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. 1François VillonFrançois Villon1431–1463 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers20 decades
  2. 2Charles, Duke of OrléansCharles, Duke of Orléans1394–1465 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades
  3. 3Catherine of ValoisCatherine of Valois1401–1437 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades
  4. 4Thomas à KempisThomas à Kempis1380–1471 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers20 decades
  5. 5KabirKabir1440–1518 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured—
  6. 6Matteo Maria BoiardoMatteo Maria Boiardo1441–1494 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades
  7. 7Sebastian BrantSebastian Brant1458–1521 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades
  8. 8Leonardo BruniLeonardo Bruni1369–1444 · Writers22 decades
  9. 9Lorenzo VallaLorenzo Valla1407–1457 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers14 decades
  10. 10TMThomas Malory1405–1471 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers18 decades
  11. 11Stefan LazarevićStefan Lazarević1374–1427 · Writers0 decades
  12. 12Oswald von WolkensteinOswald von Wolkenstein1377–1445 · Writers21 decades
  13. 13Jacopo SannazaroJacopo Sannazaro1457–1530 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers22 decades
  14. 14Edward, King of PortugalEdward, King of Portugal1391–1438 · 🇵🇹 Portugal · Writersnot measured—
  15. 15Johannes TrithemiusJohannes Trithemius1462–1516 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers0 decades
  16. 16Ibn Hajar al-AsqalaniIbn Hajar al-Asqalani1372–1449 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Writers0 decades
  17. 17Philippe de ComminesPhilippe de Commines1447–1511 · Writers18 decades
  18. 18GAGalal al-Din el-Suyuti1445–1505 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Writersnot measured—
  19. 19AxayacatlAxayacatl1449–1481 · 🇲🇽 Mexico · Writers14 decades
  20. 20Luigi PulciLuigi Pulci1432–1484 · Writers22 decades
  21. 21Imadaddin NasimiImadaddin Nasimi1369–1419 · Writersnot measured—
  22. 22Lucrezia TornabuoniLucrezia Tornabuoni1427–1482 · Writers22 decades
  23. 23Ali-Shir Nava'iAli-Shir Nava'i1441–1501 · Writers0 decades
  24. 24Sigismondo Pandolfo MalatestaSigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta1417–1468 · Writers22 decades
  25. 25JamiJami1414–1492 · Writersnot measured—
  26. 26Flavio BiondoFlavio Biondo1388–1463 · Writers22 decades
  27. 27Hartmann SchedelHartmann Schedel1440–1514 · Writers1 decades
  28. 28Jean Le MaingreJean Le Maingre1366–1421 · Writers0 decades
  29. 29Maria of ClevesMaria of Cleves1426–1487 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades
  30. 30Mahmud PashaMahmud Pasha1420–1474 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers3 decades
  31. 31Marko MarulićMarko Marulić1450–1524 · Writers10 decades
  32. 32NezahualcóyotlNezahualcóyotl1402–1472 · 🇲🇽 Mexico · Writers0 decades
  33. 33Peter Martyr d'AnghieraPeter Martyr d'Anghiera1457–1526 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades
  34. 34Salladin Jalal al-Din Sultan ibn TokhtamyshSalladin Jalal al-Din Sultan ibn Tokhtamysh1380–1413 · Writersnot measured—
  35. 35Ikkyū SōjunIkkyū Sōjun1394–1481 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Writers0 decades
  36. 36Ippolita Maria SforzaIppolita Maria Sforza1445–1488 · Writers8 decades
  37. 37Ausiàs MarchAusiàs March1400–1459 · Writers0 decades
  38. 38Peter, Duke of CoimbraPeter, Duke of Coimbra1392–1449 · Writersnot measured—
  39. 39Joanot MartorellJoanot Martorell1413–1465 · Writers0 decades
  40. 40Jorge ManriqueJorge Manrique1440–1479 · Writers5 decades
  41. 41Muhammad ShaybaniMuhammad Shaybani1451–1510 · Writers0 decades
  42. 42Yu QianYu Qian1398–1457 · Writers3 decades
  43. 43Guarino da VeronaGuarino da Verona1374–1460 · Writers22 decades
  44. 44SankardevSankardev1449–1568 · Writers0 decades
  45. 45Isidore of KyivIsidore of Kyiv1380–1463 · Writersnot measured—
  46. 46Nguyen TraiNguyen Trai1380–1442 · Writersnot measured—
  47. 47Antoninus of FlorenceAntoninus of Florence1389–1459 · Writers11 decades
  48. 48AkşemseddinAkşemseddin1389–1459 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers0 decades
  49. 49Nicolas RolinNicolas Rolin1376–1462 · Writers21 decades
  50. 50Laonikos ChalkokondylesLaonikos Chalkokondyles1423–1490 · Writers0 decades
  51. 51Bartolomeo PlatinaBartolomeo Platina1421–1481 · Writers0 decades
  52. 52MKMargery Kempeborn 1373 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers8 decades
  53. 53GSGeorge Sphrantzes1401–1477 · Writers0 decades
  54. 54John ArgyropoulosJohn Argyropoulos1415–1487 · Writers0 decades
  55. 55Janus PannoniusJanus Pannonius1434–1472 · Writers1 decades
  56. 56Alain ChartierAlain Chartier1392–1430 · Writers19 decades
  57. 57MBMarin Barleti1450–1513 · Writers0 decades
  58. 58Johann SchiltbergerJohann Schiltberger1381–1440 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers0 decades
  59. 59Niccolò de' NiccoliNiccolò de' Niccoli1365–1437 · Writers22 decades
  60. 60Laura CeretaLaura Cereta1469–1499 · Writers4 decades
  61. 61Íñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquis of SantillanaÍñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquis of Santillana1398–1458 · Writers0 decades
  62. 62MÇMustafa Çelebi1380–1422 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers0 decades
  63. 63Niccolò AlbergatiNiccolò Albergatidied 1443 · Writers21 decades
  64. 64Eleanor of ScotlandEleanor of Scotland1433–1480 · Writers0 decades
  65. 65HAHersekzade Ahmed Pasha1455–1517 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers0 decades
  66. 66KMKonstantin Mihailović1435–1500 · Writers0 decades
  67. 67Hafiz-i AbruHafiz-i Abrudied 1430 · Writers0 decades
  68. 68Lorenzo the ElderLorenzo the Elder1395–1440 · Writers0 decades
  69. 69Iovianus PontanusIovianus Pontanus1426–1503 · Writers0 decades
  70. 70William WarhamWilliam Warham1450–1532 · Writers8 decades
  71. 71Petr ChelčickýPetr Chelčický1390–1460 · Writers0 decades
  72. 72MCMichael Critobulus1410–1470 · Writers0 decades
  73. 73Isabella of Scotland, Duchess of BrittanyIsabella of Scotland, Duchess of Brittany1426–1494 · Writers0 decades
  74. 74Garci Rodríguez de MontalvoGarci Rodríguez de Montalvoborn 1450 · Writers0 decades
  75. 75DDoukas1400–1500 · Writersnot measured—
  76. 76Idris BitlisiIdris Bitlisi1452–1520 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers0 decades
  77. 77Filippo BuonaccorsiFilippo Buonaccorsi1437–1497 · Writers0 decades
  78. 78Lê Thánh TôngLê Thánh Tông1442–1497 · Writers0 decades
  79. 79Francisco de BorjaFrancisco de Borja1441–1511 · Writers22 decades
  80. 80İTİbn Tanrıverdi1410–1470 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writersnot measured—
  81. 81Dimitrios ChalkokondylesDimitrios Chalkokondyles1423–1511 · Writersnot measured—
  82. 82Yusuf Adil ShahYusuf Adil Shah1459–1510 · Writers0 decades
  83. 83Isotta NogarolaIsotta Nogarola1418–1466 · Writers0 decades
  84. 84Gomes Eanes de ZuraraGomes Eanes de Zurara1410–1474 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers0 decades
  85. 85GHGevherhan Hatun1460–1514 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writersnot measured—
  86. 86Fernão LopesFernão Lopes1385–1458 · Writers0 decades
  87. 87Pierfrancesco the ElderPierfrancesco the Elder1430–1476 · Writersnot measured—
  88. 88Zakariyya al-AnsariZakariyya al-Ansari1420–1520 · Writers0 decades
  89. 89John LydgateJohn Lydgate1370–1450 · Writers22 decades
  90. 90Ahmad ibn ArabshahAhmad ibn Arabshah1389–1450 · Writers0 decades
  91. 91Chŏng InjiChŏng Inji1396–1478 · Writersnot measured—
  92. 92Zbigniew OleśnickiZbigniew Oleśnicki1389–1455 · Writers0 decades
  93. 93Muhammad al-JazuliMuhammad al-Jazuli1404–1465 · Writers0 decades
  94. 94Ḥusain Wāʿiẓ KāšifīḤusain Wāʿiẓ Kāšifī1461–1504 · Writersnot measured—
  95. 95William DunbarWilliam Dunbar1460–1520 · Writers22 decades
  96. 96Francesco ColonnaFrancesco Colonna1433–1527 · Writers1 decades
  97. 97Juan de MenaJuan de Mena1411–1456 · Writers12 decades
  98. 98Drukpa KunleDrukpa Kunle1455–1529 · Writersnot measured—
  99. 99Zhu YunmingZhu Yunming1461–1527 · Writersnot measured—
  100. 100Isabel de VillenaIsabel de Villena1430–1490 · Writers0 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.