← 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
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek7 decades - 2
Maria Sibylla Merian9 decades - 3
Cornelis Drebbelnot measured- - 4
Joan Blaeu0 decades - 5
Willem Blaeu0 decades - 6
Frederik Ruysch0 decades - 7
Menno van Coehoorn0 decades - 8
Frederick de Houtman0 decades - 9
Andreas Cellarius0 decades - 10
Hendrik Brouwer0 decades - 11
Jan Janssonius0 decades - 12
Claes Janszoon Visscher IInot measured- - 13
Pieter van der Aa0 decades - 14
Hendrik van Rheede0 decades - 15
Nicolaas Hartsoeker0 decades - 16
Adriaan Metius0 decades - 17
Hendrik Hondius I0 decades - 18
Jan Commelin0 decades - 19
Constantijn Huygens Jr.0 decades - 20Nicolaes Visscher0 decades
- 21
Hessel Gerritsz1 decades - 22Jacob Metius0 decades
- 23
Johannes Phocylides Holwarda0 decades - 24Gerard Valck0 decades
- 25
Henrik Ruse0 decades - 26
Abraham Muntingnot measured- - 27Martin van den Hovenot measured-
- 28
Willem ten Rhijnenot measured- - 29
Johannes van Keulennot measured- - 30
Adam Wybenot measured- - 31
Johan Sems0 decades - 32
Pieter Mortier Inot measured- - 33
Dirck Rembrantsz van Nieropnot measured- - 34
Isaac de l'Ostal de Saint-Martinnot measured- - 35Pieter Goosnot measured-
- 36Frans Tengnagelnot measured-
- 37
Joannes Antonides van der Lindennot measured- - 38
Adolphus Vorstiusnot measured- - 39
Franz Kiggelaernot measured- - 40Jodocus Hondius IInot measured-
- 41Johannes Sachariassennot measured-
- 42Willem Blaeunot 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.