Claim profile
1600–1699

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 Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇫🇷 France🇩🇪 Germany🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇯🇵 Japan🇹🇷 Turkey🇳🇱 Netherlands🇪🇸 Spain🇮🇹 Italy🇸🇪 Sweden🇮🇳 India
FieldAllWritersPoliticiansHistorical FiguresArtistsAcademicsScientistsMusiciansReligious FiguresActorsModels
  1. 1Sébastien Le Prestre de VaubanSébastien Le Prestre de Vauban1633–1707 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists2 decades
  2. 2Denis PapinDenis Papin1647–1713 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists19 decades
  3. 3Joseph Pitton de TournefortJoseph Pitton de Tournefort1656–1708 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists5 decades
  4. 4Edme MariotteEdme Mariotte1620–1684 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  5. 5Pierre Le Moyne d'IbervillePierre Le Moyne d'Iberville1661–1706 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists6 decades
  6. 6Jean PicardJean Picard1620–1682 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists22 decades
  7. 7Charles PlumierCharles Plumier1646–1704 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists3 decades
  8. 8Guillaume AmontonsGuillaume Amontons1663–1705 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  9. 9Pierre MagnolPierre Magnol1638–1715 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists1 decades
  10. 10Nicolas SansonNicolas Sanson1600–1667 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists19 decades
  11. 11Philippe de La HirePhilippe de La Hire1640–1718 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists4 decades
  12. 12Joachim BouvetJoachim Bouvet1656–1732 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists1 decades
  13. 13Nicolas LemeryNicolas Lemery1645–1715 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists11 decades
  14. 14Marie MeurdracMarie Meurdrac1610–1680 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  15. 15LCLaurent Cassegrain1629–1693 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  16. 16Guy-Crescent FagonGuy-Crescent Fagon1638–1718 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  17. 17MTMelchisédech Thévenot1620–1692 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists2 decades
  18. 18MBMartine Bertereau1590–1642 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists1 decades
  19. 19Jean RicherJean Richer1630–1696 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists21 decades
  20. 20Adrien AuzoutAdrien Auzout1622–1691 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  21. 21Nicolas de FerNicolas de Fer1646–1720 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists6 decades
  22. 22JSJoseph Sauveur1653–1716 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists5 decades
  23. 23Étienne de FlacourtÉtienne de Flacourt1607–1660 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists2 decades
  24. 24JGJean-François Gerbillon1654–1707 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  25. 25Alain Manesson MalletAlain Manesson Mallet1630–1706 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  26. 26Louis FeuilléeLouis Feuillée1660–1732 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  27. 27Denis of the NativityDenis of the Nativity1600–1638 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists8 decades
  28. 28Guy de La BrosseGuy de La Brosse1586–1641 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists7 decades
  29. 29Louis le ComteLouis le Comte1655–1728 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists1 decades
  30. 30JDJeanne Dumée1660–1706 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  31. 31JRJean-Baptiste Régis1663–1737 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  32. 32CBClaude Buffier1661–1737 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists3 decades
  33. 33Alexis Hubert JaillotAlexis Hubert Jaillot1632–1712 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  34. 34Jacques RohaultJacques Rohault1618–1672 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists11 decades
  35. 35Ignace-Gaston PardiesIgnace-Gaston Pardies1636–1673 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  36. 36Henri GautierHenri Gautier1660–1737 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists10 decades
  37. 37Denis DodartDenis Dodart1634–1707 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists1 decades
  38. 38Pierre DuvalPierre Duval1619–1683 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists22 decades
  39. 39Michel SarrazinMichel Sarrazin1659–1734 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  40. 40Emmanuel MaignanEmmanuel Maignan1601–1676 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  41. 41Jacques BarrelierJacques Barrelier1606–1673 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  42. 42JDJean de Hautefeuille1647–1724 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  43. 43François AndréossyFrançois Andréossy1633–1688 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists2 decades
  44. 44Jean BourdonJean Bourdon1601–1668 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  45. 45François Dollier de CassonFrançois Dollier de Casson1636–1701 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  46. 46Paul Fréart de ChantelouPaul Fréart de Chantelou1609–1694 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  47. 47Jacques Philippe CornutJacques Philippe Cornut1606–1651 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  48. 48PBPhilippus Brietius1601–1668 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  49. 49Sébastien Pontault de BeaulieuSébastien Pontault de Beaulieu1612–1674 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  50. 50NBNicholas Briot1579–1646 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  51. 51ADAntoine-Tristan Danty d'Isnard1663–1743 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  52. 52Nicolas BionNicolas Bion1652–1733 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  53. 53PAPierre Ango1640–1694 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot 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.