel Hershiser, baseball player and announcer
- Waite Hoyt, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Joe Kehoskie, baseball executive; born in Auburn
- Willie Keeler, Baseball Hall of Famer
- King Kelly, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Sandy Koufax, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Tim Locastro, baseball player; born in Syracuse
- Rob Manfred, MLB commissioner; born in Rome
- Jason Marquis, Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher
- Edgar Martínez, baseball player
- John McGraw, baseball manager; born in Truxton
- Bid McPhee, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Bob Melvin, baseball player and manager
- Sam Nahem, Major League Baseball pitcher
- Joe Nathan, baseball player, Minnesota Twins; born in Pine Bush
- Jim Palmer, Baseball Hall of Famer
- A. J. Pierzynski, baseball player ; born in Bridgehampton
- Lipman Pike, Major League Baseball player; two-time home run champion
- Old Hoss Radbourn, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Phil Rizzuto, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Alex Rodriguez, Major League Baseball player
- Saul Rogovin, Major League Baseball pitcher
- Richie Scheinblum, Major League Baseball All-Star outfielder
- Norm Sherry, catcher, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball
- Mose Solomon, the "Rabbi of Swat", Major League Baseball player
- Warren Spahn, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Joe Torre, baseball player, manager, and executive
- Mickey Welch, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Lou Whitaker, baseball player
- Deacon White, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Carl Yastrzemski, Baseball Hall of Famer
Basketball
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA Hall of Fame player
- Rawle Alkins, basketball player in the NBA and Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Carmelo Anthony, professional basketball player for the New York Knicks
- Nate Archibald, NBA Hall of Fame basketball player
- Red Auerbach, basketball coach
- Desi Barmore, basketball player
- David Bernsley, American-Israeli basketball player
- Sue Bird, Women's National Basketball Association point guard; two-time Olympic champion; four-time All-Star
- Antonio Blakeney, basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Harry Boykoff, professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics
- Larry Brown, professional All Star basketball player and coach
- Isaiah Cousins, basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Bob Cousy, professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics
- Billy Cunningham, basketball coach
- Jon Dalzell, basketball player
- John DiBartolomeo, basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Billy Donovan, basketball coach
- Shay Doron, professional basketball player
- Bryant Dunston, basketball player
- Julius Erving, NBA player
- Mickey Fisher, basketball coach
- Marty Friedman, Hall of Fame pro basketball player and coach
- Marcus Gaither, basketball player
- Jimmy Hall, basketball player in the Israeli National League.
- Sidney Hertzberg, professional basketball player
- Art Heyman, professional basketball player
- Nat Holman, Hall of Fame basketball player
- Red Holzman, NBA Hall of Fame basketball player and coach
- Lamont Jones, basketball player
- Michael Jordan, iconic NBA Hall of Fame basketball player, businessman and owner/chairman of the Charlotte Hornets; considered the best basketball player of all time
- Sean Kilpatrick, basketball player in NBA and for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Super League
- Ken Labanowski, basketball player
- Christian Laettner, former professional basketball player
- Sylven Landesberg, basketball player
- Rudy LaRusso, professional basketball player
- Barry Leibowitz, American-Israeli basketball player in the American Basketball Association and the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Ivan Leshinsky, American-Israeli basketball player
- Nancy Lieberman, WNBA Hall of Fame basketball player, general manager, and coach
- Chris Mullin, NBA Hall of Fame basketball player
- Boris Nachamkin, professional basketball player
- Joakim Noah, professional basketball player
- Lamar Odom, former professional basketball player
- Bernard Opper, professional basketball player
- Donna Orender, college basketball player and Women's Professional Basketball League All-Star; WNBA president
- Rick Pitino, basketball coach
- Tubby Raskin, basketball player and coach
- Pat Riley, basketball player, coach, and executive; born in Rome
- Danny Schayes, college and professional basketball player; son of Dolph Schayes
- Dolph Schayes, NBA Hall of Fame player and coach
- Ossie Schectman, basketball player; scored the first basket in NBA history
- Barney Sedran, NBA Hall of Fame basketball player
- Adam Silver, NBA commissioner
- Lou Silver, basketball player
- Russ Smith, former NBA player, currently plays in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Alex Sobel, basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Sid Tannenbaum, professional basketball player
- Mark Turenshine, basketball player
- Jim Valvano, basketball coach
- Kemba Walker, professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets
- Isaiah Whitehead, player for the Brooklyn Nets, now in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- World Peace, former professional basketball player
- Max Zaslofsky, professional basketball player
- Adam Kemp,, professional basketball player
Boxing
- Abe "The Little Hebrew" Attell, boxer, World Featherweight Champion
- Riddick "Big Daddy" Bowe, World Heavyweight Champion
- Shannon Briggs, boxer, World Heavyweight Champion
- Al "Bummy" Davis, professional boxer
- Abe Goldstein, boxer, World Bantamweight champion
- Zab Judah, boxer, World Lightweight Champion
- Solly Krieger, boxer, World Middleweight Champion
- Jake LaMotta|Jake "Raging Bull" LaMotta, boxer, World Middleweight Champion
- Boyd Melson, boxer, World Military Boxing Champions in the 69 kg. weight class
- Samuel Mosberg, boxer, Olympic light heavyweight champion
- Floyd Patterson, boxer, World Heavyweight Champion
- Sugar Ray Robinson, boxer, World Middleweight Champion
- Maxie "Slapsie Maxie" Rosenbloom, World Light Heavyweight Champion
- Charlie Phil Rosenberg, boxer, World Bantamweight Champion
- Barney Ross, boxer, world champion in three weight divisions: lightweight, light welterweight, and welterweight
- Isadore "Corporal Izzy" Schwartz, boxer, World Flyweight Champion
- Al "The Bronx Beauty" Singer, boxer, World Lightweight Champion
- Gene Tunney, boxer, World Heavyweight Champion
- Mike Tyson, former professional boxer, World Heavyweight Champion
Fencing
- Norman C. Armitage, Olympic medalist saber fencer, 6x Olympian
- Albert Axelrod, Olympic medalist foil fencer, 5x Olympian
- Cliff Bayer, 2x Olympic foil fencer
- Robert Blum, 2x Olympic saber fencer
- Daniel Bukantz, 4x Olympic foil fencer
- Herbert Cohen, 2x Olympic foil fencer
- Gene Glazer, 2x Olympic foil fencer
- Hal Goldsmith, 3x Olympic foil fencer
- Ralph Goldstein, 2x Olympic épée fencer
- Julia Jones-Pugliese, national champion fencer and fencing coach
- Allan Kwartler, 3x Olympic sabre and foil fencer, Pan American Games and Maccabiah Games champion
- Ivan Lee, Olympic saber fencer; banned for life
- Nate Lubell, 3x Olympic foil fencer
- Tim Morehouse, Olympic medalist saber fencer, 3x Olympian
- Soren Thompson, 2x Olympian, NCAA épée champion, world team champion
American football
- Doc Alexander, football player and coach
- Lyle Alzado, football All Pro player
- Russ Brandon, football executive
- Jim Brown, Hall of Fame football player
- Tom Coughlin, football coach
- Jordan Dangerfield, NFL football player
- Boomer Esiason, former football player
- D'Brickashaw Ferguson, NFL offensive tackle
- Jay Fiedler, NFL football quarterback
- Brian Flores, football coach
- Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner; born in Jamestown
- Rob Gronkowski, former football player
- Thomas Hennessy, football player
- Arthur Jones, football player
- Chandler Jones, NFL outside linebacker
- Brett Kern, NFL punter
- Vince Lombardi, football coach
- Sid Luckman, football player, inducted into Hall of Fame in 1965
- John Mackey, football player, inducted into Hall of Fame in 1992
- Ali Marpet, football player
- Doug Marrone, football coach
- Josh Miller, football player and football analyst
- Art Monk, former football player, inducted into Hall of Fame in 2008
- Ed Newman, All-Pro football player
- Joe Paterno, football coach
- Matt Patricia, football coach
- Adam Podlesh, football player
- Ray Rice, former football player
- Herb Rich, 2x All-Pro football player
- Aaron "Rosy" Rosenberg, 2x All-American college football player, and film and television producer
- Allie Sherman, National Football League player and head coach
- Will Smith, football player
- Alan Veingrad, NFL football player
- Pop Warner, football coach
Ice hockey
- Gary Bettman, NHL commissioner
- Dustin Brown, NHL ice hockey player
- Ryan Callahan, NHL ice hockey player
- Tim Erixon, American-born Swedish ice hockey player
- Joel Farabee, NHL ice hockey player
- Adam Fox, NHL ice hockey defenseman
- Brian Gionta, NHL ice hockey player
- Patrick Kane, NHL ice hockey player
- Seymour H. Knox III, co-founder of the Buffalo Sabres
- Alex "Mine Boy" Levinsky, American-born Canadian NHL player
- Eric Nystrom, NHL ice hockey player
- Marty Reasoner, NHL ice hockey player, NHL ice hockey player
Soccer
- Jordan Cila, Major League Soccer midfielder
- Benny Feilhaber, soccer midfielder
- Shep Messing, Olympic soccer goalkeeper and current broadcaster
- Charlie Reiter, soccer player
- Timothy Weah, professional soccer player in Ligue 1 and member of the United States men's national soccer team
- Sara Whalen, Olympic soccer player
Swimming
- Ryan Lochte, competitive swimmer, gold medalist at the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics, and contestant on Dancing with the Stars season 23
- Lia Neal, competitive swimmer, silver and bronze Olympic medalist
- Ashley Twichell, Olympic swimmer
Tennis
- Marilyn Aschner, tennis player
- Irvin Dorfman, tennis player
- Herbert Flam, tennis player
- Jim Grabb, tennis player
- Jim Gurfein, tennis player
- Ladislav Hecht, tennis player
- Scott Lipsky, tennis player
- Jamie Loeb, tennis player
- Bruce Manson, tennis player
- John McEnroe, tennis player
- Larry Nagler, tennis player
- Renée Richards, tennis player
- Noah Rubin, tennis player
- Ed Rubinoff, tennis player
- Julius Seligson, tennis player
- Bill Tilden, tennis player
Track and field
- Andy Bloom, Olympic shot putter
- Lillian Copeland, Olympic discus champion; set world records in discus, javelin, and shot put
- Caitlyn Jenner, retired decathlete, gold medalist at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and television personality
- Judy Shapiro-Ikenberry, long-distance runner
Other sports
- Charles Ackerly, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Carl Adams, two-time NCAA wrestling champion, coach, and businessman
- Ed Banach, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Lou Banach, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Herman Barron, professional golfer
- Jeff Blatnick, Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling
- Benjamin Bradshaw, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Kareem Campbell professional skateboarder
- Glenn Cowan, table tennis player
- Robert Curry, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Kyle Dake, Olympic freestyle wrestler, four-time World Champion, and four-time NCAA wrestling champion in four different weight classes
- Yianni Diakomihalis, four-time NCAA wrestling champion, World medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Tommy Dreamer, professional wrestler
- Jim Drucker, former Commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association, former Commissioner of the Arena Football League, and founder of NewKadia Comics
- Mick Foley, professional wrestler and author
- Danielle Goldstein, American-Israeli show jumper
- Nick Gwiazdowski, two-time NCAA wrestling champion and two-time World medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Carol Heiss, figure skater, 1960 Olympic champion, five-time World Champion
- Laurie Hernandez, artistic gymnast, gold medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and winner of Dancing with the Stars season 23
- Jon Jones, UFC light heavyweight champion
- Kristie Marano, two-time World champion and nine-time World medalist in women's freestyle wrestling
- Colette Nelson, professional bodybuilder
- Troy Nickerson, NCAA wrestling champion, collegiate wrestling head coach
- Isidor Niflot, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Beth Phoenix, professional wrestler
- Damian Priest, professional wrestler
- Otto Roehm, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Aljamain Sterling, UFC Champion
- Chris Weidman, former UFC Middleweight Champion
- Claire Weinstein, Olympic silver medalist freestyle swimmer
- Zelina Vega, professional wrestler
Business
- John Jacob Astor,fur trader and company founder
- Nicholas F. Brady, former CEO of Dillon Read and 68th United States Secretary of the Treasury
- Helen Gilman Noyes Brown, philanthropist, clubwoman
- Dimies T. Stocking Denison, businesswoman, philanthropist and clubwoman
- C. Douglas Dillon, CEO of Dillon Read, United States Ambassador to France, and 57th United States Secretary of the Treasury
- George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak
- Joseph Ellicott, surveyor and city planner
- William Fargo, co-founder of American Express Company and Wells Fargo; Mayor of Buffalo
- Reggie Fils-Aimé, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America
- Debra Fox, founder of Fox Learning Systems
- Alexander Snow Gordon, silversmith
- Scott Greenstein, president and chief content officer of Sirius XM Satellite Radio
- E. H. Harriman, errand boy, broker, railroader
- George A. Hormel, founder of Hormel
- Jeremy Jacobs, owner of Delaware North and Boston Bruins
- John J. Kennedy, financier and 45th New York State Treasurer
- Harriette A. Keyser, industrial reformer
- Seymour H. Knox I, businessman and co-founder of F. W. Woolworth Company
- Seymour H. Knox II, philanthropist and former director of Marine Midland Bank
- Reginald Lenna, CEO and philanthropist
- Jon L. Luther, food service executive
- Sherman J. Maisel, economist
- Jeremiah Milbank, banker, co-founder of Borden Milk Co.
- Jacquelyn Ottman, marketing consultant
- Henry Paulson, former CEO of Goldman Sachs and United States Secretary of the Treasury
- Nelson Peltz, billionaire businessman and investor
- Joseph R. Perella, financier
- Jeffry Picower, investor and noted philanthropist involved in the Madoff investment scandal
- Pat Powers, movie producer
- Donald Regan, CEO of Merrill Lynch and 66th United States Secretary of the Treasury
- Robert E. Rich Sr., inventor and foodservice executive
- David Rockefeller, banker
- John D. Rockefeller, philanthropist and founder of Standard Oil
- John D. Rockefeller Jr., philanthropist and financier
- William Rockefeller, co-founder of Standard Oil
- Alan Rosen, restaurant and bakery owner, and author
- Jeffrey Rosen, billionaire businessman
- Robert Rubin, former CEO of Goldman Sachs and 70th United States Secretary of the Treasury
- Scott Rudin, movie producer
- Frank Russek, Polish-born American co-founder of the Russeks department store chain
- Jacob Schiff, Wall Street executive and banker
- Edward Selzer, movie producer
- Ellsworth Milton Statler, hotelier
- Stuart Sternberg, owner of the Tampa Bay Rays
- Jill Stuart, fashion designer
- Whitney Tilson, hedge fund manager, philanthropist, author, and Democratic political activist
- Donald Trump Jr., businessman; eldest son of Donald Trump and brother of Eric, Ivanka, and Tiffany
- Eric Trump, philanthropist and businessman; son of Donald Trump and brother of Ivanka, Tiffany, and Donald Jr.
- Ivanka Trump, businesswoman, writer, and former fashion model; daughter of Donald Trump and sister of Eric, Donald Jr., and Tiffany
- Tiffany Trump, daughter of Donald Trump and sister of Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr.
- Cornelius Vanderbilt, ferry and tugboat captain, company founder, and railroader
- Sanford Weill, former CEO of Citigroup
- Henry Wells, businessman
- Bob Weinstein, movie producer and co-founder of Miramax Films and The Weinstein Company
- Harvey Weinstein, movie producer and co-founder of Miramax Films and The Weinstein Company
- John G. Wickser, businessman and New York State Treasurer
- Robert G. Wilmers, CEO of M&T Bank
- Christopher Woodrow, movie producer and founder of Worldview Entertainment
- Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook
Fashion, beauty, and modeling
- Keith Carlos, fashion model, former football player, and winner of America's Next Top Model season 21
- Nyle DiMarco, model, actor, deaf activist, and winner of Dancing with the Stars season 22 and America's Next Top Model season 22
- Barbie Ferreira, actress and model
- Tom Ford, fashion designer, film director, screenwriter, and film producer
- Mary Therese Friel, beauty queen, model, businesswoman, and winner of Miss USA 1979
- Marc Jacobs, fashion designer and former creative director of Louis Vuitton
- Scarlett Johansson, actress, model, and singer
- Calvin Klein, fashion designer and founder of Calvin Klein Inc
- Michael Kors, sportswear fashion designer; founder and CEO of Michael Kors Holdings
- Ralph Lauren, fashion designer, philanthropist, business executive, and founder of the Ralph Lauren Corporation
- Stacy London, stylist, fashion consultant
- Jackie Loughery, actress, beauty queen, and inaugural winner of Miss USA
- Erica Mena, model and television personality
- Sienna Miller, actress, model, and fashion designer
- Sarah Natochenny, actress, film editor, fashion model, and voice actress
- Rachel Nichols, actress and model
- Hayden Panettiere, actress, model, singer, and activist
- Kimberly Pressler, model, reality television star, and first runner-up at Miss USA 1995
- Tanya Roberts, actress, model
- Alexis Skyy, model and television personality
- Carmen Marc Valvo, evening-wear and high-end cocktail dress designer
Lawyers and jurists
- Nicholas Allard, Dean and President of Brooklyn Law School
- Benjamin N. Cardozo, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law School professor and scholar of United States constitutional law and criminal law
- Linda Fairstein, prosecutor and author
- Gerrit Forbes, Justice of the Supreme Court of New York
- Felix Frankfurter, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Henry Friendly, judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- Kumiki Gibson, lawyer
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Arthur Goldberg, United States Secretary of Labor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, and United States Ambassador to the United Nations
- Edith Julia Griswold, in her day, she was the only woman patent expert
- Alvin Hellerstein, United States federal judge
- John Jay, first Chief Justice of the United States
- Elena Kagan, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- A. Leo Levin, law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
- John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States
- Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Amy Wax, Robert Mundheim Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
Religious leaders
- Marilla Baker Ingalls, missionary to Burma for 51 years
- Ella May Bennett, American Universalist minister.; first woman to be ordained to the ministry on Long Island
- Mary E. Norton, Congregational minister and home missionary worker
- Avraham Qanaï, leader of one of the first Karaite Jewish congregations in the United States
- Emanuel Rackman, Modern Orthodox rabbi; President of Bar-Ilan University
- Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Orthodox Jewish rabbi
Science and medicine
- Richard Axel, scientist and Nobel Prize winner
- Cora Belle Brewster, physician, surgeon, medical writer, editor
- Flora A. Brewster, physician, surgeon, editor
- Mandy Cohen, physician and Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Anna Manning Comfort, physician
- Mary Gage Day, physician, medical writer
- Gertrude B. Elion, biochemist, pharmacologist and Nobel Prize winner
- Richard P. Feynman, physicist and Nobel prize winner
- Murray Gerstenhaber, mathematician and lawyer
- Carl Sagan, astronomer
- Jonas Salk, scientist and developed first polio vaccine
- George Herman Babcock, inventor
- William Martin Beauchamp, ethnologist and clergyman. Born in Orange County, he served an Episcopal parish in Baldwinsville for 35 years while also performing archæological research, particularly concerning the Haudenosaunee, and publishing his findings in eight books between 1892 and 1908.
- Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, abolitionist, women's rights activist, and the first female doctor in the United States, studied medicine at Geneva College.
- Willis Carrier, inventor
- Cornelius Cooper, African-American physician, famous for his lawsuit to separate from the U.S. Army as an objector to the war while attending West Point Military Academy
- Dr. Asa Fitch of Salem, first occupational entomologist in the United States. In 1838 he began to collect and study insects for New York state. In 1854 he became the first professional Entomologist of New York State Agricultural Society, commissioned by the State of New York.
- Dr. George Franklin Grant, born in Oswego, he was the first African-American professor at Harvard. He was also a Boston dentist, and the inventor of the golf tee.
- James Hall (paleontologist)
- Professor Joseph Henry, scientist who advanced the understanding of electricity, and who served as the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
- Franklin B. Hough
- Irving Langmuir, chemist and physicist, Nobel laureate and resident of Schenectady.
- Eben Jenks Loomis, born at Oppenheim, was an astronomer. He was assistant in the Harvard American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac office from 1850 until his retirement in 1900. During this time he also held the position of special assistant at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, DC. He was a member of the United States eclipse expedition to Africa of 1889.
- Lewis Henry Morgan of Aurora and Rochester, ethnologist, anthropologist, writer and attorney. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels relied on his accounts of the evolution of indigenous peoples to fill in their own account of the development of capitalist society.
- Roger Tory Peterson, naturalist, ornithologist, writer and educator, born in Jamestown.
- Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, geographer, geologist, and ethnologist, born in Guilderland.
- Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau, established the Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium at Saranac Lake for treatment of tuberculosis.
- Charles Doolittle Walcott, paleontologist
- Dr. Mary Edwards Walker of Oswego, feminist, abolitionist, prohibitionist, suffragist, alleged spy, prisoner of war, surgeon, and the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor.
- Henry Augustus Ward
Foreign-born New Yorkers
- Moses Michael Levi Barrow, better known by his stage name Shyne, Belizean rapper and politician
- Andrulla Blanchette, British-born professional bodybuilder
- Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Ukrainian-born Latin ballroom dancer, choreographer, and instructor from ABC's Dancing with the Stars; brother of Val
- Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Ukrainian-born professional dancer from ABC's Dancing with the Stars; brother of Maks
- Laura Creavalle, Guyanese-born Canadian/American professional bodybuilder
- Lisa Cross, British-born professional bodybuilder
- Steven Derounian, Bulgarian-born politician and former United States Representative of New York
- Heather Foster, Jamaican-born American professional bodybuilder
- Bev Francis, Australian-born professional bodybuilder, powerlifter, and national shot put champion
- Carolina Herrera, Venezuelan-born fashion designer; dress designer of First Ladies from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to Michelle Obama
- Kyrie Irving, Australian-born American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets
- John Kneller, English-American professor and fifth President of Brooklyn College
- John Leguizamo, Colombian-born actor, voice actor, producer, and stand-up comedian
- Sean Patrick Maloney, Canadian-born politician and U.S. Representative of New York since 2013
- Joel McHale, Italian-born actor, comedian, writer, television producer, and television host
- Nicki Minaj, Trinidadian-born rapper and singer
- Edward Mosberg, Polish-American Holocaust survivor, educator, and philanthropist
- Pelé, Brazilian-born iconic soccer player and honorary president of the New York Cosmos; considered the best soccer player of all time
- Keanu Reeves, Lebanese-born Canadian/American actor, producer, and musician
- Alana Shipp, Barbadian-born Israeli/American professional bodybuilder
- Gene Simmons, Israeli-born musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, actor, television personality, and lead singer of the band Kiss
- Albio Sires, Cuban-born politician and United States Representative of New Jersey since 2006
- Snooki, Chilean-born reality television personality from Jersey Shore
- Amelie Veiller Van Norman, French-born American educator and civic reformer
- Bruce Willis, German-born American actor, producer, and singer
- Jason Wu, Taiwanese-born Canadian/American fashion designer and designer of First Lady Michelle Obama's dresses
Infamous New Yorkers
- David Berkowitz, serial killer
- Billy the Kid, notorious wild west criminal
- Al Capone, gangster; co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit
- Frank Costello, Italian-American Mafia gangster
- Robert Garrow, spree killer
- David Hampton, actor and impostor; posed as Poitier's son "David" in 1983, which inspired a play and film
- Steven Hoffenberg, CEO and fraudster
- GypsyCrusader, far-right political commentator, streamer, white supremacist, former Muay Thai fighter and convicted felon
- Lucky Luciano, mobster; considered the father of modern organized crime in the United States
- Timothy McVeigh, convicted terrorist responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing
- Eugene Palmer, murderer and fugitive
- Larry Ray, criminal convicted of sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor, and other offenses, sentenced to 60 years in prison
- Theodore Rinaldo, convicted child sex offender
- Shirley Winters, convicted arsonist and accused serial killer
- Joseph James DeAngelo serial killer
Other
- Mary Jane Aldrich, social reformer
- Elnora Monroe Babcock, suffragist
- Helen Morton Barker, social reformer
- Emily Montague Mulkin Bishop, suffragist, writer
- Catharine Paine Blaine, suffragist, teacher
- Lina Beecher, roller coaster designer and inventor
- Margaret McDonald Bottome, reformer, author
- William Boylan, first President of Brooklyn College
- Grace Brown, murder victim
- Kai Cenat, streamer
- Lucinda Banister Chandler, social reformer
- Cordelia Throop Cole, social reformer, writer, editor
- Emily Parmely Collins, suffragist, activist, writer
- Julia Colman, social reformer
- Daniel Daly, United States Marine, received Medal of Honor twice
- Rhoda A. Esmond, philanthropist, temperance leader
- Frances Elizabeth Fryatt, specialist in household applied arts
- Mary Ninde Gamewell, missionary, author
- Harry Gideonse, President of Brooklyn College, and Chancellor of The New School for Social Research
- Harriet Newell Kneeland Goff, reformer, author
- Wilson Greatbatch, inventor
- Katherine Van Allen Grinnell, social reformer, author
- Ada Van Stone Harris, educator
- Annabel Morris Holvey, social reformer, writer
- Cornelia Collins Hussey, philanthropist, suffragist
- Clarissa Caldwell Lathrop, social reformer
- Jennie Phelps Purvis, suffragist, reformer, writer
- Ellen Sergeant Rude, writer, poet, and temperance reformer
- Frances Shimer, founder of Shimer College
- Jane Slocum, educator, lecturer
- Richard Stallman, programmer of Emacs and founder of GNU
- Emily Pitts Stevens, activist, editor
- Katharine Lent Stevenson, reformer, missionary
- Josephine Terranova, criminal defendant
- Mary Evalin Warren, social reformer, author
- Charlotte Fowler Wells, phrenologist
- Mary Traffarn Whitney, minister, reformer, philanthropist
- Margaret E. Winslow, activist, editor, writer