Claim profile
1400–1499

The 15th century

Whose working lives fell in the 15th 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 15th century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇫🇷 France🇩🇪 Germany🇮🇹 Italy🇹🇷 Turkey🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇪🇸 Spain🇯🇵 Japan🇸🇪 Sweden🇨🇭 Switzerland🇵🇹 Portugal
FieldAllHistorical FiguresPoliticiansWritersArtistsReligious FiguresAcademicsModelsMusiciansArchitectsScientists
  1. 1Nicholas of FlüeNicholas of Flüe1417–1487 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Politicians14 decades
  2. 2Konrad WitzKonrad Witz1400–1445 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Artists12 decades
  3. 3ASAndrea Solari1460–1524 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Artists0 decades
  4. 4Johann FrobenJohann Froben1460–1527 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Artists14 decades
  5. 5Hans WaldmannHans Waldmann1430–1489 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Politicians20 decades
  6. 6Martino da ComoMartino da Como1430–1500 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers1 decades
  7. 7Adrian von BubenbergAdrian von Bubenberg1424–1479 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Politicians0 decades
  8. 8Diebold Schilling the ElderDiebold Schilling the Elder1445–1486 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  9. 9Domenico GaginiDomenico Gagini1423–1492 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Artists0 decades
  10. 10Diebold Schilling the YoungerDiebold Schilling the Younger1460–1515 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  11. 11Frederick VII of ToggenburgFrederick VII of Toggenburg1370–1436 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  12. 12Hans von HallwylHans von Hallwyl1433–1504 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland0 decades
  13. 13John of Freiburg-NeuchâtelJohn of Freiburg-Neuchâtel1396–1457 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  14. 14Hans Leu the ElderHans Leu the Elder1460–1507 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Artists0 decades
  15. 15Petermann EtterlinPetermann Etterlin1430–1509 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers0 decades
  16. 16FSFrancesco Solari1420–1469 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Artists0 decades
  17. 17Louis de La PaludLouis de La Palud1400–1451 · 🇨🇭 Switzerlandnot measured—
  18. 18Dorothea WyssDorothea Wyss1430–1487 · 🇨🇭 Switzerlandnot measured—
  19. 19Felix HemmerlinFelix Hemmerlin1388–1458 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Actors0 decades
  20. 20Konrad III.Konrad III.1372–1424 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Historical Figures0 decades
  21. 21Albrecht von BonstettenAlbrecht von Bonstetten1443–1504 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers0 decades
  22. 22Melchior RussMelchior Russ1450–1499 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers0 decades
  23. 23Gerold EdlibachGerold Edlibach1454–1530 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers8 decades
  24. 24Tommaso RodariTommaso Rodari1460–1525 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Artists0 decades
  25. 25ARAnna Rüger1450–1484 · 🇨🇭 Switzerlandnot measured—
  26. 26ATAntonio Trivulzio, seniore1457–1508 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Religious Figures21 decades
  27. 27RFRemigius Faesch1460–1533 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Architects0 decades
  28. 28WKWilhelm Kopp1461–1532 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Doctors0 decades
  29. 29HVHans von Flüe1447–1506 · 🇨🇭 Switzerlandnot measured—
  30. 30WVWalter von Flüe1447–1521 · 🇨🇭 Switzerlandnot 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.