- Ralph Abraham, mathematician
- Giovanni Amighetti, contemporary music composer (honorary citizen)
- Bettina Aptheker, feminist and author
- Cam Archer, filmmaker and photographer
- Brendon Ayanbadejo, National Football League player and activist
- Obafemi Ayanbadejo, NFL player and older brother of Brendon
- Ellen Bass, poet
- John Battendieri, businessman, founder Santa Cruz Organics[1]
- Peter S. Beagle, novelist
- Rob Brezsny, astrologer, poet, writer, and musician
- Susie Bright, sexuality expert
- Norman O. Brown, classicist and critic
- Cornelius Bumpus, saxophonist for bands Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan
- Bunner, Jim, multiple Emmy-award winning TV exec. producer
- Rory Calhoun, actor
- James H. Clark, entrepreneur and computer scientist
- David Cope, composer
- Angela Davis, professor, socialist, and anti-prison activist
- Trent Dilfer, National Football League player, ESPN sportscaster
- Sasha Dobson, musician
- Nate Doss, professional disc golfer
- Frank Drake, astrophysicist
- James Durbin, American Idol finalist
- Sandra M. Faber, astrophysicist
- Jonathan Franzen, novelist and essayist
- Alison Galloway, forensic anthropologist
- Bathsheba Grossman, sculptor
- Donna Haraway, professor, biologist, philosopher
- Steven Hassan, mental health expert and cult exit counselor
- David Haussler, computer scientist and professor
- Robert A. Heinlein, author
- Glenallen Hill, Major League Baseball player
- James D. Houston, novelist
- Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, novelist
- John Hoyt, actor
- David A. Huffman, computer scientist and professor
- Johnny Johnson, NFL player
- Kevin Karplus, bioinformatician and professor
- Edmund Kemper, serial killer
- Jim Kent, bioinformatician
- Scott Kurtz, cartoonist
- Frans Lanting, wildlife photographer
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- Remy and Pascal Le Boeuf, twin jazz musicians
- Tom Lehrer, musician and satirist
- Lisa Leuschner, singer, American Idol finalist
- Noah Levine, author and Buddhist teacher
- Frank Lima (aka The Great Morgani), street performer, accordionist
- Ernie Lombardi, Major League Baseball player
- Matt Mahurin, film director and photographer
- Camryn Manheim, actor, author
- Morton Marcus, poet, teacher, film critic
- Casey McGehee, Major League Baseball player
- Edmund McMillen, video game designer known for Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac
- James Alan McPherson, essayist
- Marisa Miller, Sports Illustrated and Victoria's Secret model
- Herbert Mullin, serial killer
- Jack O'Neill, credited with developing first surfing wet suits [2]
- ZaSu Pitts, actress
- Stephen Quadros, MMA play-by-play broadcaster, musician
- Chris Rene, musician, singer-songwriter
- Adrienne Rich, poet, writer, feminist
- Luke Rockhold, mixed martial artist, former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight champion
- William James Royce, writer, director, musician, songwriter
- Suzanne Scheuer, artist
- Adam Scott, actor
- Chris Sharma, rock climber
- Derek Sherinian, keyboardist for Alice Cooper, the band KISS, and the band Dream Theater
- Tom Schot, disc sports promoter
- Grant Show, actor
- Nikki Silva, Peabody Award-winning radio producer
- Skip Spence, musician, singer-songwriter
- Ben Stein, lawyer, professor, writer, actor
- Robert Sward, poet
- Ted Taylor, nuclear physicist and disarmament advocate
- Lex van den Berghe, Survivor contestant
- Lu Watters, jazz trumpeter, founder of Yerba Buena Jazz Band
- Scott Weiland, vocalist for bands Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver
- Ken Westerfield, disc sports (Frisbee) pioneer, competitor, promoter
- Joy Williams, musician
- Robert Anton Wilson, philosopher and psychonaut [3]
- George Winston, musician
- Lorette Wood, first female city councilwoman and first female Mayor of Santa Cruz
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