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.
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Echoed
- 1
Diego Velázquez1599–1660 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists20 decades - 2
Charles II of Spain1661–1700 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Models18 decades - 3
Philip IV of Spain1605–1665 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures20 decades - 4
Pedro Calderón de la Barca1600–1681 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 5
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Francisco Quevedo1584–1645 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 6
Philip III of Spain1578–1621 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Models19 decades - 7
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo1617–1682 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists20 decades - 8
Francisco de Zurbarán1598–1664 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists12 decades - 9
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Anne of Austria1601–1666 · 🇪🇸 Spainnot measured— - 10
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Baltasar Gracián1604–1658 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers14 decades - 11
Maria Theresa of Spain1638–1683 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures22 decades - 12
Jusepe de Ribera1591–1652 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists18 decades - 13
Tirso de Molina1583–1648 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 14
Margaret Theresa of Spain1651–1673 · 🇪🇸 Spain0 decades - 15
Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain1584–1611 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians0 decades - 16
Marie Louise d’Orléans1662–1689 · 🇪🇸 Spain20 decades - 17
Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur1626–1667 · 🇪🇸 Spain2 decades - 18
Maria Anna of Spain1606–1646 · 🇪🇸 Spainnot measured— - 19
Isabella Clara Eugenia1566–1633 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians5 decades - 20
Balthasar Charles1629–1646 · 🇪🇸 Spain8 decades - 21
Juan Ruiz de Alarcón1581–1639 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers15 decades - 22
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Ambrogio Spinola, 1st Marquis of the Balbases1569–1630 · 🇪🇸 Spain9 decades - 23
Alonso Cano1601–1667 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists22 decades - 24
Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares1587–1645 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 25
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Rafael Casanova1660–1743 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians11 decades - 26
Mary of Jesus de León y Delgado1643–1731 · 🇪🇸 Spainnot measured— - 27
Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria1609–1641 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians22 decades - 28
Juan Carreño de Miranda1614–1685 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists16 decades - 29
Antonio1592–1650 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures19 decades - 30LVLuís Vaz de Torresborn 1565 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures2 decades
- 31
Gaspar Sanz Celma1640–1710 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Musiciansnot measured— - 32
Philip Prospero, Prince of Asturias1657–1661 · 🇪🇸 Spain0 decades - 33
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Josefa de Óbidos1630–1684 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured— - 34
Luisa de Guzmán1613–1666 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 35
Juan de Valdés Leal1622–1690 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists16 decades - 36
María de Zayas1590–1653 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 37
Maria Pita1565–1643 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Business Professionals0 decades - 38
Giulio Alberoni1664–1752 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians0 decades - 39
Infante Carlos of Spain1607–1632 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Modelsnot measured— - 40
Antonio Palomino1655–1726 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists22 decades - 41
Claudio Coello1642–1693 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists22 decades - 42
Miguel de Molinos1628–1696 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers20 decades - 43
Juan de Palafox y Mendoza1600–1659 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures22 decades - 44
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Juan de Parejadied 1670 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists19 decades - 45
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Juan Martínez Montañés1568–1649 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists15 decades - 46
Gregorio Fernández1576–1636 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists14 decades - 47
Luisa Roldán1652–1706 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists4 decades - 48
Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz1606–1682 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academics19 decades - 49
Pedro De Mena1628–1688 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists21 decades - 50
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Francisco Herrera the Elder1576–1656 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists1 decades - 51
Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazodied 1667 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists4 decades - 52
John Macias1585–1645 · 🇪🇸 Spain13 decades - 53
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Luis Vélez de Guevara1579–1644 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers18 decades - 54
Antonio de Pereda1611–1678 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists17 decades - 55
Diego de Saavedra Fajardo1584–1648 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers21 decades - 56
Fernando de Alva Cortés Ixtlilxóchitl1569–1650 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers12 decades - 57
Jorge Manuel Theocupulus1578–1631 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists5 decades - 58
Juan Pablo Bonet1573–1633 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Educatorsnot measured— - 59JGJuan Gómez de Mora1586–1648 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects16 decades
- 60
Luis Sotelo1574–1624 · 🇪🇸 Spain19 decades - 61
Isabel Barreto1567–1612 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures16 decades - 62
Juan van der Hamen1596–1631 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists1 decades - 63FHFrancisco Herrera the Younger1627–1685 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects0 decades
- 64
Alonso de Contreras1582–1641 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers19 decades - 65
Diego Luis de San Vitores1627–1672 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures0 decades - 66
Juan de Zurbarán1620–1649 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists1 decades - 67
Agustín Moreto y Cavana1618–1669 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers21 decades - 68JDJuan de Jáuregui1583–1641 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades
- 69
María Calderón1611–1646 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Actors19 decades - 70FDFrancisco de Rojas Zorrilla1607–1648 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers17 decades
- 71
Luis Méndez de Haro1598–1661 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 72
Francisco Rizi1614–1685 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists18 decades - 73
Juan Everardo Nithard1607–1681 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians4 decades - 74
Mateo Cerezo1637–1666 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists21 decades - 75GDGabriel de Castilla1577–1620 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures19 decades
- 76
Bernardo de Balbuena1568–1627 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 77
Francis Ferdinand de Capillas1607–1648 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures0 decades - 78
Gaspar de Borja y Velasco1580–1645 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians9 decades - 79
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Juan Manuel María de la Aurora, 8th duke of Escalona1650–1725 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians6 decades - 80
Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna1574–1624 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 81BCBernabé Cobo1580–1657 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers19 decades
- 82
Pedro Roldán1624–1699 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists14 decades - 83
Luis Manuel Fernández de Portocarrero1635–1709 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 84
Juan de Mesa1583–1627 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists22 decades - 85
Diego Fernández de Córdoba, Marquis of Guadalcázar1578–1630 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Scientistsnot measured— - 86ACAna Caro de Malléndied 1646 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers0 decades
- 87
Juan Eusebio Nieremberg1595–1658 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 88
Catalina Lercaro1600–1600 · 🇪🇸 Spainnot measured— - 89
Francisco de Borja y Aragón1581–1658 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers13 decades - 90
Juan Perez de Montalban1602–1638 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers16 decades - 91
Diego de Pantoja1571–1618 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Scientists3 decades - 92
Baltasar de Zúñiga, 1st Duke of Arión1658–1727 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 93
Alexander von Bournonville1616–1690 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians0 decades - 94JDJuan de Tassis, 2nd Count of Villamediana1582–1622 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades
- 95
Payo Enríquez de Rivera1622–1684 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers12 decades - 96
Diego López Pacheco, 7th Duke of Escalona1599–1653 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 97
Luis Antonio Belluga y Moncada1662–1743 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 98
Juan de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of Montesclaros1571–1628 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 99
José Sarmiento de Valladares, 1st Duke of Atrisco1643–1708 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures0 decades - 100MDMartin Droeshout1601–1650 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Actors2 decades
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.