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. 1William the SilentWilliam the Silent1533–1584 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians22 decades
  2. 2Florian GeyerFlorian Geyer1490–1525 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians18 decades
  3. 3John, Elector of SaxonyJohn, Elector of Saxony1468–1532 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians22 decades
  4. 4George, Duke of SaxonyGeorge, Duke of Saxony1471–1539 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians15 decades
  5. 5John VI, Count of Nassau-SiegenJohn VI, Count of Nassau-Siegen1536–1606 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians21 decades
  6. 6Christine of SaxonyChristine of Saxony1505–1549 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians0 decades
  7. 7William Louis, Count of Nassau-DillenburgWilliam Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg1560–1620 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured—
  8. 8Julius, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgJulius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1528–1589 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured—
  9. 9Hans StainingerHans Staininger1508–1567 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians0 decades
  10. 10Bernhard KnipperdollingBernhard Knipperdolling1495–1536 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians0 decades
  11. 11Lazarus von SchwendiLazarus von Schwendi1522–1583 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians19 decades
  12. 12Jürgen WullenweverJürgen Wullenwever1488–1537 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians15 decades
  13. 13Margaret of MünsterbergMargaret of Münsterberg1473–1530 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured—
  14. 14Nikolaus KrellNikolaus Krell1550–1601 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians1 decades
  15. 15Joss FritzJoss Fritz1470–1525 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians12 decades
  16. 16Anna of VeldenzAnna of Veldenz1540–1586 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured—
  17. 17Adolphus of NeuenahrAdolphus of Neuenahr1545–1589 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians1 decades
  18. 18Jacob Sturm von SturmeckJacob Sturm von Sturmeck1489–1553 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians1 decades
  19. 19George of the PalatinateGeorge of the Palatinate1486–1529 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians0 decades
  20. 20Mark WelserMark Welser1558–1614 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians5 decades
  21. 21JIJohan I of East Frisia1506–1572 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians22 decades
  22. 22Bodo III, Count of Stolberg-WernigerodeBodo III, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode1467–1538 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians3 decades
  23. 23Ulrich Rülein von CalwUlrich Rülein von Calw1467–1523 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians2 decades
  24. 24Christoph von ScheurlChristoph von Scheurl1481–1542 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians19 decades
  25. 25John Eustach of WesternachJohn Eustach of Westernach1545–1627 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians0 decades
  26. 26Hans LufftHans Lufft1495–1584 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured—
  27. 27Georg Schenck van ToutenburgGeorg Schenck van Toutenburg1480–1540 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured—
  28. 28Leonhard von EckLeonhard von Eck1480–1550 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured—
  29. 29Christian BeyerChristian Beyer1482–1535 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured—
  30. 30Ditmar KoelDitmar Koel1500–1563 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured—
  31. 31Johann Georg GödelmannJohann Georg Gödelmann1559–1611 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured—
  32. 32HVHeinrich von Galen1480–1557 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured—
  33. 33Justus Jonas der JüngereJustus Jonas der Jüngere1525–1567 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured—
  34. 34CSChristoph Schütz1549–1631 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot 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.