Claim profile
1200–1299

The 13th century

Whose working lives fell in the 13th 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 13th century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇫🇷 France🇩🇪 Germany🇯🇵 Japan🇮🇹 Italy🇸🇪 Sweden🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇪🇸 Spain🇳🇴 Norway🇹🇷 Turkey🇵🇹 Portugal
FieldAllHistorical FiguresPoliticiansWritersReligious FiguresModelsAcademicsArtistsActorsMusiciansScientists
  1. 1Thomas AquinasThomas Aquinas1225–1274 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics22 decades
  2. 2FibonacciFibonacci1170–1240 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics22 decades
  3. 3Meister EckhartMeister Eckhart1260–1328 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics12 decades
  4. 4Ibn ArabiIbn Arabi1165–1240 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academics5 decades
  5. 5BonaventureBonaventure1221–1274 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics11 decades
  6. 6Clare of AssisiClare of Assisi1194–1253 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics22 decades
  7. 7Roger BaconRoger Bacon1220–1292 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics22 decades
  8. 8DōgenDōgen1200–1253 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Academics2 decades
  9. 9NahmanidesNahmanides1194–1270 · Academicsnot measured—
  10. 10Haji Bektash VeliHaji Bektash Veli1209–1271 · Academics0 decades
  11. 11MadhvacharyaMadhvacharya1238–1317 · 🇮🇳 India · Academics0 decades
  12. 12Mechthild of MagdeburgMechthild of Magdeburg1207–1282 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics14 decades
  13. 13Brunetto LatiniBrunetto Latini1220–1294 · Academics22 decades
  14. 14Abraham AbulafiaAbraham Abulafia1240–1292 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academics3 decades
  15. 15Raymond of PenyafortRaymond of Penyafort1175–1275 · Academics0 decades
  16. 16Qin JiushaoQin Jiushao1208–1261 · Academics5 decades
  17. 17Siger of BrabantSiger of Brabant1235–1284 · Academics7 decades
  18. 18Zhu ShijieZhu Shijie1249–1314 · Academics5 decades
  19. 19Michael ScotMichael Scot1175–1235 · Academics21 decades
  20. 20Pietro d'AbanoPietro d'Abano1250–1316 · Academics0 decades
  21. 21Giles of RomeGiles of Rome1243–1316 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics8 decades
  22. 22Yang HuiYang Hui1238–1298 · Academics5 decades
  23. 23Georgios PachymeresGeorgios Pachymeres1242–1310 · Academics0 decades
  24. 24IAIbn al-Banna' al-Marrakushi1256–1321 · Academicsnot measured—
  25. 25MPMaximus Planudes1260–1305 · Academics5 decades
  26. 26Alexander of HalesAlexander of Hales1175–1245 · Academics19 decades
  27. 27Johannes de SacroboscoJohannes de Sacrobosco1195–1256 · Academics0 decades
  28. 28Caesar of HeisterbachCaesar of Heisterbach1180–1240 · Academics1 decades
  29. 29VitelloVitello1230–1275 · Academics14 decades
  30. 30Qutb al-Din al-ShiraziQutb al-Din al-Shirazi1236–1311 · Academicsnot measured—
  31. 31BABartholomew Anglicus1203–1272 · Academics0 decades
  32. 32BOBoetius of Dacia1240–1284 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Academics0 decades
  33. 33Henry of GhentHenry of Ghent1217–1293 · Academics8 decades
  34. 34DnyaneshwarDnyaneshwar1275–1296 · 🇮🇳 India · Academicsnot measured—
  35. 35Shlomo ben AderetShlomo ben Aderet1235–1310 · Academicsnot measured—
  36. 36Sultan WaladSultan Walad1226–1312 · Academics0 decades
  37. 37Ahmad al-BuniAhmad al-Buni1200–1225 · Academics0 decades
  38. 38RORobert of Chester1200–1200 · Academics1 decades
  39. 39Kamāl al-Dīn al-FārisīKamāl al-Dīn al-Fārisī1260–1319 · Academicsnot measured—
  40. 40Lal Shahbaz QalandarLal Shahbaz Qalandar1177–1274 · Academics0 decades
  41. 41SASadr al-Din al-Qunawi1209–1274 · Academicsnot measured—
  42. 42ISIbn Sab'in1217–1270 · Academics0 decades
  43. 43TTTrần Thái Tông1218–1277 · Academicsnot measured—
  44. 44LYLi Ye1192–1279 · Academics1 decades
  45. 45William of AuvergneWilliam of Auvergne1180–1249 · Academics10 decades
  46. 46Matthew of AquaspartaMatthew of Aquasparta1240–1302 · Academics0 decades
  47. 47Robert KilwardbyRobert Kilwardby1215–1279 · Academics0 decades
  48. 48An HyangAn Hyang1243–1306 · Academics0 decades
  49. 49Jacobus de CessolisJacobus de Cessolis1250–1322 · Academics0 decades
  50. 50Jordanus de NemoreJordanus de Nemore1225–1260 · Academics0 decades
  51. 51Yonah GerondiYonah Gerondi1210–1263 · Academics18 decades
  52. 52NANajm al-Dīn al-Qazwīnī al-Kātibī1203–1277 · Academicsnot measured—
  53. 53Odo of ChâteaurouxOdo of Châteauroux1190–1273 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics17 decades
  54. 54ÉTÉtienne Tempier1210–1279 · Academics0 decades
  55. 55Cavalcante de' CavalcantiCavalcante de' Cavalcanti1220–1280 · Academics0 decades
  56. 56AAl-Shahrazuridied 1288 · Academics0 decades
  57. 57Alexander of VilledieuAlexander of Villedieu1175–1240 · Academics0 decades
  58. 58IKIbn Kammuna1215–1284 · Academics0 decades
  59. 59WOWilliam of Saint-Amour1202–1272 · Academics0 decades
  60. 60NANajm al-Din Razi1177–1256 · Academics0 decades
  61. 61AAAziz ad-Din Nasafidied 1281 · Academicsnot measured—
  62. 62AMAdam Marsh1200–1259 · Academics5 decades
  63. 63NCNikephoros Choumnos1250–1327 · Academics0 decades
  64. 64Giovanni ParentiGiovanni Parenti1200–1250 · Academics0 decades
  65. 65JOJohn of Paris1255–1304 · Academics14 decades
  66. 66Bernard de GordonBernard de Gordon1258–1320 · Academics0 decades
  67. 67AAAfdal al-Din Kashanidied 1214 · Academics0 decades
  68. 68Vital du FourVital du Four1260–1327 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0 decades
  69. 69Hovhannes ErznkatsiHovhannes Erznkatsi1230–1293 · Academicsnot measured—
  70. 70WOWilliam of Sherwood1200–1272 · Academics0 decades
  71. 71Zhen DexiuZhen Dexiu1178–1235 · Academicsnot measured—
  72. 72HBHillel ben Samuel1220–1295 · Academics0 decades
  73. 73JOJohn of la Rochelle1190–1245 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics8 decades
  74. 74OdofredusOdofredus1200–1265 · Academics1 decades
  75. 75Xu HengXu Heng1209–1281 · Academics2 decades
  76. 76IBIsaac ben Joseph ibn Pulgar1201–1500 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academicsnot measured—
  77. 77Thomas GallusThomas Gallus1190–1246 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0 decades
  78. 78Guillaume de BrayGuillaume de Bray1201–1282 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0 decades
  79. 79Bi Bi Monajemeh NishaburiBi Bi Monajemeh Nishaburi1203–1280 · Academicsnot measured—
  80. 80RRRichard Rufus of Cornwall1212–1260 · Academics0 decades
  81. 81Peter of BeneventoPeter of Benevento1170–1219 · Academics0 decades
  82. 82IIIsaac ibn Latif1210–1280 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academicsnot measured—
  83. 83Esayi NchʻetsʻiEsayi Nchʻetsʻi1255–1338 · Academicsnot measured—
  84. 84Alam al-Din al-HanafiAlam al-Din al-Hanafi1178–1251 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Academicsnot measured—
  85. 85GOGerard of Abbeville1225–1272 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics12 decades
  86. 86JPJohn Pediasimos1240–1314 · Academics0 decades

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.