| 100% | VANDERBILT | 10 | Cornelius —, New York-born businessman and philanthropist who died in 1877 |
| 47% | WOOLWORTH | 9 | F W —, New York-born businessman who established a five-cent store in 1878 |
| 45% | BALANCHINE | 10 | George —, Russian-born classical ballet choreographer who died in New York in 1983 |
| 43% | CARNEGIE | 8 | Andrew —, Scotland-born steel manufacturer and philanthropist who endowed a New York concert hall |
| 43% | CARNEGIE | 8 | Andrew —, Scotland-born steel manufacturer and philanthropist who endowed an 1891 New York concert hall |
| 42% | CALLAS | 6 | Maria —, New York-born operatic soprano who died in 1977 |
| 41% | BASQUIAT | 8 | New York artist who died in 1988 aged just 27 |
| 40% | MELINDAGATES | 12 | Billionaire philanthropist who co-constructed a New York Times crossword in 2018: 2 wds. |
| 38% | ERIE | 4 | People who lived in present-day Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania |
| 38% | JUSTINPUGH | 10 | New York Giants offensive lineman who was shifted into the position from offensive tackle and excelled in 2016: 2 wds. |
| 38% | PAULALLEN | 9 | Billionaire philanthropist who died in October 2018: 2 wds. |
| 38% | MENUHIN | 7 | Yehudi —, New York City-born violinist who died in 1999 |
| 37% | HAMMOND | 7 | Joan —, New Zealand-born soprano, violinist and golfer who died in 1996 |
| 37% | TESLA | 5 | Inventor who died in The New Yorker Hotel |
| 36% | KINGSLEY | 8 | Actor Ben ___ who played Mahatma Gandhi in the movie "Gandhi" and was born on New Year's Eve |
| 36% | KILMER | 6 | Actor Val ___ who played Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in "Top Gun" and was born on New Year's Eve |
| 36% | ERIE | 4 | New York and ___ Railroad, started in 1832 |
| 36% | WESTS | 5 | Adam, born in Washington, who acted and Mae, born in New York, who acted |
| 35% | AFLERS | 6 | New York Titans and Dallas Texans, in '60s sports |
| 35% | KURTRUSSELL | 11 | "Escape from New York" actor who played Elvis Presley in the TV film "Elvis" and an Elvis impersonator in "3000 Miles to Graceland" (2 wds.) |
| 35% | FIONAAPPLE | 10 | Eight-time, New York-born Grammy Award nominee who won for "Criminal" in 1998 |
| 35% | AMYWINEHOUSE | 12 | British singer who won five Grammys in 2008, including Best New Artist, and died of alcohol poisoning in 2011: 2 wds. |
| 35% | MARK | 4 | ___ Ingram II, former NFL running back born in December who won a Heisman Trophy and played for the New Orleans Saints |
| 35% | JAMESGILLRAY | 12 | London-born satirical caricaturist and illustrator who died in 1815 |
| 35% | MAGS | 4 | New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, in brief |
| 34% | BREL | 4 | Jacques —, Belgium-born songwriter and performer who died in 1978 |
| 34% | ARCHIMEDES | 10 | Greek mathematician and physicist who died in 212 BC |
| 34% | AARONJUDGE | 10 | New York Yankees outfielder who also hears cases in court?: 2 wds. |