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. 1Katharina von BoraKatharina von Bora1499–1552 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics21 decades
  2. 2Ulrich von HuttenUlrich von Hutten1488–1523 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics22 decades
  3. 3Johann TetzelJohann Tetzel1465–1519 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics20 decades
  4. 4Martin BucerMartin Bucer1491–1551 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics22 decades
  5. 5Sebastian MünsterSebastian Münster1488–1552 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics22 decades
  6. 6Johannes BugenhagenJohannes Bugenhagen1485–1558 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics18 decades
  7. 7Adam RiesAdam Ries1492–1559 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics7 decades
  8. 8Ludolph van CeulenLudolph van Ceulen1540–1610 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  9. 9Johann EckJohann Eck1486–1543 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  10. 10Andreas KarlstadtAndreas Karlstadt1486–1541 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  11. 11Martin ChemnitzMartin Chemnitz1522–1586 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics22 decades
  12. 12Johannes AgricolaJohannes Agricola1494–1566 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics9 decades
  13. 13Michael SattlerMichael Sattler1490–1527 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics7 decades
  14. 14Valentin WeigelValentin Weigel1533–1588 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics22 decades
  15. 15Joachim CamerariusJoachim Camerarius1500–1574 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics6 decades
  16. 16Erasmus ReinholdErasmus Reinhold1511–1553 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics13 decades
  17. 17Otto Truchsess von WaldburgOtto Truchsess von Waldburg1514–1573 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  18. 18Adam LonitzerAdam Lonitzer1528–1586 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics1 decades
  19. 19Thomas FinckeThomas Fincke1561–1656 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  20. 20AVAdriaan van Roomen1561–1615 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  21. 21Kaspar OlevianusKaspar Olevianus1536–1587 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics5 decades
  22. 22Salomon SchweiggerSalomon Schweigger1551–1622 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics4 decades
  23. 23Paul EberPaul Eber1511–1569 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics22 decades
  24. 24Jerome EmserJerome Emser1477–1527 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics20 decades
  25. 25Gregor BrückGregor Brück1485–1557 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics8 decades
  26. 26Johannes PiscatorJohannes Piscator1546–1625 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  27. 27Philipp ApianPhilipp Apian1531–1589 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics10 decades
  28. 28Stephan GerlachStephan Gerlach1546–1612 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics10 decades
  29. 29Ambrosius BlarerAmbrosius Blarer1492–1564 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics17 decades
  30. 30Johann WigandJohann Wigand1523–1587 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  31. 31Georg TannstetterGeorg Tannstetter1482–1535 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  32. 32Tilemann HeshusiusTilemann Heshusius1527–1588 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  33. 33Johannes PraetoriusJohannes Praetorius1537–1616 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics15 decades
  34. 34PRPaolo Riccio1480–1541 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  35. 35Adam NeuserAdam Neuser1530–1576 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  36. 36HGHenricus Grammateus1492–1525 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  37. 37David PareusDavid Pareus1548–1622 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  38. 38Caspar VopelCaspar Vopel1511–1561 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  39. 39VSVictorinus Strigel1524–1569 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  40. 40Christoph SchappelerChristoph Schappeler1472–1551 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics8 decades
  41. 41Konrad HeresbachKonrad Heresbach1496–1576 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  42. 42MCMartin Cellarius1499–1564 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  43. 43Cornelius BeckerCornelius Becker1561–1604 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  44. 44Leonhard HutterLeonhard Hutter1563–1616 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  45. 45Jacob MilichJacob Milich1501–1559 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  46. 46JEJohann Eberlin von Günzburg1465–1533 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  47. 47VOValentinus Otho1550–1603 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
  48. 48AKAndreas Knopken1468–1539 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  49. 49Johannes AepinusJohannes Aepinus1499–1553 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  50. 50Jacob LorhardJacob Lorhard1561–1609 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  51. 51JHJohann Hommel1518–1562 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  52. 52Bartholomäus Bernhardi of FeldkirchenBartholomäus Bernhardi of Feldkirchen1487–1551 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  53. 53Johann ForsterJohann Forster1496–1556 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  54. 54Andreas AurifaberAndreas Aurifaber1513–1559 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  55. 55Aegidius HunniusAegidius Hunnius1550–1603 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  56. 56Johannes DraconitesJohannes Draconites1494–1566 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  57. 57OCOtto Casmann1562–1607 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  58. 58JCJohannes Clajus1535–1592 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  59. 59OGOrtwin Gratius1475–1542 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  60. 60Georg von BlumenthalGeorg von Blumenthal1490–1550 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  61. 61Matthew WesenbeckMatthew Wesenbeck1531–1586 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  62. 62Jacob HeerbrandJacob Heerbrand1521–1600 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  63. 63Joachim von BeustJoachim von Beust1522–1597 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  64. 64Melchior VolmarMelchior Volmar1497–1560 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  65. 65JSJohannes Scheubel1494–1570 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  66. 66Matthias HafenrefferMatthias Hafenreffer1561–1619 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  67. 67ASAndreas Stöberl1470–1515 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  68. 68Nicolaus MarschalkNicolaus Marschalk1470–1525 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  69. 69Georg ObrechtGeorg Obrecht1547–1612 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  70. 70Matthias GarbitiusMatthias Garbitius1505–1559 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  71. 71Reimar KockReimar Kock1500–1569 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  72. 72Nicolaus ReusnerNicolaus Reusner1545–1602 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  73. 73HWHermann Wilken1522–1603 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  74. 74Johann Faber of HeilbronnJohann Faber of Heilbronn1504–1558 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  75. 75Heinrich BrucæusHeinrich Brucæus1530–1593 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  76. 76Otto WalperOtto Walper1546–1624 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  77. 77Kaspar EberhardKaspar Eberhard1523–1575 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  78. 78Andreas von BarbyAndreas von Barby1508–1559 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot 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.