← Fame through time1600-1699
The 17th century
Whose working lives fell in the 17th 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 17th century, ranked where coverage and readership agree.
- 1
Marie de' Medici22 decades - 2
Louis XIII of France22 decades - 3
Jean-Baptiste Colbert22 decades - 4
Henrietta Maria of France0 decades - 5
Louis, Grand Condénot measured- - 6
Nicolas Fouquet22 decades - 7
Elisabeth of France20 decades - 8
Christine of France22 decades - 9
François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis de Louvoisnot measured- - 10
François Leclerc du Tremblay0 decades - 11
Concino Concini9 decades - 12
Claude Louis Hector de Villarsnot measured- - 13
Marie Louise Gonzaga13 decades - 14
Louis de Buade de Frontenac0 decades - 15
Charles d'Albert de Luynes20 decades - 16
Guillaume Dubois17 decades - 17
Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d'Arquiennot measured- - 18
François de Neufville, duc de Villeroi0 decades - 19
Pierre Séguier22 decades - 20
Henri II de Montmorency13 decades - 21
Michel Le Tellier22 decades - 22
Claire-Clémence de Maillé-Brézé12 decades - 23
Frédéric Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergnenot measured- - 24
Antoine III de Gramont0 decades - 25
Charles Bonaventure de Longueval, Count of Bucquoynot measured- - 26
Simon Arnauld de Pomponne1 decades - 27
Victor-Marie d'Estrées0 decades - 28
Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Seignelaynot measured- - 29
Nicolas de Neufville de Villeroy0 decades - 30
Jean Guiton18 decades - 31
Hugues de Lionne19 decades - 32
Louis II Phélypeaux de Pontchartrainnot measured- - 33
Marc-René de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argensonnot measured- - 34
Mathieu Molénot measured- - 35
Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham2 decades - 36
Abraham de Fabertnot measured- - 37
Ezéchiel du Mas, Comte de Mélac0 decades - 38
Jean Caylar d'Anduze de Saint-Bonnetnot measured- - 39
Pierre Brousselnot measured- - 40
Antoine Gaston de Roquelaurenot measured- - 41
Bernard de Nogaret de La Valette d'Épernonnot measured- - 42
Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourtnot measured- - 43
Charles de Schomberg d' Halluinnot measured- - 44
Daniel de Rémy de Courcellenot measured- - 45
Henri de Schombergnot measured- - 46
Jean de Gassionnot measured- - 47
Antoine Coiffier de Ruzénot measured- - 48
Claude Bazin de Bezons0 decades - 49François Martinnot measured-
- 50
Antoine Charles IV de Gramontnot measured- - 51Bertrand d'Ogeron de La Bouërenot measured-
- 52
Henri de La Ferté-Senneterrenot measured- - 53
François Auguste de Thounot measured- - 54
Charles de Blanchefortnot measured- - 55Nicolas Faret8 decades
- 56
Claude de Bullionnot measured- - 57
Balthasar de Monconysnot measured- - 58
Philippe de Montaut-Bénac de Navaillesnot measured- - 59
Charles I de La Vieuvillenot measured- - 60
Jean de Lausonnot measured- - 61
Antoine Brunnot measured- - 62
Jean-Jacques de Mesmesnot measured- - 63
Charles d'Angennesnot measured- - 64
Claude Bouthilliernot measured- - 65
Jacques III de Goyon de Matignonnot measured- - 66Pierre de Villarsnot measured-
- 67François-Séraphin Régnier-Desmaraisnot measured-
- 68
Louis de Verjusnot measured- - 69
Jean de Schulembergnot measured- - 70Henri de Sévignénot measured-
- 71Henri de Massue, 1st Marquis de Rouvignynot measured-
- 72Henri d'Aguesseaunot measured-
- 73François d'Arouetnot 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.