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
Pedro Calderón de la Barca1600–1681 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 2
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Francisco Quevedo1584–1645 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 3
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Baltasar Gracián1604–1658 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers14 decades - 4
Tirso de Molina1583–1648 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 5
Juan Ruiz de Alarcón1581–1639 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers15 decades - 6
María de Zayas1590–1653 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 7
Miguel de Molinos1628–1696 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers20 decades - 8
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Luis Vélez de Guevara1579–1644 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers18 decades - 9
Diego de Saavedra Fajardo1584–1648 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers21 decades - 10
Fernando de Alva Cortés Ixtlilxóchitl1569–1650 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers12 decades - 11
Alonso de Contreras1582–1641 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers19 decades - 12
Agustín Moreto y Cavana1618–1669 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers21 decades - 13JDJuan de Jáuregui1583–1641 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades
- 14FDFrancisco de Rojas Zorrilla1607–1648 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers17 decades
- 15
Bernardo de Balbuena1568–1627 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 16BCBernabé Cobo1580–1657 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers19 decades
- 17ACAna Caro de Malléndied 1646 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers0 decades
- 18
Juan Eusebio Nieremberg1595–1658 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 19
Francisco de Borja y Aragón1581–1658 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers13 decades - 20
Juan Perez de Montalban1602–1638 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers16 decades - 21JDJuan de Tassis, 2nd Count of Villamediana1582–1622 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades
- 22
Payo Enríquez de Rivera1622–1684 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers12 decades - 23
Diego López Pacheco, 7th Duke of Escalona1599–1653 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 24
Luis Antonio Belluga y Moncada1662–1743 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 25
Francisco de Moura, 3rd Marquis of Castelo Rodrigo1621–1675 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 26
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Rodrigo Caro1573–1647 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 27
Antonio de Solís y Ribadeneyra1610–1686 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers8 decades - 28
Luis Pacheco de Narváez1570–1640 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers13 decades - 29
Luisa Carvajal y Mendoza1566–1614 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers0 decades - 30
Alonso de Ovalle1603–1651 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers18 decades - 31
Ursula Micaela Morata1628–1703 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 32
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Antonio Escobar y Mendoza1589–1669 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers0 decades - 33
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Alfonso de la Cueva, 1st Marquis of Bedmar1572–1655 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 34
Antonio de Zamora1660–1727 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 35
Pedro de Toledo, 1st Marquis of Mancera1585–1654 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers9 decades - 36
Antonio Mira de Amescua1577–1644 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers18 decades - 37
Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, 1st Count of Gondomar1567–1626 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 38
Íñigo Melchor de Velasco, 7th Duke of Frías1629–1696 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 39
Hortensio Félix Paravicino1580–1633 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers18 decades - 40AFAna Francisca Abarca de Bolea1602–1690 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers2 decades
- 41MDMiguel de Barrios1635–1701 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers19 decades
- 42
Sir Richard Fanshawe, 1st Baronet1608–1666 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers0 decades - 43
Pedro Fajardo, 5th Marquis of Los Vélez1602–1647 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 44
José Antonio de Gaztañeta1656–1728 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 45
Pedro Espinosa1578–1650 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 46
Antón de Marirreguera1605–1660 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 47
Esteban Manuel de Villegas1589–1669 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers21 decades - 48
Gaspar de Bracamonte, 3rd Count of Peñaranda1595–1676 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 49
Miguel Mañara1627–1679 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 50ADAlonso de Castillo Solórzano1584–1648 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 51
Luis de Salazar y Castro1658–1734 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 52
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Sor Marcela de San Felix1605–1688 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 53
Luis Francisco de la Cerda1660–1711 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 54GGGil Gonzalez de Ávila1570–1658 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades
- 55ADAntonio del Giudice1657–1733 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 56
Gil de Albornoz y Espinosadied 1649 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 57ADAndrés de Claramonte1580–1626 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 58DLDiego López de Cogolludo1613–1665 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 59
Manuel de Acevedo y Zúñiga1586–1653 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 60
Bernardino de Rebolledo1597–1676 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 61
Antonio Enríquez Gómez1600–1663 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 62
Francisco de Rioja1583–1659 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 63
Juan de Ferreras y Garcia1652–1735 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 64LQLuis Quiñones de Benavente1581–1651 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 65FIFrancisco III Fernández de la Cueva, 7th Duke of Alburquerque1575–1637 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 66
Diego Ortiz de Zúñiga1636–1680 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 67CSCristóbal Suárez de Figueroa1571–1644 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 68AJAlonso Jerónimo de Salas Barbadillo1581–1635 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 69FBFrancisco Bances Candamo1662–1704 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 70
Agustín de Rojas Villandrando1572–1635 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 71PAPedro Abarca1619–1697 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 72
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Eleonora Ramirez de Montalvo1602–1659 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 73JNJuan Núñez de la Peña1641–1721 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 74GÁGabriel Álvarez de Toledo1662–1714 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 75
Diego de Rosales1605–1677 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 76FVFrancisco Varo1627–1687 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 77
Íñigo Vélez de Guevara, 7th Count of Oñate1566–1644 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 78ACAntonio Coello1611–1652 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 79
Lorenzo Ramírez de Prado1583–1658 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 80JDJuan de Zabaleta1600–1667 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 81
Ángela María de la Concepción1649–1690 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 82DADiego Aduarte1569–1636 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 83
Juan de Mendoza, Marquis de la Hinojosa1600–1628 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 84AHAntonio Hurtado de Mendoza1586–1644 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 85
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José de Villaviciosa1589–1658 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 86
Charles de Watteville1605–1670 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 87APAndrés Pérez de Ribas1576–1655 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 88
Francisco Gutiérrez de los Ríos1664–1721 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 89LDLuis de Ulloa1584–1674 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 90CDCristóbal de Villalónborn 1600 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 91
Rodrigo Méndez Silva1606–1670 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 92JDJuan de Arguijo1567–1622 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 93GIGaspar Ibáñez de Segovia1628–1708 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 94JBJuan Bautista Diamante1625–1687 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 95JAJosé Antonio González de Salas1588–1654 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 96MMMiguel Moreno1596–1635 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 97AMAngel Manrique1577–1649 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 98FLFrancisco Leiva1630–1676 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 99JDJuan de la Sal1600–1630 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot 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.