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. 1Ignatius of LoyolaIgnatius of Loyola1491–1556 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures22 decades
  2. 2Francisco SuárezFrancisco Suárez1548–1617 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures14 decades
  3. 3Joseph of AnchietaJoseph of Anchieta1534–1597 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures13 decades
  4. 4John of ÁvilaJohn of Ávila1499–1569 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures19 decades
  5. 5Ruy López de SeguraRuy López de Segura1530–1580 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures0 decades
  6. 6Juan de ZumárragaJuan de Zumárraga1468–1548 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures21 decades
  7. 7Diego de LandaDiego de Landa1524–1579 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures19 decades
  8. 8Diego LaynezDiego Laynez1512–1565 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures17 decades
  9. 9Fernando Niño de GuevaraFernando Niño de Guevara1541–1609 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures22 decades
  10. 10Tomás de BerlangaTomás de Berlanga1487–1551 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures17 decades
  11. 11Claudio AcquavivaClaudio Acquaviva1543–1615 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures21 decades
  12. 12GBGiovanni Borgia1498–1550 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures3 decades
  13. 13Juan Pardo de TaveraJuan Pardo de Tavera1472–1545 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures0 decades
  14. 14Juan Martínez SilíceoJuan Martínez Silíceo1486–1557 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures0 decades
  15. 15Francisco MarroquínFrancisco Marroquín1499–1563 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures14 decades
  16. 16Juan Bautista RicoJuan Bautista Rico1561–1613 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures12 decades
  17. 17Íñigo López de Mendoza y ZúñigaÍñigo López de Mendoza y Zúñiga1498–1535 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  18. 18García GuerraGarcía Guerra1545–1612 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures19 decades
  19. 19Bernardo de Sandoval y RojasBernardo de Sandoval y Rojas1546–1618 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures22 decades
  20. 20García de LoaysaGarcía de Loaysa1478–1546 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures0 decades
  21. 21Diego de EspinosaDiego de Espinosa1502–1572 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures22 decades
  22. 22AMAlonso Manrique de Lara1471–1538 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures1 decades
  23. 23Antonio Agustín y AlbanellAntonio Agustín y Albanell1517–1586 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  24. 24Andrés de OlmosAndrés de Olmos1485–1571 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures18 decades
  25. 25Juan Álvarez de ToledoJuan Álvarez de Toledo1488–1557 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures1 decades
  26. 26Gaspar de Quiroga y VelaGaspar de Quiroga y Vela1512–1594 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures0 decades
  27. 27Antonio Zapata y CisnerosAntonio Zapata y Cisneros1550–1635 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures1 decades
  28. 28Juan de Zúñiga y PimentelJuan de Zúñiga y Pimentel1465–1504 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures0 decades
  29. 29Rodrigo de Castro OsorioRodrigo de Castro Osorio1523–1600 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures0 decades
  30. 30Pedro Pacheco de VillenaPedro Pacheco de Villena1488–1560 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  31. 31Francisco de QuiñonesFrancisco de Quiñones1475–1540 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures0 decades
  32. 32MIMartín Ignacio de Loyola1550–1606 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures12 decades
  33. 33Alonso de Salazar FríasAlonso de Salazar Frías1564–1636 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  34. 34Francisco Mendoza de BobadillaFrancisco Mendoza de Bobadilla1508–1566 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures14 decades
  35. 35Francisco Pacheco de ToledoFrancisco Pacheco de Toledo1508–1579 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures1 decades
  36. 36Pedro de DezaPedro de Deza1520–1600 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  37. 37Esteban Gabriel MerinoEsteban Gabriel Merino1472–1535 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures3 decades
  38. 38JDJuan de Polanco1516–1577 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  39. 39Jerónimo XavierreJerónimo Xavierre1546–1608 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures0 decades
  40. 40Gaspar Cervantes de GaetaGaspar Cervantes de Gaeta1511–1575 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures0 decades
  41. 41Gaspar de Ávalos de la CuevaGaspar de Ávalos de la Cueva1485–1545 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  42. 42Gaspar de Zúñiga y AvellanedaGaspar de Zúñiga y Avellaneda1507–1571 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures3 decades
  43. 43Dominique de Jésus-MarieDominique de Jésus-Marie1559–1630 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  44. 44Enrique de Borja y AragónEnrique de Borja y Aragón1518–1540 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  45. 45LDLuis de Valdivia1561–1642 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  46. 46Antonio de ValdiviesoAntonio de Valdivieso1495–1550 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  47. 47ADAntonio de Sotomayor1557–1648 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  48. 48RDReginaldo de Lizárraga1545–1615 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  49. 49Martin of the AscensionMartin of the Ascension1566–1597 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  50. 50Balthazar AlvarezBalthazar Alvarez1533–1580 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  51. 51Pedro Ponce de LeónPedro Ponce de León1510–1584 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  52. 52Francisco de ToralFrancisco de Toral1502–1571 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  53. 53Francisco Dávila y GuzmánFrancisco Dávila y Guzmán1548–1606 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  54. 54FBFrancisco Briceño1500–1571 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  55. 55Diego Vázquez de MercadoDiego Vázquez de Mercado1533–1616 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  56. 56FDFernando de Toledo Oropesa1520–1590 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  57. 57Marcos CriadoMarcos Criado1522–1569 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  58. 58PAPedro Angulo1500–1561 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  59. 59Cristóbal Rojas SandovalCristóbal Rojas Sandoval1502–1580 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  60. 60Luis López de SolísLuis López de Solís1534–1606 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  61. 61ADAntonio de Fonseca1503–1557 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  62. 62Bartolomé de LedesmaBartolomé de Ledesma1524–1604 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  63. 63GDGiacomo Dal Pozzo1495–1563 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figuresnot 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.