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🇨🇳 China
FieldAllWritersPoliticiansHistorical FiguresArtistsAcademicsScientistsMusiciansReligious FiguresActorsModels
  1. 1Isaac NewtonIsaac Newton1642–1727 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics22 decades
  2. 2René DescartesRené Descartes1596–1650 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics22 decades
  3. 3Gottfried Wilhelm LeibnizGottfried Wilhelm Leibniz1646–1716 · Academics15 decades
  4. 4Baruch SpinozaBaruch Spinoza1632–1677 · 🇳🇱 Netherlands · Academics16 decades
  5. 5Blaise PascalBlaise Pascal1623–1662 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics22 decades
  6. 6Johannes KeplerJohannes Kepler1571–1630 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics18 decades
  7. 7John LockeJohn Locke1632–1704 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics22 decades
  8. 8Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes1588–1679 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics22 decades
  9. 9Miyamoto MusashiMiyamoto Musashi1584–1645 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Academics2 decades
  10. 10Christiaan HuygensChristiaan Huygens1629–1695 · 🇳🇱 Netherlands · Academics7 decades
  11. 11Pierre de FermatPierre de Fermat1607–1665 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics8 decades
  12. 12Tommaso CampanellaTommaso Campanella1568–1639 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics22 decades
  13. 13Robert HookeRobert Hooke1635–1703 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics22 decades
  14. 14Hugo GrotiusHugo Grotius1583–1645 · 🇳🇱 Netherlands · Academics22 decades
  15. 15Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de MaintenonFrançoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon1635–1719 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics22 decades
  16. 16Jakob BöhmeJakob Böhme1575–1624 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics22 decades
  17. 17Athanasius KircherAthanasius Kircher1602–1680 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics21 decades
  18. 18Robert BoyleRobert Boyle1627–1691 · Academics22 decades
  19. 19Jacob BernoulliJacob Bernoulli1655–1705 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Academics22 decades
  20. 20Pierre BaylePierre Bayle1647–1706 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics22 decades
  21. 21Giovanni Domenico CassiniGiovanni Domenico Cassini1625–1712 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics11 decades
  22. 22Johan de WittJohan de Witt1625–1672 · 🇳🇱 Netherlands · Academics0 decades
  23. 23Paul GerhardtPaul Gerhardt1607–1676 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics20 decades
  24. 24Pierre GassendiPierre Gassendi1592–1655 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics21 decades
  25. 25Elena Cornaro PiscopiaElena Cornaro Piscopia1646–1684 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics0 decades
  26. 26Nicolas MalebrancheNicolas Malebranche1638–1715 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics11 decades
  27. 27Marin MersenneMarin Mersenne1588–1648 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics17 decades
  28. 28Antoine GallandAntoine Galland1646–1715 · Academics16 decades
  29. 29Samuel von PufendorfSamuel von Pufendorf1632–1694 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Academics9 decades
  30. 30Simon MariusSimon Marius1573–1624 · Academics15 decades
  31. 31Guillaume de l'HôpitalGuillaume de l'Hôpital1661–1704 · Academicsnot measured—
  32. 32Christian ThomasiusChristian Thomasius1655–1728 · Academics1 decades
  33. 33John WallisJohn Wallis1616–1703 · Academics22 decades
  34. 34George FoxGeorge Fox1624–1691 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics22 decades
  35. 35Bonaventura CavalieriBonaventura Cavalieri1598–1647 · Academics22 decades
  36. 36John HarvardJohn Harvard1607–1638 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics22 decades
  37. 37Jakob AmmannJakob Ammann1644–1730 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Academics0 decades
  38. 38Roger WilliamsRoger Williams1603–1683 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics22 decades
  39. 39William PettyWilliam Petty1623–1687 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics22 decades
  40. 40Elisabeth of the PalatinateElisabeth of the Palatinate1618–1680 · Academics14 decades
  41. 41Giulio Cesare VaniniGiulio Cesare Vanini1585–1619 · Academics17 decades
  42. 42Wilhelm SchickardWilhelm Schickard1592–1635 · Academicsnot measured—
  43. 43Giovanni Alfonso BorelliGiovanni Alfonso Borelli1608–1679 · Academics0 decades
  44. 44Robert FluddRobert Fludd1574–1637 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics16 decades
  45. 45Ehrenfried Walther von TschirnhausEhrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus1651–1708 · Academics3 decades
  46. 46August Hermann FranckeAugust Hermann Francke1663–1727 · Academics20 decades
  47. 47Girard DesarguesGirard Desargues1591–1661 · Academics4 decades
  48. 48Adam OleariusAdam Olearius1599–1671 · Academics22 decades
  49. 49William LaudWilliam Laud1573–1645 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics22 decades
  50. 50Anne HutchinsonAnne Hutchinson1591–1643 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics20 decades
  51. 51Isaac BarrowIsaac Barrow1630–1677 · Academics22 decades
  52. 52Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-KasselCharles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel1654–1730 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
  53. 53Uriel da CostaUriel da Costa1585–1640 · Academics0 decades
  54. 54Mulla SadraMulla Sadra1571–1641 · Academics4 decades
  55. 55Vincenzo VivianiVincenzo Viviani1622–1703 · Academics22 decades
  56. 56Robert BurtonRobert Burton1577–1640 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics22 decades
  57. 57William OughtredWilliam Oughtred1574–1660 · Academics1 decades
  58. 58John WilkinsJohn Wilkins1614–1672 · Academics22 decades
  59. 59Michel RolleMichel Rolle1652–1719 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0 decades
  60. 60François BernierFrançois Bernier1620–1688 · Academics19 decades
  61. 61Yamamoto TsunetomoYamamoto Tsunetomo1659–1719 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Academics0 decades
  62. 62Alexandre de RhodesAlexandre de Rhodes1591–1660 · Academics0 decades
  63. 63Kâtip ÇelebiKâtip Çelebi1609–1657 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academics0 decades
  64. 64Anne ConwayAnne Conway1631–1679 · Academics3 decades
  65. 65Henry MoreHenry More1614–1687 · Academics22 decades
  66. 66Menasseh Ben IsraelMenasseh Ben Israel1604–1657 · Academics22 decades
  67. 67Takakazu SekiTakakazu Seki1642–1708 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Academics0 decades
  68. 68Ole WormOle Worm1588–1654 · Academics0 decades
  69. 69Peter MogilaPeter Mogila1596–1647 · Academics0 decades
  70. 70Robert FilmerRobert Filmer1588–1653 · Academics21 decades
  71. 71TMThomas Mun1571–1641 · Academics5 decades
  72. 72Arai HakusekiArai Hakuseki1657–1725 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Academics0 decades
  73. 73Matthew HopkinsMatthew Hopkins1620–1647 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics10 decades
  74. 74Kazimierz ŁyszczyńskiKazimierz Łyszczyński1634–1689 · Academicsnot measured—
  75. 75Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of CherburyEdward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury1583–1648 · Academicsnot measured—
  76. 76GCGiovanni Ceva1647–1734 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics9 decades
  77. 77Hayashi RazanHayashi Razan1583–1657 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Academics0 decades
  78. 78Thomas BartholinThomas Bartholin1616–1680 · Academics2 decades
  79. 79Huang ZongxiHuang Zongxi1610–1695 · Academics7 decades
  80. 80Henry OldenburgHenry Oldenburg1619–1677 · Academics8 decades
  81. 81AAAbd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi1641–1731 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Academicsnot measured—
  82. 82Raghavendra TeerthaRaghavendra Teertha1595–1661 · Academics0 decades
  83. 83Kaibara EkkenKaibara Ekken1630–1714 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Academics0 decades
  84. 84Nicholas BarbonNicholas Barbon1640–1698 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics1 decades
  85. 85Gilles de RobervalGilles de Roberval1602–1675 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0 decades
  86. 86Yamazaki AnsaiYamazaki Ansai1619–1682 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Academics0 decades
  87. 87Caspar Bartholin the YoungerCaspar Bartholin the Younger1655–1738 · Academics0 decades
  88. 88Kenelm DigbyKenelm Digby1603–1665 · Academics22 decades
  89. 89Péter PázmányPéter Pázmány1570–1637 · Academics0 decades
  90. 90Benedetto CastelliBenedetto Castelli1578–1643 · Academics22 decades
  91. 91IBIsaac Beeckman1588–1637 · Academics0 decades
  92. 92Jean HardouinJean Hardouin1646–1729 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics11 decades
  93. 93Arnold GeulincxArnold Geulincx1624–1669 · Academics0 decades
  94. 94Pierre VarignonPierre Varignon1654–1722 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics2 decades
  95. 95Ralph CudworthRalph Cudworth1617–1688 · Academics19 decades
  96. 96Juan Caramuel y LobkowitzJuan Caramuel y Lobkowitz1606–1682 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academics19 decades
  97. 97Stefan YavorskyStefan Yavorsky1658–1722 · Academics21 decades
  98. 98YZYaqob Zera1600–1693 · Academicsnot measured—
  99. 99Tito Livio BurattiniTito Livio Burattini1617–1681 · Academics9 decades
  100. 100EGEdmund Gunter1581–1626 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics2 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.