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.
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Echoed
- 1
Michel de Montaigne1533–1592 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 2
François Rabelais1500–1553 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 3
Margaret of Valois1553–1615 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 4
Pierre de Ronsard1524–1585 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers21 decades - 5
Étienne de La Boétie1530–1563 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers3 decades - 6
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Marguerite de Navarre1492–1549 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 7
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Joachim du Bellay1522–1560 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers9 decades - 8
Louise Labé1524–1566 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers21 decades - 9
François de Malherbe1555–1628 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers18 decades - 10
Agrippa d'Aubigné1552–1630 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers8 decades - 11
Matteo Bandello1485–1561 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 12
Catherine de Bourbon1559–1604 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 13
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Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme1540–1614 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 14
Christophe Plantin1520–1589 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 15
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle1517–1586 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers9 decades - 16
Pierre Belon1517–1564 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 17
Andrea Alciato1492–1550 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers17 decades - 18
Jacques Amyot1513–1593 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 19
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Jean-Antoine de Baïf1532–1589 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 20
Maurice Scève1501–1564 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers19 decades - 21
Thoinot Arbeau1520–1595 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers10 decades - 22
Louis de Bussy d'Amboise1549–1579 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 23
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Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas1544–1590 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 24
François de Belleforest1530–1583 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers20 decades - 25
Pontus de Tyard1521–1605 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers19 decades - 26NRNicholas Remy1530–1612 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades
- 27
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Robert III de La Marck1491–1536 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 28
Catherine de Parthenay1554–1631 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers14 decades - 29BDBonaventure des Périers1510–1544 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades
- 30
Étienne Pasquier1529–1615 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 31
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François Hotman1524–1590 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 32
Guillaume Gouffier, seigneur de Bonnivet1488–1525 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 33
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Odet de Coligny1517–1571 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 34
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Pierre de L'Estoile1546–1611 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers17 decades - 35
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Jean Daurat1508–1588 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 36
Jacques Dalbon, Seigneur de Saint Andre1512–1562 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 37
Remy Belleau1528–1577 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers12 decades - 38
François de Tournon1489–1562 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers21 decades - 39
Louise Bourgeois Boursier1563–1636 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers14 decades - 40
Jacques Davy Duperron1556–1618 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers4 decades - 41
Jean de Dinteville1504–1557 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers4 decades - 42
Pernette Du Guillet1520–1545 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 43
Philippe Desportes1546–1606 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 44
Albert de Gondi1522–1602 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 45JDJean de Sponde1557–1595 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers9 decades
- 46
Joanes Leizarraga de Briscous1506–1601 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 47
Michel de Castelnau1520–1592 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 48
Mellin de Saint-Gelais1491–1558 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 49
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Claude d'Annebault1495–1552 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers2 decades - 50
Adrianus Turnebus1512–1565 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 51
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Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle1485–1550 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers8 decades - 52
Hélisenne de Crenne1510–1560 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 53
René of Lorraine, marquis of Elbeuf1536–1566 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers21 decades - 54
Jean-Jacques Boissard1528–1602 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers2 decades - 55
Jean de La Forêt1500–1537 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 56
Guillaume du Bellay1491–1543 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 57
Charles Dumoulin1500–1566 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 58
Nicolas de Neufville, seigneur de Villeroy1542–1617 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 59
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Pierre Pithou1539–1596 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 60
François de La Noue1531–1591 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers18 decades - 61
Pierre Boaistuau1517–1566 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers5 decades - 62
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Antoine, 1st comte de Noailles1504–1562 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 63NDNoël du Fail1520–1591 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers18 decades
- 64
Jean Passerat1534–1602 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers21 decades - 65
Georges de Selve1508–1541 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 66
François Guillaume de Castelnau-Clermont-Ludève1480–1541 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 67
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Jacques Grévin1538–1570 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers16 decades - 68
Nicole Estienne1542–1589 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 69
Guillaume Desautels1529–1599 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers1 decades - 70
Gabriel de Luetz1508–1553 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 71
Antoine de Pluvinel1555–1620 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 72
Paul de Thermes1482–1562 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 73
Bertrand d'Argentré1519–1590 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers17 decades - 74PMPierre Matthieu1563–1621 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades
- 75
Jean de Monluc1508–1579 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers16 decades - 76
Martin du Bellay1495–1559 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 77
Antoine Escalin des Aimars1498–1578 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 78
Arnaud d'Ossat1537–1604 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers8 decades - 79
Jean Bertaut1552–1611 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers11 decades - 80
Nicolas de Pellevé1518–1594 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 81
François Savary de Brèves1560–1628 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 82PDPierre de Larivey1541–1619 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers14 decades
- 83
Catherine Des Roches1542–1587 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 84
Antoine du Verdier1544–1600 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers18 decades - 85
Guillaume de La Perrière1503–1565 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers2 decades - 86
Jacques Boyceau1560–1635 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers1 decades - 87JCJean Crespin1520–1572 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured—
- 88
Scévole de Sainte-Marthe1536–1623 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades - 89
Jean Vauquelin de la Fresnaye1536–1607 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 90
Étienne Tabourot1549–1590 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers1 decades - 91
Élie Vinet1509–1587 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 92
Nicolas Brulart1544–1624 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 93
François de Scépeaux1509–1571 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 94
Artus Gouffier, Lord of Boissy1475–1519 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured— - 95AJAmadis Jamyn1540–1593 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers18 decades
- 96
Jean Papire Masson1544–1611 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 97
Antoine Sanguin1493–1559 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0 decades - 98LDLazare de Baïf1496–1547 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot measured—
- 99
François d'Amboise1550–1619 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers18 decades - 100
Antoine d'Estrées1529–1609 · 🇫🇷 France · Writersnot 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.