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. 1Margaret of Austria, Duchess of SavoyMargaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy1480–1530 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists22 decades
  2. 2Alonso BerrugueteAlonso Berruguete1486–1561 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists22 decades
  3. 3Juan Sánchez CotánJuan Sánchez Cotán1560–1627 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists6 decades
  4. 4Juan Pantoja de la CruzJuan Pantoja de la Cruz1553–1608 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists22 decades
  5. 5Pedro MachucaPedro Machuca1490–1550 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists20 decades
  6. 6Gaspar BecerraGaspar Becerra1520–1568 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists22 decades
  7. 7Juan Fernández NavarreteJuan Fernández Navarrete1538–1579 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists0 decades
  8. 8GDGil de Siloé1500–1501 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists9 decades
  9. 9Alejo FernándezAlejo Fernández1475–1543 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists0 decades
  10. 10Bartolomeo CarducciBartolomeo Carducci1554–1608 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists16 decades
  11. 11Juan de las RoelasJuan de las Roelas1558–1625 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists10 decades
  12. 12Juan de Arphe y VillafañeJuan de Arphe y Villafañe1535–1603 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists22 decades
  13. 13BOBartolomé Ordóñez1480–1520 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists12 decades
  14. 14Pablo de CéspedesPablo de Céspedes1538–1608 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists22 decades
  15. 15Juan Correa de VivarJuan Correa de Vivar1510–1566 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  16. 16Hernando de los LlanosHernando de los Llanos1480–1510 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  17. 17Bartolomé González y SerranoBartolomé González y Serrano1564–1627 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  18. 18Diego de la CruzDiego de la Cruz1470–1505 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  19. 19Felipe de GuevaraFelipe de Guevara1500–1563 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  20. 20Juan de AnchetaJuan de Ancheta1533–1588 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  21. 21DDDiego de Urbina1516–1594 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  22. 22Juan Bautista MonegroJuan Bautista Monegro1545–1621 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  23. 23Blas de PradoBlas de Prado1545–1599 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  24. 24Antonio SalamancaAntonio Salamanca1478–1562 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  25. 25Juan de EspinosaJuan de Espinosa1550–1550 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  26. 26Luis de CarvajalLuis de Carvajal1556–1607 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  27. 27Diego de AguileraDiego de Aguilera1550–1624 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  28. 28Cristóbal de AcevedoCristóbal de Acevedo1505–1648 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  29. 29FDFrancisco de Colonia1470–1542 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  30. 30Patricio CaxésPatricio Caxés1544–1612 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  31. 31Orazio CambiasiOrazio Cambiasi1505–1589 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured—
  32. 32ISIsabel Sanchez Coello1564–1612 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot 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.