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 FarelWilliam Farel1489–1565 · 🇫🇷 France · Actors22 decades
  2. 2Balthasar HubmaierBalthasar Hubmaier1485–1528 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors16 decades
  3. 3John FoxeJohn Foxe1516–1587 · Actors21 decades
  4. 4Theodor de BryTheodor de Bry1528–1598 · Actors21 decades
  5. 5Juan de ValdésJuan de Valdés1505–1541 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Actors21 decades
  6. 6Richard HookerRichard Hooker1554–1600 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Actors22 decades
  7. 7Nicholas RidleyNicholas Ridley1500–1555 · Actors17 decades
  8. 8Fausto SozziniFausto Sozzini1539–1604 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Actors10 decades
  9. 9Peter Martyr VermigliPeter Martyr Vermigli1499–1562 · Actors20 decades
  10. 10Moses ben Jacob CordoveroMoses ben Jacob Cordovero1522–1570 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Actors19 decades
  11. 11Andreas OsianderAndreas Osiander1498–1552 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors20 decades
  12. 12Isabella AndreiniIsabella Andreini1562–1604 · Actors22 decades
  13. 13Matthias FlaciusMatthias Flacius1520–1575 · Actors22 decades
  14. 14Anton PraetoriusAnton Praetorius1560–1613 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors0 decades
  15. 15Jeremias II of ConstantinopleJeremias II of Constantinople1536–1595 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Actors0 decades
  16. 16Ferenc DávidFerenc Dávid1510–1579 · Actors0 decades
  17. 17Johannes BrenzJohannes Brenz1499–1570 · Actors0 decades
  18. 18Luis de GranadaLuis de Granada1504–1588 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Actors22 decades
  19. 19Melchior HoffmanMelchior Hoffman1490–1543 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors19 decades
  20. 20Johann von StaupitzJohann von Staupitz1465–1524 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors0 decades
  21. 21Dirck Volckertszoon CoornhertDirck Volckertszoon Coornhert1522–1590 · Actors0 decades
  22. 22Caspar SchwenckfeldCaspar Schwenckfeld1489–1561 · Actors6 decades
  23. 23Jacob Cornelisz van OostsanenJacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen1472–1533 · Actors0 decades
  24. 24Thomas ErastusThomas Erastus1524–1583 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Actors0 decades
  25. 25Edmund BonnerEdmund Bonner1500–1569 · Actors8 decades
  26. 26Conrad GrebelConrad Grebel1498–1526 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Actors7 decades
  27. 27Zacharias UrsinusZacharias Ursinus1534–1583 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors10 decades
  28. 28George SpalatinGeorge Spalatin1484–1545 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors0 decades
  29. 29Bernardino OchinoBernardino Ochino1487–1564 · Actors22 decades
  30. 30Juan de RiberaJuan de Ribera1532–1611 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Actors22 decades
  31. 31THThomas Helwys1550–1616 · Actors0 decades
  32. 32Franciscus GomarusFranciscus Gomarus1563–1641 · Actors0 decades
  33. 33Wolfgang CapitoWolfgang Capito1478–1541 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors0 decades
  34. 34George WishartGeorge Wishart1513–1546 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Actors15 decades
  35. 35Joachim VadianJoachim Vadian1484–1551 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Actors19 decades
  36. 36Alfonso de ValdésAlfonso de Valdés1490–1532 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Actors17 decades
  37. 37Michael BaiusMichael Baius1513–1589 · Actors0 decades
  38. 38John WhitgiftJohn Whitgift1530–1604 · Actors17 decades
  39. 39William KempeWilliam Kempe1560–1603 · Actors10 decades
  40. 40Cornelis CortCornelis Cort1533–1578 · Actors0 decades
  41. 41Pierre ViretPierre Viret1511–1571 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Actors22 decades
  42. 42Nicolaus von AmsdorfNicolaus von Amsdorf1483–1565 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors0 decades
  43. 43RBRobert Browne1550–1633 · Actors22 decades
  44. 44Robert PersonsRobert Persons1546–1610 · Actors5 decades
  45. 45Marie DentièreMarie Dentière1495–1561 · Actors0 decades
  46. 46Jakob AndreaeJakob Andreae1528–1590 · Actors8 decades
  47. 47John JewelJohn Jewel1522–1571 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Actors9 decades
  48. 48John BaleJohn Bale1495–1563 · Actors22 decades
  49. 49PRPierre Robert Olivétan1505–1538 · 🇫🇷 France · Actors0 decades
  50. 50Robert ArminRobert Armin1563–1615 · Actors4 decades
  51. 51Wenzel JamnitzerWenzel Jamnitzer1508–1585 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors13 decades
  52. 52Girolamo ZanchiGirolamo Zanchi1516–1590 · Actors0 decades
  53. 53GDGuido de Bres1522–1567 · Actors0 decades
  54. 54John HooperJohn Hooper1495–1555 · Actors22 decades
  55. 55Ólafur EgilssonÓlafur Egilsson1564–1639 · Actors0 decades
  56. 56BRBernhard Rothmann1495–1535 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors0 decades
  57. 57Johannes BuxtorfJohannes Buxtorf1564–1629 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors0 decades
  58. 58JBJames Burbage1531–1597 · Actors16 decades
  59. 59Jean DuvetJean Duvet1485–1561 · 🇫🇷 France · Actors13 decades
  60. 60Conrad LycosthenesConrad Lycosthenes1518–1561 · 🇫🇷 France · Actors0 decades
  61. 61Leonardus LessiusLeonardus Lessius1554–1623 · Actors0 decades
  62. 62Jurij DalmatinJurij Dalmatin1547–1589 · Actors0 decades
  63. 63Theodore BiblianderTheodore Bibliander1500–1564 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Actors1 decades
  64. 64Francesco AndreiniFrancesco Andreini1548–1624 · Actors18 decades
  65. 65Leo JudLeo Jud1482–1542 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Actors0 decades
  66. 66Hieronymus WierixHieronymus Wierix1553–1619 · Actors0 decades
  67. 67SGSanatan Goswami1488–1558 · Actors0 decades
  68. 68Johannes MathesiusJohannes Mathesius1504–1565 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors13 decades
  69. 69HDHans Denck1495–1527 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors13 decades
  70. 70Konrad PellikanKonrad Pellikan1478–1556 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Actors0 decades
  71. 71Pavao SkalićPavao Skalić1534–1573 · Actorsnot measured—
  72. 72TAThomas Abel1497–1540 · Actors0 decades
  73. 73Matthäus ZellMatthäus Zell1477–1548 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors4 decades
  74. 74CCorderius1479–1564 · 🇫🇷 France · Actors20 decades
  75. 75Giorgio GhisiGiorgio Ghisi1520–1582 · Actors15 decades
  76. 76EAErasmus Alberus1500–1553 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors20 decades
  77. 77Richard TarltonRichard Tarlton1530–1588 · Actors1 decades
  78. 78Johann Jakob WickJohann Jakob Wick1522–1588 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Actors3 decades
  79. 79Mutio VitelleschiMutio Vitelleschi1563–1645 · Actors20 decades
  80. 80George CassanderGeorge Cassander1513–1566 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors0 decades
  81. 81Paul FagiusPaul Fagius1504–1549 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors9 decades
  82. 82JWJohannes Wierix1549–1620 · Actors0 decades
  83. 83Urbanus RhegiusUrbanus Rhegius1489–1541 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors0 decades
  84. 84CPChristiern Pedersen1480–1554 · Actors0 decades
  85. 85William WhitakerWilliam Whitaker1548–1595 · Actorsnot measured—
  86. 86John FrithJohn Frith1503–1533 · Actorsnot measured—
  87. 87Hans GlaserHans Glaser1500–1573 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actorsnot measured—
  88. 88GBGopala Bhatta Goswami1500–1587 · Actorsnot measured—
  89. 89Oswald MyconiusOswald Myconius1488–1552 · Actors2 decades
  90. 90Bartolomé de MedinaBartolomé de Medina1527–1580 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Actors21 decades
  91. 91Gáspár HeltaiGáspár Heltai1510–1574 · Actors0 decades
  92. 92Ludwig LavaterLudwig Lavater1527–1586 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Actors0 decades
  93. 93NCNicolas Cop1501–1540 · 🇫🇷 France · Actors14 decades
  94. 94MCMarcin Czechowic1532–1613 · Actors0 decades
  95. 95Immanuel TremelliusImmanuel Tremellius1510–1580 · Actors0 decades
  96. 96Julius von PflugJulius von Pflug1499–1564 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors0 decades
  97. 97ADAlfonso de Zamora1474–1531 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Actors22 decades
  98. 98Simon GrynaeusSimon Grynaeus1493–1541 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors18 decades
  99. 99Luis de la PuenteLuis de la Puente1554–1624 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Actors22 decades
  100. 100JCJohann Crotus1480–1545 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Actors0 decades

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.