← 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
Michiel de Ruyter0 decades - 2
Joost van den Vondel0 decades - 3
Constantijn Huygens18 decades - 4
Jacob Cats2 decades - 5
William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland22 decades - 6
Jan Luyken0 decades - 7
Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft0 decades - 8
Arnold Houbraken0 decades - 9
Nicolaes Witsen0 decades - 10
Cornelis de Bruijn0 decades - 11
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Joannes de Laet0 decades - 12
Joseph de la Vega0 decades - 13
Caspar Barlaeus0 decades - 14
Gerbrand Adriaenszoon Bredero0 decades - 15
Daniel Heinsius7 decades
- 16
Olfert Dapper0 decades - 17
Johannes Meursius0 decades - 18
Isaac Massa0 decades - 19
Gysbert Japiks0 decades
- 20
Govert Bidloo0 decades - 21
Laurens Reael0 decades - 22
Jan Six Inot measured- - 23
Abraham de Wicquefort2 decades - 24
Nicolaas Heinsius the Eldernot measured- - 25
Maria Tesselschade Visscher0 decades - 26
Francis van Aarssensnot measured- - 27Heribert Rosweyde0 decades
- 28
Jakob Gronovius0 decades - 29
Anna Visscher0 decades - 30
Johan Isaksson Pontanusnot measured- - 31
Lieuwe van Aitzema0 decades - 32
Dirk Rafaelsz Camphuysennot measured- - 33
Daniel Graviusnot measured- - 34
Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerdnot measured- - 35
Lodewijk Meyernot measured- - 36
Jacobus Reviusnot measured- - 37
Jan Vosnot measured- - 38
Petrus Scriveriusnot measured- - 39
Gerard Brandtnot measured- - 40
Philippus Baldaeusnot measured- - 41
Gérard Thibault d'Anversnot measured- - 42
Perizonius9 decades
- 43
Petrus Cunaeusnot measured- - 44
Titia Brongersmanot measured- - 45
Johan de Liefdenot measured- - 46
Samuel Coster0 decades - 47
Cornelius Haganot measured- - 48
Willem Godschalck van Focquenbrochnot measured- - 49
Samuel Ampzing0 decades - 50William Nassau de Zuylestein, 1st Earl of Rochfordnot measured-
- 51
Martin Schoock0 decades - 52
Isaac Commelinnot measured- - 53
Catharina Questiersnot measured- - 54
Heiman Dullaartnot measured- - 55
Nicolaas Heinsius the Youngernot measured- - 56
Margaretha van Godewijknot measured- - 57
Katharyne Lescailjenot measured- - 58Willem Boreelnot measured-
- 59
Maria Stricknot measured- - 60
Theodorus Schreveliusnot measured- - 61
Johan van Heemskerknot measured- - 62
Lodewijck Huygensnot measured- - 63Balthasar Coyettnot measured-
- 64
Maurits Huygensnot measured- - 65Matthaeus Vossiusnot measured-
- 66
Johannes Smetiusnot measured- - 67Jacobus Tolliusnot measured-
- 68
Dirk Graswinckelnot measured- - 69Cornelia van der Veernot measured-
- 70
Reyer Anslonot measured- - 71Abraham Alewijnnot measured-
- 72
Jan Jansz. Starternot measured- - 73
Cornelis van Ecknot measured- - 74Samuel Pitiscusnot measured-
- 75
Joan van Broekhuizennot measured- - 76
Abraham Bogaertnot measured- - 77Pieter Nuytsnot measured-
- 78Dionies Vosnot measured-
- 79Cornelis van Rijssennot measured-
- 80
François van Hoogstratennot measured- - 81Georgius de Carpentiernot measured-
- 82Cornelia Pluviernot 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.