Claim profile
1100–1199

The 12th century

Whose working lives fell in the 12th century. Books are measured from 1800 and readers from 2015, so for this period we can say who lived then, not who was talked about then.

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 12th century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇫🇷 France🇯🇵 Japan🇩🇪 Germany🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇳🇴 Norway🇮🇹 Italy🇪🇸 Spain🇸🇪 Sweden🇨🇳 China🇹🇷 Turkey
FieldAllHistorical FiguresWritersPoliticiansReligious FiguresAcademicsModelsActorsArtistsMusiciansDoctors
  1. 1Bernard of ClairvauxBernard of Clairvaux1091–1153 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics19 decades
  2. 2MaimonidesMaimonides1138–1204 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academicsnot measured—
  3. 3Peter AbelardPeter Abelard1079–1142 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics20 decades
  4. 4HéloïseHéloïse1101–1164 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics16 decades
  5. 5Ismail al-JazariIsmail al-Jazari1164–1206 · Academicsnot measured—
  6. 6Ibn TufailIbn Tufail1110–1185 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academics0 decades
  7. 7Judah HaleviJudah Halevi1075–1141 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academics0 decades
  8. 8Joachim of FioreJoachim of Fiore1135–1202 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics5 decades
  9. 9Fakhr al-Din al-RaziFakhr al-Din al-Razi1150–1210 · Academicsnot measured—
  10. 10AvempaceAvempace1095–1139 · Academics3 decades
  11. 11Shihab al-Din SuhrawardiShihab al-Din Suhrawardi1155–1191 · Academics0 decades
  12. 12Peter WaldoPeter Waldo1140–1205 · Academics12 decades
  13. 13Hugh of Saint VictorHugh of Saint Victor1096–1141 · Academics1 decades
  14. 14John of SalisburyJohn of Salisbury1110–1180 · Academics22 decades
  15. 15Ibn TumartIbn Tumart1080–1130 · Academics2 decades
  16. 16BasavaBasava1134–1196 · Academics20 decades
  17. 17Alain of LilleAlain of Lille1117–1202 · Academics0 decades
  18. 18Abu'l-Faraj ibn al-JawziAbu'l-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi1116–1201 · Academicsnot measured—
  19. 19Joannes ZonarasJoannes Zonaras1074–1145 · Academics0 decades
  20. 20Peter the VenerablePeter the Venerable1092–1156 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics19 decades
  21. 21Bhāskara IIBhāskara II1114–1185 · 🇮🇳 India · Academics0 decades
  22. 22David KimhiDavid Kimhi1160–1235 · Academicsnot measured—
  23. 23Al-ZamakhshariAl-Zamakhshari1075–1144 · Academics0 decades
  24. 24BOBernard of Chartresdied 1126 · Academics0 decades
  25. 25Lu JiuyuanLu Jiuyuan1139–1193 · Academics5 decades
  26. 26Jacques de VitryJacques de Vitry1160–1240 · Academics14 decades
  27. 27Adelard of BathAdelard of Bath1075–1160 · Academics10 decades
  28. 28Eustathius of ThessalonicaEustathius of Thessalonica1115–1195 · Academics0 decades
  29. 29GorakhnathGorakhnath1100–1200 · Academics6 decades
  30. 30WOWilliam of Champeaux1070–1121 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics15 decades
  31. 31Abu MadyanAbu Madyan1126–1198 · Academics0 decades
  32. 32Qadi AyyadQadi Ayyad1083–1149 · Academics0 decades
  33. 33Ibn AsakirIbn Asakir1105–1176 · Academics0 decades
  34. 34Abraham bar HiyyaAbraham bar Hiyya1070–1136 · Academics21 decades
  35. 35William of ConchesWilliam of Conches1080–1154 · Academics9 decades
  36. 36AAl-Shahrastani1086–1153 · Academics0 decades
  37. 37Ǧābir Ibn-AflāḥǦābir Ibn-Aflāḥ1100–1160 · Academicsnot measured—
  38. 38Ahmed ar-Rifa'iAhmed ar-Rifa'i1118–1182 · Academicsnot measured—
  39. 39ACAndreas Capellanus1150–1220 · Academics8 decades
  40. 40Burhan al-Din al-MurghinaniBurhan al-Din al-Murghinani1117–1197 · Academicsnot measured—
  41. 41NimbarkacharyaNimbarkacharya1162–1300 · Academics0 decades
  42. 42Herman of CarinthiaHerman of Carinthia1100–1160 · Academics0 decades
  43. 43Abu Hafs Umar al-SuhrawardiAbu Hafs Umar al-Suhrawardi1145–1234 · Academicsnot measured—
  44. 44JBJudah ben Samuel of Regensburg1150–1217 · Academics22 decades
  45. 45HemachandraHemachandra1088–1172 · Academics11 decades
  46. 46Najmuddin KubraNajmuddin Kubra1145–1221 · Academics0 decades
  47. 47ABAbraham ben David of Posquières1120–1198 · 🇫🇷 France · Academicsnot measured—
  48. 48AAAbu'l-Barakāt al-Baghdādī1080–1165 · Academicsnot measured—
  49. 49Al-Samawal al-MaghribiAl-Samawal al-Maghribi1130–1180 · Academicsnot measured—
  50. 50JinulJinul1158–1210 · Academicsnot measured—
  51. 51SASharaf al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī1135–1213 · Academicsnot measured—
  52. 52UbaldUbald1084–1160 · Academics8 decades
  53. 53Abu Hafs Omar al-NasafiAbu Hafs Omar al-Nasafi1068–1142 · Academicsnot measured—
  54. 54Shaykh TabarsiShaykh Tabarsi1073–1153 · Academics0 decades
  55. 55Ayn al-Quzat HamadaniAyn al-Quzat Hamadani1098–1131 · Academicsnot measured—
  56. 56Gilbert of SempringhamGilbert of Sempringham1083–1189 · Academics1 decades
  57. 57Ibn ZafarIbn Zafar1104–1170 · Academics0 decades
  58. 58DODavid of Dinant1160–1217 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0 decades
  59. 59Thierry of ChartresThierry of Chartres1100–1155 · Academics2 decades
  60. 60AAzriel1160–1238 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academicsnot measured—
  61. 61IOIsaac of Stella1100–1178 · Academics0 decades
  62. 62Al-SuhayliAl-Suhayli1114–1185 · Academics0 decades
  63. 63SASayf al-Din al-Amidi1156–1233 · Academicsnot measured—
  64. 64AMAbu Mansur al-Jawaliqi1074–1144 · Academicsnot measured—
  65. 65DODaniel of Morley1140–1210 · Academics0 decades
  66. 66Richard FitzNealRichard FitzNeal1130–1198 · Academics0 decades
  67. 67BUBaha ud-Din Walad1148–1231 · Academicsnot measured—
  68. 68IMIbn Maḍāʾ1116–1196 · Academicsnot measured—
  69. 69UHUsman Harooni1107–1207 · Academics0 decades
  70. 70AAAbu al-Abbas as-Sabti1129–1204 · Academicsnot measured—
  71. 71Gerhoh of ReichersbergGerhoh of Reichersberg1092–1169 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  72. 72MIManuel I of Constantinople1150–1222 · Academicsnot measured—
  73. 73Ye ShiYe Shi1150–1223 · Academics2 decades
  74. 74Ibn al-YasaminIbn al-Yasamin1100–1204 · Academicsnot measured—
  75. 75Al-IsfizariAl-Isfizaridied 1116 · Academicsnot measured—
  76. 76Martin of LeonMartin of Leon1130–1203 · Academicsnot measured—
  77. 77Chen LiangChen Liang1143–1195 · Academics6 decades
  78. 78HHHu Hong1105–1161 · Academics0 decades
  79. 79Raymond of BarbastroRaymond of Barbastro1067–1126 · Academicsnot measured—
  80. 80Abu Jafar ibn Harun al-TurjaliAbu Jafar ibn Harun al-Turjalidied 1180 · Academicsnot measured—
  81. 81Ibn TumlusIbn Tumlus1164–1223 · Academics0 decades
  82. 82Adam of BalshamAdam of Balsham1100–1181 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0 decades
  83. 83Joseph ben Judah ibn AkninJoseph ben Judah ibn Aknin1150–1266 · Academics14 decades
  84. 84Joseph ibn TzaddikJoseph ibn Tzaddik1075–1149 · Academics15 decades
  85. 85JHJudah Hadassiborn 1100 · Academics0 decades
  86. 86SOSimon of Tournai1130–1201 · Academics0 decades
  87. 87Al-KharaqīAl-Kharaqīdied 1138 · Academicsnot measured—
  88. 88BOBurgundio of Pisa1110–1193 · Academics0 decades
  89. 89AIAhmad ibn Munim al-Abdari1150–1228 · Academicsnot measured—
  90. 90SASiraj al-Din al-Ushidied 1179 · Academicsnot measured—
  91. 91WOWalter of St Victor1150–1180 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0 decades
  92. 92GOGregory of Corinth1075–1156 · Academics0 decades
  93. 93AOAlberich of Reims1085–1141 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics3 decades
  94. 94NONikolaos of Otranto1155–1235 · Academicsnot measured—

How this is measured

  • Placing people in time. Each person belongs to the century in which they were most active — around age 35, and never after their death.
  • Who ranks highest. Within a century, people are ranked where two independent signals agree: how many of the world’s Wikipedia language editions cover them, and how many people actually read about them. Article counts alone can be lifted by a person’s own circle; readers cannot.
  • Fame in print. The curves count how often a name appears in Google Books from 1800 to 2019, as a share of all the words printed each year, in the person’s own language wherever that corpus exists. Those decades are over, so each measurement is made once and kept.
  • What is left out. A lifetime is measured only from 1820, when there is enough print to judge; the five years after a death are skipped as obituaries; and a name shared with someone equally notable is credited to neither.