← 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
Cardinal Richelieunot measured- - 2
Cardinal Mazarin20 decades - 3
Francis de Sales22 decades - 4
Vincent de Paul22 decades - 5
François Fénelon22 decades - 6
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet22 decades - 7
Margaret Mary Alacoque18 decades - 8
Jean-Baptiste de La Sallenot measured- - 9
Jean Meslier22 decades - 10
Jean François Paul de Gondinot measured- - 11
André-Hercule de Fleury0 decades - 12
Jean Eudes19 decades - 13
Urbain Grandier22 decades - 14
Henri, Prince of Condénot measured- - 15
Claude de la Colombière1 decades - 16
Louis, Duke of Vendômenot measured- - 17
Antonio Barberini22 decades - 18
Louis-Isaac Lemaistre de Sacynot measured- - 19
Philippe Couplet0 decades - 20
Nicolas Barré9 decades - 21
Jean-François de Gondi20 decades - 22
Louis III of Lorraine, cardinal of Guisenot measured- - 23
Michele Mazzarino7 decades - 24
Noël Chabanel4 decades - 25
Alphonse-Louis du Plessis de Richelieunot measured- - 26
Pierre Lambert de la Motte0 decades - 27
François de Harlay de Champvallon1 decades - 28
Alexandre de Vendômenot measured- - 29
Piero de Bonzi0 decades - 30
François de Sourdis0 decades - 31
Louis de Nogaret de La Valette d'Épernonnot measured- - 32
Antoine Godeau22 decades - 33
Michel Le Quien0 decades - 34
Alain de Solminihac16 decades - 35
Henri de Gondi20 decades - 36
Charles-Gaspard-Guillaume de Vintimille du Lucnot measured- - 37
Henri-Pons de Thiard de Bissynot measured- - 38
Charles Maurice Le Telliernot measured- - 39
Antonietta d'Orléans-Longuevillenot measured- - 40
Jacques-Nicolas Colbertnot measured- - 41
Étienne Guibourgnot measured- - 42
Louis Thomassinnot measured- - 43
François de Mailly5 decades - 44
Girolamo Grimaldi-Cavalleroninot measured- - 45
Pierre du Cambout de Coislinnot measured- - 46
Henri de Sourdisnot measured- - 47
Jean-Baptiste de La Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Valliernot measured- - 48
Étienne Le Camusnot measured- - 49Achille d'Étampes de Valençaynot measured-
- 50
Jean-Paul Bignonnot measured- - 51
Humbertus Guilielmus de Precipianonot measured- - 52
Henri Arnauldnot measured- - 53
Louis Nicolasnot measured- - 54
François de Clermont-Tonnerrenot measured- - 55Jérôme Lalemantnot measured-
- 56
Camille de Neufville de Villeroynot measured- - 57
Léon Potier de Gesvresnot measured- - 58
Jean Soanennot measured- - 59
Jacques Boileaunot measured- - 60
Denis-Simon de Marquemontnot measured- - 61
Nicolas Pavillonnot measured- - 62
Franciscus van der Burchnot measured- - 63François-Joseph Le Merciernot measured-
- 64
Jean-Baptiste Morvan de Bellegardenot measured- - 65Jacques Quétifnot measured-
- 66
Henri Nouvelnot measured- - 67
Antoine Singlinnot measured- - 68
François Fouquetnot measured- - 69Charles Boileaunot measured-
- 70Basile de Glemonanot measured-
- 71
Louis-François Duplessis de Mornaynot measured- - 72
Charles François d'Abra de Raconisnot measured- - 73
Fabio Brulart de Sillerynot measured- - 74Paul-Philippe de Chaumontnot measured-
- 75
Léonore d'Étampes de Valençaynot measured- - 76Jacques Adamnot measured-
- 77François-Antoine Pomeynot measured-
- 78
Dominique Séguiernot measured- - 79César Argellinot 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.