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. 1Josquin des PrezJosquin des Prez1455–1521 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians16 decades
  2. 2Guillaume Du FayGuillaume Du Fay1397–1474 · Musicians0 decades
  3. 3Gilles BinchoisGilles Binchois1400–1460 · Musicians5 decades
  4. 4Johannes OckeghemJohannes Ockeghem1410–1497 · Musicians1 decades
  5. 5Heinrich IsaacHeinrich Isaac1450–1517 · Musicians0 decades
  6. 6John DunstapleJohn Dunstaple1390–1453 · Musicians0 decades
  7. 7Jacob ObrechtJacob Obrecht1457–1505 · Musicians0 decades
  8. 8Pierre de la RuePierre de la Rue1460–1518 · Musicians0 decades
  9. 9Antoine BusnoisAntoine Busnois1430–1492 · Musicians0 decades
  10. 10Johannes TinctorisJohannes Tinctoris1435–1511 · Musicians0 decades
  11. 11Hans TalhofferHans Talhoffer1420–1490 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians0 decades
  12. 12Johannes CiconiaJohannes Ciconia1370–1412 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians3 decades
  13. 13Alexander AgricolaAlexander Agricola1446–1506 · Musiciansnot measured—
  14. 14Bianca de' MediciBianca de' Medici1445–1505 · Musicians0 decades
  15. 15Antoine BrumelAntoine Brumel1460–1512 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades
  16. 16Tallapaka AnnamacharyaTallapaka Annamacharya1408–1503 · Musicians0 decades
  17. 17Hans BöhmHans Böhm1458–1476 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians13 decades
  18. 18Franchinus GaffuriusFranchinus Gaffurius1451–1522 · Musicians20 decades
  19. 19JMJean Mouton1459–1522 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians20 decades
  20. 20Loyset CompèreLoyset Compère1445–1518 · Musicians2 decades
  21. 21LPLeonel Power1370–1445 · Musicians0 decades
  22. 22Schweipolt FiolSchweipolt Fiol1460–1525 · Musicians0 decades
  23. 23SSolage1400–1403 · Musicians0 decades
  24. 24Israhel van MeckenemIsrahel van Meckenem1440–1503 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musiciansnot measured—
  25. 25Paul HofhaimerPaul Hofhaimer1459–1537 · Musicians9 decades
  26. 26Conrad PaumannConrad Paumann1415–1473 · Musicians6 decades
  27. 27Arnolt SchlickArnolt Schlick1460–1525 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians3 decades
  28. 28Juan de AnchietaJuan de Anchieta1462–1523 · Musicians11 decades
  29. 29Clémence IsaureClémence Isaure1450–1513 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians22 decades
  30. 30RFRobert Fayrfax1464–1521 · Musicians0 decades
  31. 31MacíasMacías1401–1401 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Musiciansnot measured—
  32. 32HVHayne van Ghizeghem1445–1476 · Musicians0 decades
  33. 33JMJohannes Martini1440–1497 · Musicians0 decades
  34. 34DDDomenico da Piacenza1390–1470 · Musicians7 decades
  35. 35JBJohannes Brassart1400–1455 · Musicians0 decades
  36. 36GVGaspar van Weerbeke1445–1517 · Musicians0 decades
  37. 37WFWalter Frye1401–1474 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Musicians0 decades
  38. 38MRMikołaj Radomski1400–1450 · Musiciansnot measured—
  39. 39JRJohannes Regis1425–1496 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades
  40. 40Jacobus BarbireauJacobus Barbireau1455–1491 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades
  41. 41NGNicolas Grenon1375–1456 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians1 decades
  42. 42ADArnold de Lantins1420–1432 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades
  43. 43HFHeinrich Finck1445–1527 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians14 decades
  44. 44Antonio SquarcialupiAntonio Squarcialupi1416–1480 · Musicians0 decades
  45. 45Guglielmo Ebreo da PesaroGuglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro1420–1480 · Musicians2 decades
  46. 46JAJoan Ambrosio Dalza1401–1508 · Musicians0 decades
  47. 47AOAdam of Fulda1445–1505 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians15 decades
  48. 48Hans FolzHans Folz1435–1513 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians21 decades
  49. 49F. AndrieuF. Andrieuborn 1400 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades
  50. 50Francesco SpinacinoFrancesco Spinacino1401–1501 · Musicians0 decades
  51. 51Hans JudenkönigHans Judenkönig1450–1526 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians0 decades
  52. 52Abraham ben Mordecai FarissolAbraham ben Mordecai Farissol1451–1525 · Musicians20 decades
  53. 53Michael BeheimMichael Beheim1416–1474 · Musicians14 decades
  54. 54MPMatthaeus Pipelare1450–1515 · Musicians0 decades
  55. 55JGJohannes Ghiselin1455–1511 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured—
  56. 56RMRobert Morton1430–1479 · Musicians21 decades
  57. 57JHJohn Hothby1410–1487 · Musicians0 decades
  58. 58JPJohannes Pullois1430–1478 · Musicians0 decades
  59. 59MDMarbrianus de Orto1460–1529 · Musicians0 decades
  60. 60Gabrielle de BourbonGabrielle de Bourbon1460–1516 · Musicians0 decades
  61. 61Monk of SalzburgMonk of Salzburg1400–1500 · Musicians17 decades
  62. 62JDJohannes de Limburgia1400–1430 · Musicians0 decades
  63. 63POPiotr of Grudziądz1392–1480 · Musiciansnot measured—
  64. 64TTrebor1400–1409 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured—
  65. 65Bartolino da PadovaBartolino da Padova1365–1405 · Musicians0 decades
  66. 66Gilles JoyeGilles Joye1424–1483 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades
  67. 67PFPierre Fontaine1380–1450 · Musicians0 decades
  68. 68JDJacobus de Clusa1380–1465 · Musicians0 decades
  69. 69FCFirminus Caronborn 1430 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured—
  70. 70JTJohannes Tapissier1370–1410 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured—
  71. 71Jurij SlatkonjaJurij Slatkonja1456–1522 · Musiciansnot measured—
  72. 72JVJacobus Vide1405–1433 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades
  73. 73JPJohannes Prioris1460–1514 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades
  74. 74JDJuan de Urrede1430–1480 · Musiciansnot measured—
  75. 75JBJohn Browne1426–1501 · Musicians22 decades
  76. 76Alessandro OlivaAlessandro Oliva1407–1463 · Musicians0 decades
  77. 77EDEloy d'Amerval1455–1508 · Musicians0 decades
  78. 78JJJean Japart1401–1507 · Musicians0 decades
  79. 79MFMartinus Fabri1400–1400 · Musiciansnot measured—
  80. 80GLGuillaume Legrant1405–1449 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades
  81. 81MCManuel Chrysaphes1440–1463 · Musicians0 decades
  82. 82JCJuan Cornago1450–1500 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Musicians0 decades
  83. 83BDBartolomeo da Bologna1405–1427 · Musicians0 decades
  84. 84TFThomas Fabri1380–1420 · Musicians0 decades
  85. 85JDJohannes de Stokem1445–1487 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured—
  86. 86JGJohannes Galliculus1401–1501 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians0 decades
  87. 87ADAntonio da Cividale1392–1421 · Musicians0 decades
  88. 88Johannes VirdungJohannes Virdung1463–1538 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians0 decades
  89. 89Jheronimus de ClibanoJheronimus de Clibano1459–1503 · Musiciansnot measured—
  90. 90GLGuillaume le Rouge1385–1456 · 🇳🇱 Netherlands · Musicians0 decades
  91. 91RLReginaldus Libert1401–1401 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured—
  92. 92EDEgidius de Francia1400–1400 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured—
  93. 93JLJohannes Legrant1420–1440 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured—
  94. 94HAHenry Abyngdon1418–1497 · Musicians0 decades
  95. 95CDColinet de Lannoy1401–1497 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured—
  96. 96PBPhilippe Basiron1450–1491 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured—
  97. 97ABAdrien Basin1457–1498 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured—
  98. 98GDGuillem de Masdovelles1400–1500 · Musiciansnot 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.