People born in San José

• Roger Argenis, lead singer of the alternative rock band Aerial
• Chuck Berry, guitarist and singer ( birthplace is disputed)
• Steve Caballero, professional skateboarder
• Brandi Chastain, soccer player
• Amy Chow, a 1996 Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics
• Jerry Coleman, Ford Frick Award winning sportscaster
• Jason Dahl, (Deceased) Captain of United Airlines flight 93 on Sept. 11th, 2001
• DJ Shadow, born Joshua Davis, famous instrumental hip-hop DJ
• Dustin Diamond, child actor, known as Screech from Saved By The Bell
• Don Edwards, United States Representative from California from 1963–1995
• Peggy Fleming, 1968 Winter Olympics figure skating gold medalist
• Rudy Galindo, national-champion figure skater
• Amadeo Peter Giannini, Founder of Bank of America
• Dan Gladden, baseball player
• Michael Gough, voice actor
• Farley Granger, actor
• Dudley R. Herschbach, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Josh Holloway, actor Lost
• Brent Jones, American football player
• Kira Kener, pornographic actress
• Tristan Kingsley, pornographic actress
• Eric Kretz, drummer for Stone Temple Pilots, Talk Show, and Spiralarms
• Carney Lansford, baseball player
• Luis A. López, poet
• Bryan Mantia, drummer for Primus and Guns N' Roses
• Charles Martinet, voice actor best known for providing the voice of Nintendo's Mario
• Candi Milo, voice actress
• Norman Mineta, Mayor of San Jose, United States Secretary of Transportation, United States Secretary of Commerce.
• Joe Murray, animator
• Jim Plunkett, American football quarterback
• Jesus Padilla, Soccer player for Chivas de Guadalajara
• William Price, entertainer and gay rights activist
• Ernie Reyes Jr., actor and martial artist
• Michael A. Rice, biologist and Rhode Island politician
• Matt Riddle, Bassist of the band No use for a name
• Dave Righetti, baseball pitcher
• Diane Rodriguez, theatre director, actor, writer
• Nikki Sixx, bassist for Mötley Crüe
• Tony Sly, Lead singer and guitarist of the band No use for a name
• Randy Stonehill, singer/songwriter
• Josh Thomson, Mixed Martial Artist and Model
• Pat Tillman, American professional football player, Army Ranger
• Jhonen Vasquez, creator of a number of notable alternative comics for Slave Labor Graphics and Invader ZIM
• Kate Walsh, actress
• Steve Wozniak, cofounder of Apple Computer

People who moved to San Jose

• Louie Bellson, professional drummer
• Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, musicians, played with the rock band Fleetwood Mac
• Steven Paul Jobs, Cofounder and current CEO of Apple, Inc
• Ken Caminiti, baseball player
• John Carlos, Olympic Silver Medalist, track and field athlete, professional football player.
• Andre Carter, American football player
• César Chávez, farm labor leader
• Gurbaksh Chahal, award winning American entrepreneur
• Joey Chestnut, competitive eater
• Edgar F. Codd, computer scientist
• Jimmy DeGrasso, professional drummer
• Kate Elliott, novelist
• Thomas Fallon, soldier, Mayor of San Jose
• Jeff Foskett, guitarist and singer best known for his work with The Beach Boys
• Jeff Garcia, American football player
• Ron Gonzales, Mayor of Sunnyvale, Mayor of San Jose
• Antony Hegarty, frontman of award winning Antony and the Johnsons
• Krazy George Henderson, cheerleader, inventor of "The Wave"
• Mike Holmgren, American football coach
• Mike Honda, member of the United States House of Representatives
• Khaled Hosseini, best-selling novelist, author of The Kite Runner
• Sherman Otis Houghton, Mayor of San Jose, member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Patrick Marleau, a San Jose Sharks player
• Kyle McLaren, a San Jose Sharks player
• Henry Morris Naglee, U.S. Civil War general
• Evgeni Nabokov, a San Jose Sharks player
• Brian Oldfield, former World and American Shot Put Record Holder
• Linda Park, actress
• John Powell, two-time Olympic Bronze Medalist, Discus Throw
• Smothers Brothers musical comedy duo
• James F. Reed, Organizing member of the Donner Party, Businessman, soldier.
• Kurtwood Smith, actor
• Tommie Smith, Olympic Gold Medalist, track and field athlete, professional football player.
• Steven Smith, astronaut
• Amy Tan, best-selling novelist, author of The Joy Luck Club
• Al Ruffo, Mayor of San Jose
• Dave Stieb, baseball pitcher
• Loren Toews, American football player
• Dick Vermeil, American football coach (NFL)
• Ken Williams, general manager for the 2005 World Series Champions Chicago White Sox.
• Sarah Winchester, Heiress to the Winchester rifle Co. and eccentric
• Jerry Yang, cofounder of Yahoo!
• Frank Shamrock, American Mixed Martial Arts fighter
• Cung Le, Vietnamese Mixed Martial Arts fighter, three time Sanshou bronze medalist

Major Bands from San Jose and the South Bay Area

• The Doobie Brothers
• Dredg
• HeavyHeavyLowLow
• Insolence
• Karate High School
• Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards
• Los Tigres del Norte
• Mike Park
• Manmade God
• No Use for a Name
• Peanut Butter Wolf
• Rancid
• Shinobu
• Skinlab
• Sleep
• Smash Mouth
• Strata
• Syndicate of Sound
• Systematic
• The Count 5
• The Faction
• Trapt
• Traxamillion
• Whipping Boy
• Xiu Xiu
• Y&T

See also: San Jose, California, :Category:San Joseans