Claim profile
1500–1599

The 16th century

Whose working lives fell in the 16th 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 16th century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇪🇸 Spain🇫🇷 France🇯🇵 Japan🇩🇪 Germany🇮🇹 Italy🇹🇷 Turkey🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇸🇪 Sweden🇨🇭 Switzerland🇮🇳 India
FieldAllHistorical FiguresWritersPoliticiansArtistsAcademicsReligious FiguresMusiciansScientistsModelsActors
  1. 1Peter FaberPeter Faber1506–1546 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures2 decades
  2. 2Alessandro FarneseAlessandro Farnese1520–1589 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  3. 3Charles, Cardinal de BourbonCharles, Cardinal de Bourbon1523–1590 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  4. 4Charles, Cardinal of LorraineCharles, Cardinal of Lorraine1524–1574 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  5. 5Ippolito II d'EsteIppolito II d'Este1509–1572 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures19 decades
  6. 6Louis II of Lorraine, Cardinal of GuiseLouis II of Lorraine, Cardinal of Guise1555–1588 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures22 decades
  7. 7Nicolas of Lorraine, Duke of MercœurNicolas of Lorraine, Duke of Mercœur1524–1577 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures21 decades
  8. 8Luigi d'EsteLuigi d'Este1538–1586 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures22 decades
  9. 9Charles II de Bourbon-VendômeCharles II de Bourbon-Vendôme1562–1594 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0 decades
  10. 10César de BusCésar de Bus1544–1607 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures20 decades
  11. 11François de JoyeuseFrançois de Joyeuse1562–1615 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures17 decades
  12. 12Louis I of Lorraine, cardinal of GuiseLouis I of Lorraine, cardinal of Guise1527–1578 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures22 decades
  13. 13Louis de Bourbon de VendômeLouis de Bourbon de Vendôme1493–1557 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0 decades
  14. 14ADAmanieu d'Albret1478–1520 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures16 decades
  15. 15Henri, Duke of JoyeuseHenri, Duke of Joyeuse1563–1608 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures13 decades
  16. 16FDFederico di Sanseverino1475–1516 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  17. 17Lorenzo StrozziLorenzo Strozzi1513–1571 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0 decades
  18. 18Pierre de GondiPierre de Gondi1533–1616 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures21 decades
  19. 19Charles de Lorraine de VaudémontCharles de Lorraine de Vaudémont1561–1587 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures22 decades
  20. 20Jean Le VeneurJean Le Veneur1505–1543 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures4 decades
  21. 21Prospero SantacroceProspero Santacroce1514–1589 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures13 decades
  22. 22Georges II d'AmboiseGeorges II d'Amboise1488–1550 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures1 decades
  23. 23Pierre de La BaumePierre de La Baume1477–1544 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures12 decades
  24. 24Robert de LenoncourtRobert de Lenoncourt1510–1561 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures17 decades
  25. 25Matthieu CointerelMatthieu Cointerel1519–1585 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  26. 26Claude de Longwy de GivryClaude de Longwy de Givry1481–1561 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  27. 27JDJean d'Orléans-Longueville1484–1533 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0 decades
  28. 28Antoine de Créqui CanaplesAntoine de Créqui Canaples1531–1574 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures2 decades
  29. 29Jean de la BarrièreJean de la Barrière1544–1600 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures2 decades
  30. 30Louis, Count of VaudémontLouis, Count of Vaudémont1500–1528 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  31. 31CDCharles d'Angennes de Rambouillet1530–1587 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0 decades
  32. 32Philippe de LenoncourtPhilippe de Lenoncourt1527–1592 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures9 decades
  33. 33Charles de Hémard de DenonvilleCharles de Hémard de Denonville1493–1540 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  34. 34Claude Le JayClaude Le Jay1504–1552 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  35. 35Francesco Maria TarugiFrancesco Maria Tarugi1525–1608 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  36. 36JDJean-François de la Trémoille1465–1507 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  37. 37Philippe du BecPhilippe du Bec1519–1605 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  38. 38Hugolin MartelliHugolin Martelli1519–1592 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  39. 39JSJean Suau1503–1566 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  40. 40Willem van BergenWillem van Bergen1551–1609 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  41. 41ABAnnibale Bozzuti1521–1565 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot 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.