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. 1Alfonso VIII of CastileAlfonso VIII of Castile1155–1214 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Models21 decades
  2. 2Henry the Young KingHenry the Young King1155–1183 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Models0 decades
  3. 3Alphonse I of AragonAlphonse I of Aragon1073–1134 · Models16 decades
  4. 4Sancho III of CastileSancho III of Castile1134–1158 · Models17 decades
  5. 5Urraca of LeónUrraca of León1081–1126 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Models0 decades
  6. 6Alfonso VII of CastileAlfonso VII of Castile1105–1157 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Models0 decades
  7. 7Stefan NemanjaStefan Nemanja1113–1199 · Models0 decades
  8. 8Sancho VII of NavarreSancho VII of Navarre1154–1234 · Models9 decades
  9. 9Leopold IIILeopold III1073–1136 · Models9 decades
  10. 10Peter II of CourtenayPeter II of Courtenay1155–1219 · 🇫🇷 France · Models0 decades
  11. 11Aimery of CyprusAimery of Cyprus1152–1205 · 🇫🇷 France · Models0 decades
  12. 12AntokuAntoku1178–1185 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Models0 decades
  13. 13Al-Adil IAl-Adil I1145–1218 · Modelsnot measured—
  14. 14Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of BavariaOtto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria1117–1183 · Models22 decades
  15. 15Ramon Berenguer IIIRamon Berenguer III1082–1131 · Models0 decades
  16. 16YennengaYennenga1101–1101 · Models0 decades
  17. 17Joscelin I, Count of EdessaJoscelin I, Count of Edessa1072–1131 · 🇫🇷 France · Modelsnot measured—
  18. 18Petronilla of AragonPetronilla of Aragon1136–1174 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Models0 decades
  19. 19Władysław II the ExileWładysław II the Exile1105–1159 · Modelsnot measured—
  20. 20Ramiro II of AragonRamiro II of Aragon1080–1157 · Models0 decades
  21. 21Otto II, Margrave of MeissenOtto II, Margrave of Meissen1125–1190 · Modelsnot measured—
  22. 22TakakuraTakakura1161–1181 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Modelsnot measured—
  23. 23Sancho VI of NavarreSancho VI of Navarre1132–1194 · Models0 decades
  24. 24Conrad, Margrave of MeissenConrad, Margrave of Meissen1098–1157 · Modelsnot measured—
  25. 25Peter I of Aragon and PamplonaPeter I of Aragon and Pamplona1068–1104 · Modelsnot measured—
  26. 26KerboghaKerbogha1100–1102 · Models2 decades
  27. 27García Ramírez of NavarreGarcía Ramírez of Navarre1110–1150 · Models0 decades
  28. 28Harald IV of NorwayHarald IV of Norway1102–1136 · 🇳🇴 Norway · Modelsnot measured—
  29. 29Joscelin IIIJoscelin IIIborn 1135 · Models0 decades
  30. 30TobaToba1103–1156 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Modelsnot measured—
  31. 31Al-Musta'liAl-Musta'li1076–1101 · Models0 decades
  32. 32Albert I, Margrave of MeissenAlbert I, Margrave of Meissen1158–1195 · Models21 decades
  33. 33Bertha of SulzbachBertha of Sulzbach1110–1159 · Models0 decades
  34. 34Welf VI, Margrave of TuscanyWelf VI, Margrave of Tuscany1115–1191 · Models22 decades
  35. 35Emperor HorikawaEmperor Horikawa1079–1107 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Models0 decades
  36. 36Emperor Zhezong of SongEmperor Zhezong of Song1077–1100 · Modelsnot measured—
  37. 37RokujōRokujō1164–1176 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Models0 decades
  38. 38NijōNijō1143–1165 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Modelsnot measured—
  39. 39Otto II, Margrave of BrandenburgOtto II, Margrave of Brandenburgdied 1205 · Models15 decades
  40. 40HIHerman III1105–1160 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models20 decades
  41. 41Emperor Guangzong of SongEmperor Guangzong of Song1147–1200 · Modelsnot measured—
  42. 42EIElimar II, Count of Oldenburg1100–1142 · Modelsnot measured—
  43. 43EDEngelbert, Duke of Carinthia1100–1141 · Modelsnot measured—
  44. 44AAAbd al-Haqq I1147–1217 · Modelsnot measured—
  45. 45Turan-ShahTuran-Shah1130–1180 · Models0 decades
  46. 46YOYejong of Goryeo1079–1122 · Modelsnot measured—
  47. 47DYDuan Yuborn 1150 · Models0 decades
  48. 48GökböriGökböri1154–1233 · Modelsnot measured—
  49. 49Fulco I, Margrave of MilanFulco I, Margrave of Milan1070–1134 · Models0 decades
  50. 50NANur al-Din Muhammad II1148–1210 · Modelsnot measured—
  51. 51Herman IV, Margrave of BadenHerman IV, Margrave of Baden1135–1190 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models17 decades
  52. 52Berthold I of IstriaBerthold I of Istria1110–1188 · Models17 decades
  53. 53Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon OstmarkHenry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark1070–1103 · Models22 decades
  54. 54RMRainier, Marquess of Montferrat1075–1137 · Modelsnot measured—
  55. 55CIConrad II, Margrave of Lusatia1159–1210 · Models22 decades
  56. 56Welf II, Margrave of TuscanyWelf II, Margrave of Tuscany1135–1167 · Models0 decades
  57. 57AUAl-Muzaffar Umar1140–1191 · Modelsnot measured—
  58. 58HIHenry II, Margrave of Meissen1103–1123 · Models22 decades
  59. 59Otto II the BlackOtto II the Black1085–1126 · Modelsnot measured—
  60. 60SOSophie of Winzenburg1105–1160 · Modelsnot measured—
  61. 61MIManfred II of Saluzzo1140–1215 · Modelsnot measured—
  62. 62FSFarrukh Shah1140–1182 · Models0 decades
  63. 63HOHenry of Groitzsch1090–1135 · Modelsnot measured—
  64. 64TITughtakin ibn Ayyub1140–1197 · Modelsnot measured—
  65. 65AAAlp Arslan al-Akhras1097–1114 · Modelsnot measured—
  66. 66HIHenry IV of Sponheim1065–1123 · Modelsnot measured—
  67. 67OOOldřich of Olomouc1134–1177 · Modelsnot measured—
  68. 68Shah Ghazi Rustam IVShah Ghazi Rustam IV1105–1165 · Modelsnot measured—
  69. 69Ulrich IUlrich I1100–1113 · Models0 decades
  70. 70Bartan BaatorBartan Baator1120–1161 · Modelsnot measured—
  71. 71Guðrøðr ÓláfssonGuðrøðr Óláfsson1150–1187 · Modelsnot measured—
  72. 72SSSultan Shah ibn Radwanborn 1108 · Modelsnot measured—
  73. 73SAShams al-Muluk Isma’il1113–1135 · Modelsnot measured—
  74. 74YIYahya ibn Abd al-Aziz1110–1163 · Modelsnot measured—
  75. 75MIMuhammad ibn Shirkuh1140–1186 · Modelsnot measured—
  76. 76SAShihab ad-Din Mahmud1150–1169 · Modelsnot measured—
  77. 77HIHenry I, Count of Zutphen1080–1122 · Models22 decades
  78. 78FIFrederick I, Count of Brehna1126–1182 · Models22 decades
  79. 79VVVladimir van Olomouc1145–1200 · Modelsnot measured—
  80. 80WOWenceslaus of Olomouc1107–1130 · Modelsnot 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.