List of people from Cleveland
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File:Downtown Cleveland from Wendy Park.jpg
The people listed below were all born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Cleveland, Ohio.
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A
- Tony Abbott, author of children's books
- Richard F. Abel, U.S. Air Force brigadier general
- Tony Adamle, football player
- Steven Adler, original drummer of Guns N' Roses
- Corey Allen, film and television director, writer, producer, and actor
- RaShaun Allen, football player
- Gordon Allport, psychologist
- Ernie Anderson, radio and TV personality
- Ray Anthony, bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter, and actor
- William Appling, music educator, conductor, pianist and arranger
- Graham Armstrong, football player
- Daniel Arsham, visual artist
- Avant, singer
- Max M. Axelrod, businessman and sports pioneer
- Nathaniel Ayers, musician
- Albert Ayler, musician
- Brian Azzarello, comic book writer
B
- Catherine Bach, actress (The Dukes of Hazzard)
- Jim Backus, actor (Gilligan's Island, Mister Magoo)
- Benny Bailey, musician
- Rodney Bailey, football player
- Edward M. Baker, investment broker
- Jerome Baker, Ohio State linebacker drafted by the Miami Dolphins{{cite web|url=https://escoutroom.com/eScoutRoom/Articles/Articles-Detail/ArticleID/2890|title=Jerome Baker NFL Draft Update|work=eScoutroom}}
- Newton D. Baker, mayor, Secretary of War
- Bill Balas, screenwriter, director and producer
- Kaye Ballard, actress
- John Banaszak, football player, current coach at Robert Morris University
- Robert Bardwell, former organist for the Cleveland Indians
- Majel Barrett, actress
- Vanessa Bayer, comedian, Saturday Night Live
- William Bayer, author
- Brian Michael Bendis, comic book writer
- Peter Bergman, actor and comedian, Firesign Theatre
- Haley Bennett, actress
- LeCharles Bentley, football player
- Halle Berry, Academy Award-winning actress
- Leon Bibb, TV news anchor
- Charles Biederman, artist
- Earl Billings, actor
- David Birney, actor
- Nina Blackwood, radio personality
- Randy Blake, kickboxer
- Hanne Blank, historian
- Mark Bloch, artist
- Max Bohm, artist
- Flesh-n-Bone, rapper
- Layzie Bone, rapper
- Emma Scarr Booth, writer
- Lynn Borden, actress
- Marvin Bower, business theorist
- Earl Boykins, basketball player
- Christopher A. Boyko, United States federal judge
- Alva Bradley, Indians owner, 1927–46
- Lynn Brenne, Illinois state representative
- Regina Brett, author, inspirational speaker and newspaper columnist
- Jim Brickman, songwriter
- Dana Brooke, pro wrestler, bodybuilder, fitness competitor, model
- Robert Elton Brooker, business executive
- Chris Broussard, sports analyst
- Jim Brown, Hall of Fame football player
- Paul Brown, NFL coach
- Yvette Nicole Brown, actress (Drake & Josh, Community)
- Charles Brush, inventor
- Christian Bryant, football player
- Eliza Bryant (1827–1907), humanitarian
- Henrietta Buckmaster (1909–1983), journalist and author
- Jan Buckner Walker, cruciverbalist, author and games creator
- Hy Buller (1926–1968), All-Star NHL ice hockey player
- Isabel Burgess, Arizona state legislator
- Beatrice Burton, romance writer
- Steve Burton, actor
- Judith Butler, philosopher
C
- Anthony O. Calabrese Jr., judge
- Jerrod Calhoun, basketball coach for the Youngstown State Penguins
- Jane L. Campbell, mayor
- Drew Carey, comedian (The Drew Carey Show, host of popular game show The Price Is Right)
- Mary Carey, adult film actress
- Eric Carmen, singer and musician
- Wynona Carr, gospel singer
- Wesley Carroll, football player
- Drew Carter, football player
- Janis Carter, actress
- William Case, 12th mayor of Cleveland
- Ray Cash, rapper
- Ariel Castro, kidnapper
- Andy Cannavino, football player
- Richard Celeste, Ohio governor
- Chris Chambers, football player
- Jason Champion, singer
- Tracy Chapman, singer{{cite book|last=Hogg|first=Karen|title=Guitar Styles - Women in Rock|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GzxugzcadQsC&pg=PA20|date=1 April 2001|publisher=Alfred Music Publishing|isbn=978-0-7390-2016-6|page=20}}
- Channing Chasten, soccer player{{Cite web |title=About – Channing Chasten |url=https://www.theonepercentkid.com/about |access-date=March 29, 2025 |website=The One Percent Kid}}
- Tim Cheatwood, Ohio State and pro football player, Cleveland Gladiators of Arena Football League and Canadian Football League all-star
- Cheetah Chrome (Eugene Richard O'Connor), punk rock guitarist for Rocket from the Tombs and The Dead Boys
- Charles Chesnutt, author
- Howie Chizek, radio personality
- Kristina Cho, cookbook author and blogger
- John Choma, football player
- Frank Clark, football player
- Gilby Clarke, musician
- Bill Cobbs, actor
- Henry D. Coffinberry, industrialist
- Marc Cohn, musician
- Carl Cohen, executive, father of Corey Allen
- Davon Coleman, football player
- George E. Condon, journalist, writer, and local historian
- Tim Conway, comedian and actor
- David Conte, composer
- Rita Corrigan, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
- Tom Cousineau, football player
- James Cotton, football player
- Franklin Cover, actor
- Delbert Cowsette, football player
- Wes Craven, film director
- George Washington Crile, co-founder of the Cleveland Clinic, gave first successful blood transfusion
- George Washington Crile Jr., surgeon
- George Washington Crile III, CBS news, journalist and producer
- Susan Crile, painter
- Dartanyon Crockett, competitive Judo athlete
- Matt Cross, professional wrestler
- Francis Earl Curran, 28th mayor of San Diego, California
- Harvey Cushing, neurosurgeon
D
- DaBaby, rapper
- Tadd Dameron, composer
- Dorothy Dandridge, actress
- David A. Dangler (born 1826), member of the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924087027524/page/n475/mode/2up |title=History of the City of Cleveland: Its Settlement, Rise and Progress |editor-last=Robison |editor-first=W. Scott |year=1887 |publisher=Robison & Crockett |pages=410–411 |via=Archive.org}}{{Open access}}
- William H. Daniels, cinematographer
- Mac Danzig, mixed martial artist
- Khashyar Darvich, documentary filmmaker
- Harry L. Davis, mayor, governor
- Ruby Dee, actress
- Donald DeFreeze, leader of Symbionese Liberation Army
- Ed Delahanty, baseball player{{cite book |editor= Reichler, Joseph L. |title= The Baseball Encyclopedia |orig-year= 1969 |edition= 4th |year= 1979 |publisher= Macmillan Publishing |location= New York |isbn= 0-02-578970-8 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/baseballencyclop00reic }}
- Cheri Dennis, singer
- Dominic Dieter, radio personality
- Tony Discenzo, football player
- Charles Dolan, media mogul
- Larry Dolan, owner of the Cleveland Indians
- Patty Donahue, singer
- Phil Donahue, television personality
- Stephen R. Donaldson, novelist
- Conya Doss, singer
- Mike Douglas, singer and television personality
- Herbert H. Dow, industrialist, Dow Chemical founder
- Sharon Draper, educator
- Stan Drayton, football coach
- Keir Dullea, actor (2001: A Space Odyssey)
- Jerry Dybzinski, baseball player
E
- Mike Easler, baseball player
- Dennis E. Eckart politician
- Geraldine Edwards, baseball player
- Kevin Edwards, basketball player
- Eric Ehrmann, journalist
- Paul Eiding, voice actor
- Judyann Elder, actress
- Jayrone Elliott, football player
- Harlan Ellison, author
- John A. Ellsler, acting teacher
- Joe Eszterhas, screenwriter
- Lee Evans, football player
- John C. Ewers, ethnologistSaxon, Wolfgang (May 27, 1997). [https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/27/us/john-canfield-ewers-ethnologist-dies-at-87.html "John Canfield Ewers, Ethnologist, Dies at 87"]. New York Times. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
F
- Sean Faris, actor
- William Feather, publisher and author
- Ed Feighan, politician
- Bob Feller, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher
- Dick Feagler, newspaper columnist, playwright and TV personality
- Frederick Fennell, conductor
- Cristina Ferrare, TV personality
- George Fett, cartoonist
- Bobby Few, musician
- Rich Fields, meteorologist
- Antwone Fisher, writer
- London Fletcher, football player
- Miriam Flynn, actress
- Quinton Flynn, voice actor
- Dezső Földes (1880–1950), Hungarian-born two-time Olympic champion saber fencer{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MxlqVedWBQoC&dq=%22Dezso+Foldes%22+cleveland&pg=PA507|title = A Twentieth-century Prophet: Osc r J szi, 1875-1957|isbn = 9789637326424|last1 = Litv?n|first1 = Gy?rgy|date = January 2006| publisher=Central European University Press }}
- William Perry Fogg, author and adventurer
- George L. Forbes, president of Cleveland City Council, 1974–1989
- Dave Ford, baseball player
- Mark Foster, lead singer and founding member of Foster the People
- Alan Freed, radio personality
- Jonathan Freeman, Broadway and voice actor
- Benny Friedman (1905–1982), Hall of Fame NFL football quarterback
- Dan Friedman, graphic designer{{cite web|title=Dan Friedman|url=http://collection.cooperhewitt.org/people/18041325/|work=Collections|publisher=Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum|access-date=1 October 2012}}
- Dan Fritsche, hockey player
- William Otto Frohring, biochemical researcher, inventor, and business executive
- Dorothy Fuldheim, television journalist
- Caroline Furness, astronomer
G
- Neil Giraldo, singer
- Denise Galik, actress
- Michael X. Garrett, soldier
- James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States
- Johnny Gargano, professional wrestler
- Teri Garr, actress
- Joe Gentile, author
- Zelma George, opera singer and philanthropist
- Sonny Geraci, musician
- Redmond Gerard, Olympic snowboarder
- Willie Gilbert, playwright
- Ted Ginn Jr., football player
- Ted Ginn Sr., Glenville High School football and basketball coach
- Donald A. Glaser, Nobel Prize-winning physicist
- Gary Glover, baseball player
- Jim Glover, folk singer
- Carlin Glynn, actress
- Brad Goldberg, MLB baseball pitcher
- Bob Golic, football player
- Mike Golic, football player
- Anthony Gonzalez, football player and politician
- Jim Graner, sportscaster
- Elvis Grbac, football player
- Danny Greene, mobster
- Norm Greeney, football player
- Dorian Gregory, actor
- Joel Grey, actor
- Roger William Gries, bishop
- Hiram Griswold (1807–1881), member of the Ohio Senate and defense lawyer of John Brown{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-leavenworth-times-taken-to-the-tomb/131253445/ |title=Taken to the Tomb |date=1881-10-14 |newspaper=The Leavenworth Times |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-09-05}}{{Open access}}
- Tom Griswold, radio personality
- DeJuan Groce, football player
- Gordon Gund, NBA and NHL team owner
- Mark Gunn, football player
- John Guzik, football player
- Stephen Gyllenhaal, film director, writer, and producer
H
- Kathryn Hahn, actress
- Imani Hakim, actress
- Arsenio Hall, television personality
- Roy Hall, football player
- Charles Hamilton, rapper
- Margaret Hamilton, actress, the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz
- Anthony Hancock, football player
- Greg Harbaugh, astronaut
- Bill Hardman, musician
- Dorothy Hart, actress
- Kevin Hart, baseball player
- Steve Harvey, comedian, actor
- Mickey Hatcher, baseball player and coach{{cite web|url= http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=hatchmi01|
title= Mickey Hatcher Stats|publisher= Baseball Almanac|access-date= November 18, 2012}}
- Jeff Hatrix, musician
- Screamin' Jay Hawkins, singer
- Geoffrey C. Hazard Jr., law professor
- John Hay, statesman
- Patricia Heaton, actress
- Anne Heche, actress
- John Heisman, football coach
- Jerry Heller, music manager
- John Henton, actor
- Kim Herring, football player
- John Hicks, football player
- Dave Hill, comedian
- Naz Hillmon, WNBA player
- Jermale Hines, NFL player
- Aubrey Hirsch, writer and illustrator
- Wilson Hirschfeld, journalist
- Alphonso Hodge, football player
- Hal Holbrook, actor
- Brian Holzinger, hockey player
- Jessica Holmes, news anchor
- Bob Hope, iconic comedian and actor
- William R. Hopkins, politician, airport namesake
- Desmond Howard, football player
- Terrence Howard, actor
- Stephanie Howse, politician
- Andy Hrovat, college and Olympic wrestler
- Benjamin Watson Hubbard, politician
- Adella Prentiss Hughes, orchestra patron
- Langston Hughes, poet and playwright
- Jane Edna Hunter, social worker
- Ross Hunter, film producer
- Michael Hutter, pro wrestler
- Diana Hyland, actress
I
- Mary Bigelow Ingham, educator, writer, social reformer
- Darrell Issa, Republican U.S. Representative of California's 49th congressional district
J
- Arthur J. Jackson, Medal of Honor recipient
- Frank G. Jackson, former mayor of Cleveland
- Tom Jackson, football player, ESPN sportscaster
- Jeff Johnson
- Larry Johnson, baseball player
- Philip Johnson, architect
- Cardale Jones, football player
- Dre'Mont Jones, football player
- Mary Jordan, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
- Rajiv Joseph, Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
- Joe Jurevicius, football player
K
- Sean Kanan, actor
- Carol Kane, actress
- Roberta A. Kaplan, lawyer
- Sidney Katz, physician
- Sammy Kaye, bandleader
- Roger A. Keats, businessman and politician
- Jason Kelce, football player
- Travis Kelce, football player
- Clark Kellogg, basketball player, sportscaster
- Machine Gun Kelly, rapper
- Jayne Kennedy, television personality
- Kid Cudi, hip-hop artist
- Lee Kiefer, Olympic fencer
- Mary Jo Kilroy, politician
- King Chip, hip-hop artist
- Don King, boxing promoter
- Fred Kohler, chief of police, mayor
- Boris Kolker, language translator
- Robert Kovacik, tv journalist
- Richard J. Kramer, CEO of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
- Valdis Krebs, author
- Dennis Kucinich, politician
L
- Marshon Lattimore, NFL player
- Dale Launer, screenwriter
- Peter Laughner, musician, Rocket from the Tombs, Pere Ubu
- Frank Lausche, Cleveland mayor, Ohio governor and senator
- Jantel Lavender, basketball player
- Jerry Lawler, wrestler and commentator
- Jerome Lawrence, playwright
- Hal Lebovitz, sportswriter
- Mike Lebowitz, attorney
- Nicole Marie Lenz, actress
- Al Lerner, pianist, composer
- Gerald Levert, singer
- Sean Levert, singer
- D. A. Levy, poet
- Matthew N. Levy, physiologist
- Fannie Lewis, Cleveland's longest serving female council member
- Jazsmin Lewis, actress
- Peter B. Lewis, businessman
- David Lighty, basketball player
- Dwight Little, film director
- Frank Lockhart, auto racer, Indy 500 champion
- Steve Logan, basketball player
- Joe Lovano, saxophonist
- Michelangelo Lovelace, artist
- Jim Lovell, astronaut
- G. David Low, astronaut
- Chris Lozano, mixed martial arts fighter
M
- James S. Mace, politician
- Michaelis Machol (1845–1912), rabbi
- Steve Malovic (1956–2007), American-Israeli basketball player{{Cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/basketball-steve-malovic-dies-at-50-1.218066|title=Basketball: Steve Malovic Dies at 50|newspaper=Haaretz}}
- Henry Mancini, Oscar and Grammy Award-winning composer
- Madeline Manning, track and field Olympic gold medalist
- Nick Margevicius, MLB pitcher
- Flora Stone Mather, philanthropist
- Samuel Mather, philanthropist, industrialist
- Diane McBain, actress
- Arthur B. McBride, businessman who co-founded the Cleveland Browns football team
- Liz McComb, singer
- Michael McElroy, actor
- Tim McGee, football player
- Tommy Mercer, professional wrestler
- Burgess Meredith, actor (Rocky, Grumpy Old Men, Batman)
- Biagio Messina, TV producer, filmmaker, actor
- Howard Metzenbaum, former State Representative and U.S. Senator
- Bill Mitchell, automotive designer
- Nick Mileti, sports mogul
- Tim Misny, lawyer
- The Miz, pro wrestler
- Antwaun Molden, football player
- Isabela Moner, singer and actress
- Richard Montanari
- Toccara Montgomery, Olympic wrestler
- Fred Moore, first African American tomb guard for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Arlington);The Plain Dealer. “Tomb Reflections: Fred Moore recalls duty as first black Honor Guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.” Brian Albrecht. Updated January 12, 2019; Posted February 25, 2015. https://tombguard.org/guards/moore-2 ; https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2015/02/fred_moore_recalls_duty_as_fir.htmlThe US Department of Defense. “First African American Tomb Guard Recalls ‘Walking the Mat’.” JACQUELINE M. HAMES, SOLDIERS MAGAZINE. NEWS. FEB. 18, 2015. this broke one of the US Army's most historic color linesU.S. Army. “First African-American Tomb Guard recalls journey.” Staff Sgt. Megan Garcia, 3rd U.S. Inf. Regt. "The Old Guard" Public Affairs. February 27, 2012.Hilltop Times. “BLACK HISTORY MONTH: FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TOMB GUARD.” By Jacqueline M. Hames, Soldiers Magazine. February 26, 2015.
- Rudy Ray Moore, actor
- Anthony Morgan, football player
- Daniel E. Morgan, politician
- Garrett Morgan, inventor of the Safety Hood
- William Alexander Morgan, former soldier who moved to Cuba to help the Cuban Revolution
- Lorin Morgan-Richards, author and illustrator, primarily of children's books
- Tom Moriarty, football player
- Greg Morris, actor
- Toni Morrison (1931–2019), Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist
- Albert Reynolds Morse, businessman and philanthropist
- Bob Mrosko, football player
- Scott Mruczkowski, football player
N
- Tom Nagel, actor, film director, and producer
- Fred Neil, folk singer, songwriter, and dolphin preservationist
- Paul Newman, Oscar-winning actor, director, auto racer, philanthropist
- Jonathan Newsome, NFL player
- Kenneth Nichols, civil engineer and contributor to the Manhattan Project
- Chuck Noll, coach of Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers
- Andre Norton, science-fiction writer
O
- Charles Oakley, basketball player
- Onya Nurve, drag queen
- John O'Brien, author
- Kelly O'Donnell, television journalist
- Terrence O'Donnell, judge
- Ron O'Neal, actor
- Susan Orlean, journalist and author
- Benjamin Orr, musician, The Cars
- Jesse Owens, iconic athlete, Olympic champion
- Walter Owens, Negro league baseball player
- Mehmet Oz, doctor, television personality
P
- Lawanda Page, actress
- Paul Palnik, artist
- Sam Palumbo, football player
- Paula Jai Parker, actress
- Marc Parnell, author and ornithologist
- Rod Parsley, televangelist
- Richard Patrick, musician
- Robert Patrick, actor
- Gary Patterson, football coach
- Ruben Patterson, basketball player
- Virginia Patton, actress
- Jake Paul, professional boxer
- Logan Paul, internet celebrity
- Henry B. Payne, politician{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=P000151|title= Payne, Henry B. (1810 - 1896)|publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress |access-date= July 16, 2014}}
- Roger Peckinpaugh, baseball player
- Harvey Pekar, comic book creator
- Roger Penske, auto racing
- Sarah Maria Clinton Perkins (1824-1905), minister, social reformer, editor, author
- Charles B. Perry, lawyer, politician
- Dav Pilkey, children's book author
- Terry Pluto, sportswriter
- Frank Pokorny, former member of the Ohio House of Representatives of the U.S. state of Ohio
- Michael Polensek, member of the Cleveland City Council
- John Popper, musician
- Jason Popson, singer
- James Posey, basketball player
- Joe Posnanski, sportswriter
- Monica Potter, actress
- Beverly Potts, schoolgirl who famously disappeared in 1951
- Joe Prokop, football player
- Henry Prusoff (1912–1943), tennis player
- Bob Ptacek, football player
R
- Stanley Radwan, strongman and professional wrestler
- Doria Ragland, mother of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
- Raz-B, real name DeMario Thornton, singer
- Devine Redding, football player
- Marge Redmond, actress
- Lili Reinhart, actress
- Jack Reynolds, broadcaster and professional wrestling announcer
- Trent Reznor, singer-songwriter
- James Ford Rhodes, industrialist and historian
- Florence Rice, actress
- Bill Rieth, football player
- Eric Riley, basketball player
- Jack Riley, actor
- James Riordan,actor
- Barbara Roads, labor activist and flight attendant
- Bumper Robinson, actor
- John D. Rockefeller Jr., financer, philanthropist, son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller
- Wilbur M. Root, Wisconsin politician
- Terry Rozier, basketball player
- Alan Ruck, actor
- Michael Ruhlman, author
- Rudolph Rummel, political scientist
- Michael Rupp, hockey player
- Anthony Russo, film director
- Joe Russo, director
- Steve Ruzich, football player
- Joe Ryan, Alaska politician
S
- JaKarr Sampson, pro basketball player
- Steve Sanders, former professional football player
- Perry Saturn, pro wrestler
- Ollie Savatsky, football player
- Scott Savol, singer, American Idol
- Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor
- Moe Savransky (born 1929), Major League Baseball pitcher
- Tom Schoen, football player
- Xen C. Scott, football player, football, baseball, and basketball coach, and sportswriter
- Ron Sega, astronaut, Air Force major-general
- Ed Seward, 19th-century baseball player
- Michael Shane, lawyer, actor
- Molly Shannon, comedian and actress
- Bonnie Shemie, author and illustrator
- André Shepherd, United States Army Specialist who applied for asylum in Germany after deserting his unit
- Dwight Shepherd, United States Navy officer and career Naval flight officer
- Sam Sheppard, physician, convicted murderer
- Henry Sherwin, co-founder of Sherwin-Williams paint
- Cecil Shorts, football player
- Phillip Shriver, historian, former college administrator, and former president of Miami University
- Don Shula, Hall of Fame football coach
- Joe Shuster, co-creator of Superman
- Larry Shyatt, basketball coach
- Jerry Siegel, co-creator of Superman
- Ruth Simpson, lesbian activist, author
- Eric Singer, musician, Kiss
- Matija Škerbec, priest
- Barbara Smith, activist
- Beverly Smith, activist
- Chuck Smith, baseball player and current mayor of Woodmere, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb
- Martha Smith, actress, Animal House
- Patricia Haynes Smith, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
- Troy Smith, football player
- Frank Solich, football player and current head coach for Ohio University
- Ray Solomonoff, founder of artificial intelligence
- Charles Somers, coal and baseball exec
- Kath Soucie, voice actress
- Tris Speaker, Hall of Fame baseball player
- Nancy Spero, artist
- Frank Stalletto, pro wrestler
- Michael Stanley, singer-songwriter
- George Steinbrenner III, owner of the New York Yankees
- Brian Stepanek, actor
- Lucy Stanton, abolitionist
- Tom Stincic, football player
- Carl B. Stokes, first African American mayor of a major US city, mayor of Cleveland 1968–71
- Louis Stokes, 15-term U.S. Representative to Congress
- Lori Stokes, journalist and news anchor
- Amasa Stone, philanthropist, railroad magnate, bridge builder
- Robert D. Storey, philanthropist, university trustee, corporate director
- Rich Stotter, football player
- Vernon Stouffer, founder of Stouffer's foods and restaurants; Cleveland Indians owner
- Brad Stuver, professional soccer player
- Ed Sustersic, football player
- Michael Symon, chef, restaurateur, TV personality
T
- Nicholas Tatonetti, biomedical researcher
- James Terry (born 1960), American-Israeli basketball player
- Josh Robert Thompson, actor, voice actor, and impressionist
- John Patrick Treacy, Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse
- Jack Trice, football player; first African-American athlete at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University); Jack Trice Stadium is currently the only Division 1 stadium or arena to be named after an African-American
- Joseph Trohman, musician, Fall Out Boy
- Demetrius Treadwell, basketball player
- Hal Trosky Jr., baseball player
- Stephanie Tubbs Jones, politician
- Barbara Turner, former WNBA basketball player, current assistant coach for the Atlanta Dream
- Julia Tuttle, businesswoman, the "mother of Miami"
U
- Loung Ung, author; speaker; Khmer Rouge survivor; activist against landmines
- Lee Unkrich, film director
V
- Tim VanNewhouse (born 1986), boxing manager and former boxer
- Sander Vanocur (1928–2019), television journalist
- Dirk Verbeuren, Belgian-born musician
- Kate Voegele, singer-songwriter
- George Voinovich, mayor of Cleveland 1980–89; governor of Ohio 1991–98; U.S. Senator 1999–2011
- Joe Vosmik, baseball player
W
- Stephen Waldschmidt, playwright, actor
- Neal Walk (1948–2015), basketball player
- Joe Walsh, musician, The Eagles
- Carl Walz, astronaut
- Larry Wanke, football player
- Denzel Ward, NFL cornerback with the Cleveland Browns{{cite web|url=https://escoutroom.com/eScoutRoom/Articles/Articles-Detail/ArticleID/1605|title=Denzel Ward NFL Draft Update|work=BrutusReport}}
- Robert Ward, composer
- Josephine Turpin Washington (1861–1949), educator and writer
- Ted Wass, actor
- Lew Wasserman, entertainment agent
- Bill Watterson, artist, author of Calvin and Hobbes
- Sharon Waxman (born c.1963), journalist
- Mary Ellen Weber, astronaut
- Scott Weiland, musician, Stone Temple Pilots
- Tom Weiskopf, golfer
- Jayson Wells (born 1976), basketball player
- Bill Wertz, baseball player
- Roland West, film director
- Jack Weston, actor
- Michael R. White, mayor of Cleveland 1990–2002
- Kym Whitley, actress
- Donte Whitner, football player
- Eric Wilkerson, football player
- Archibald Willard, painter
- Fred Willard, actor
- Aaron Williams, boxer
- Doc Williams, singer
- Jawad Williams, basketball player
- Debra Winger, actress
- Alexander Winton, Scottish-born auto racer
- Lindsey Witten NFL player
- Bobby Womack, singer
- Cecil Womack, singer
- Mike Woods, football player
- Pierre Woods, football player
- Evan Wright, writer
- Frank Wright, jazz musician
- Shane Wynn, NFL player
X
- Clyde X, leader in the Nation of Islam
Y
- Frank Yankovic, musician, polka king
- Barrie Youngfellow, actress
- Sean Young, actress
Z
- Ray Zeh, football player
- Joe Zelenka, football player
- Dolph Ziggler, pro wrestler
Groups
- all five members of rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
- all six members of Chimaira, heavy metal band
- all eleven members of Dazz Band, funk band
- James Gang
- Michael Stanley Band
- The Moonglows
- Mushroomhead, heavy metal band
- Nine Inch Nails
- Old Grandma Hardcore (Barbara St. Hilaire)
- The Outsiders, 1960s band: smash hit "Time Won't Let Me"
- Pere Ubu, experimental rock group
- The Poni-Tails, girl group noted for their 1958 hit "Born Too Late"
- Raspberries, 1970s band; smash hit "Go All the Way"
- The Secrets, girl group noted for their 1963 hit "The Boy Next Door"