← Fame through time1500-1599
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 coverage and readership agree.
- 1
Catherine of Aragon20 decades - 2
John of Austria22 decades - 3
Pedro de Valdivia22 decades - 4
Eleanor of Austria12 decades - 5
Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Albanot measured- - 6
Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain22 decades - 7
Leo Africanus15 decades - 8
Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma21 decades - 9
Alonso de Ojeda22 decades - 10
Joanna of Austria, Princess of Portugal22 decades - 11
Diego Columbusnot measured- - 12
Eleanor of Toledonot measured- - 13
Antonio de Mendoza0 decades - 14
Francisco Gómez de Sandoval, 1st Duke of Lermanot measured- - 15
Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain0 decades - 16
Francisco de Toledo, Count of Oropesa22 decades - 17
Antonio Péreznot measured- - 18
Philip William, Prince of Orangenot measured- - 19
Ferrante Gonzaga0 decades - 20
Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, Marquis of Villafrancanot measured- - 21
Luis de Velasco, 1st Marquess of Salinas0 decades - 22
Luis de Velasconot measured- - 23
Gaspar de Zúñiga, 5th Count of Monterreynot measured- - 24
Blasco Núñez Vela15 decades - 25
Martín Enríquez de Almanzanot measured- - 26
Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of Cañete18 decades - 27
García Álvarez de Toledo, 4th Marquis of Villafrancanot measured- - 28Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas4 decades
- 29
Mencía de Mendoza y Fonsecanot measured- - 30
Francisco de los Cobosnot measured- - 31
Fernando de Valdés y Salas0 decades - 32
Pedro Henriquez de Acevedo, Count of Fuentes1 decades - 33
Guido de Lavezaris0 decades - 34
Lorenzo Suárez de Mendoza, 5th Count of Coruñanot measured- - 35Francisco de Sande19 decades
- 36
Lope García de Castro20 decades - 37
García de Silva Figueroa6 decades - 38
Gabriel de la Cueva, 5th Duke of Alburquerquenot measured- - 39
Francisco Verdugo21 decades - 40
Pedro Téllez-Girónnot measured- - 41Caspar de Robles14 decades
- 42
Juan de Escobedonot measured- - 43Juan de la Cerda, 4th Duke of Medinacelinot measured-
- 44
Juan de Zúñiga y Avellanedanot measured- - 45
Luis Hurtado de Mendoza y Pacheconot measured- - 46Beltrán de la Cueva, 3rd Duke of Alburquerquenot measured-
- 47
Juan de Veganot measured- - 48
Juan Alonso Pimentel de Herreranot measured- - 49Martín Alonso Fernández de Córdoba Montemayor y Velasco, Count of Alcaudetenot measured-
- 50Pedro Fajardo, 1st Marquis of los Véleznot measured-
- 51
Andrés Díaz Venero de Leivanot measured- - 52
Gabriel von Salamanca-Ortenburgnot measured- - 53Diego Fernández de Córdoba y Arellano, 1st Marquis of Comaresnot measured-
- 54
Pedro Bravo de Acuñanot measured- - 55
Juan de Tassis, 1st Count of Villamediananot measured- - 56Fortún García de Ercillanot measured-
- 57Fadrique de Portugalnot measured-
- 58Pedro de los Ríos y Gutiérrez de Aguayonot measured-
- 59Cristóbal Ramírez de Cartagenanot measured-
- 60
Juan de la Jaraquemadanot measured- - 61Fernando Talaverano Gallegosnot measured-
- 62Juan Jiménez de Montalvonot measured-
- 63
Francisco de Ampueronot measured-
How to read these rankings
- Attention, not reputation. A place on these lists reflects the attention a person still draws in the public record. It is not a judgement on the life.
- Fame in print. The curves show how often a name appeared in the books of each decade from 1800 to 2019, drawn from the Google Books Ngram corpus.
- Gaps are left as gaps. Where the record is too thin to be fair, we would rather show nothing than guess.