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.
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Echoed
- 1
Tycho Brahe1546–1601 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Scientists22 decades
- 2
Gustav I of Sweden1496–1560 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Historical Figures0 decades - 3
Charles IX of Sweden1550–1611 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Historical Figures0 decades - 4
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Eric XIV of Sweden1533–1577 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Historical Figures0 decades - 5
John III of Sweden1537–1592 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Historical Figures22 decades - 6
Mikael Agricola1510–1557 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Academics1 decades - 7OMOlaus Magnus1490–1557 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers22 decades
- 8
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Sten Sture the Younger1493–1520 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politicians0 decades - 9
Margaret Leijonhufvud1516–1551 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 10
Princess Cecilia of Sweden1540–1627 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politicians0 decades - 11
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Karin Månsdotter1550–1612 · 🇸🇪 Sweden0 decades - 12
Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg1513–1535 · 🇸🇪 Sweden0 decades - 13
Olaus Petri1493–1552 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers6 decades - 14
Gunilla Bielke1568–1597 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Historical Figures0 decades - 15
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Christina Gyllenstierna1494–1559 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politicians0 decades - 16
Johannes Magnus1488–1544 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers0 decades - 17
Nils Dacke1510–1543 · 🇸🇪 Sweden0 decades - 18
Gustav Trolle1488–1535 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politicians0 decades - 19
Pontus De la Gardie1520–1585 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politicians1 decades - 20
Catherine Vasa of Sweden1539–1610 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 21
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Catherine Stenbock1535–1621 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Business Professionals0 decades - 22
Princess Elizabeth of Sweden1549–1597 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Historical Figuresnot measured—
- 23
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Magnus, Duke of Östergötland1542–1595 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 24
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Laurentius Petri1499–1573 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Academics1 decades - 25
Princess Sophia of Sweden1547–1611 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Historical Figures0 decades
- 26
Klaus Fleming1535–1597 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politicians0 decades - 27
Erik Johansson Vasa1470–1520 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politicians0 decades - 28
Jöran Persson1530–1568 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politicians0 decades
- 29
Per Brahe the Elder1520–1590 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politicians0 decades - 30
Anna of Sweden1545–1610 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politiciansnot measured— - 31CMCecilia Månsdotter1476–1523 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 32
Helena, Marchioness of Northampton1549–1635 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured— - 33
Margareta Eriksdotter Vasa1497–1536 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured— - 34
Wolfgang Musculus1497–1563 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Academics0 decades - 35
Sofia Johansdotter (Gyllenhielm)1559–1583 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured— - 36
Klas Horn1517–1566 · 🇸🇪 Sweden0 decades
- 37
Henrik Hybertsson1550–1627 · 🇸🇪 Sweden0 decades - 38
Jakob Bagge1502–1577 · 🇸🇪 Sweden0 decades - 39
Karin Hansdotter1539–1596 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured— - 40LALaurentius Andreae1470–1552 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politicians0 decades
- 41
Jürgen von Farensbach1551–1602 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 42
Svante Stensson Sture1517–1567 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured— - 43
Ebba Stenbock1550–1614 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured— - 44
Jaakko Ilkka1550–1597 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured— - 45
Petrus Kenicius1555–1636 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Actorsnot measured— - 46LPLaurentius Petri Gothus1529–1579 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Actors0 decades
- 47BOBrita Olofsdotter1501–1569 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 48
Abraham Angermannus1540–1607 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Actorsnot measured— - 49
Paulus Juusten1516–1575 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Musicians0 decades - 50LBLasses Birgitta1501–1550 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 51EEEbba Eriksdotter Vasa1491–1549 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 52
Willem Boy1520–1592 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Architectsnot measured— - 53
Gustaf Banér1547–1600 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politiciansnot measured— - 54
Karl Henriksson (Horn)1550–1601 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politiciansnot measured— - 55
Erik Sparre1550–1600 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politiciansnot measured— - 56CEConstantia Eriksdotter1560–1649 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 57OMOlaus Martini1557–1609 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 58GOGustav of Saxe-Lauenburg1570–1597 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 59AEAnna Eriksdotter1490–1525 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 60
Henrik Klasson Horn1512–1595 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politiciansnot measured— - 61BEBarbro Eriksdotter1505–1553 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 62ALAndreas Laurentii Björnram1520–1591 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Religious Figuresnot measured—
- 63CÅClas Åkesson Tott1530–1590 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politiciansnot measured—
- 64
Hans Fleming1545–1623 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Artistsnot measured— - 65
Ericus Erici Sorolainen1550–1625 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured— - 66EGErik Gustafsson Stenbock1538–1602 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 67GGGustaf Gabrielsson Oxenstierna1551–1597 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politiciansnot measured—
- 68GOGustav Olofsson the Younger1502–1571 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 69ESElisabeth Sabina of Sweden1582–1585 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 70
Kristina Svantesdotter Sture1559–1619 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured—
- 71JGJulius Gyllenhielm1560–1581 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 72
Lars Ivarsson Fleming1520–1562 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politiciansnot measured— - 73
Jacob Krembergborn 1550 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Artistsnot measured— - 74JAJohan Axelsson Bielkedied 1576 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politiciansnot measured—
- 75AGAbraham Gustafsson Stenbockdied 1567 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 76AGArvid Gustafsson Stenbock1541–1607 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 77KGKarl Gustavsson Stenbock1537–1609 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 78TLTorsten Lennartsson1561–1631 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 79KKristinadied 1561 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 80ABAxel Bielke1550–1597 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 81OGOlof Gustavsson Stenbock1536–1599 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 82BSBeata Stenbock1533–1583 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 83GBGunder Bielkeborn 1562 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot measured—
- 84BEBrita Eriksdotter (Leijonhufvud)1514–1572 · 🇸🇪 Swedennot 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.