← 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
Charles II of Spain18 decades - 2
Philip III of Spain19 decades - 3
Mehmed III0 decades - 4
Mehmed IV2 decades - 5
Mustafa I0 decades - 6
Mustafa II0 decades - 7
Abbas II of Persia0 decades - 8
Taichang Emperornot measured- - 9
Go-Kōmyōnot measured- - 10
John George III of Saxony22 decades - 11
Charles II, Elector Palatinenot measured- - 12
George II Rákóczi0 decades - 13
Louis V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadtnot measured- - 14
John Adolphus, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorpnot measured- - 15
Frederick VII, Margrave of Baden-Durlach0 decades - 16
Infante Carlos of Spainnot measured- - 17
John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbachnot measured- - 18
Suleiman II0 decades - 19
George Frederick of Waldeck-Eisenberg22 decades - 20
Radu Mihnea0 decades - 21
Frederick Casimir Kettlernot measured- - 22
Bogislaw XIV, Duke of Pomerania4 decades - 23
Helena Fourment0 decades - 24
Countess Amalie Elisabeth of Hanau-Münzenbergnot measured- - 25
George Ducas0 decades - 26
Anthony Günther, Count of Oldenburg0 decades - 27
Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuthnot measured- - 28
William VII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel4 decades - 29
Edward Fortunatus6 decades - 30
Julius Francis, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg21 decades - 31
Christina Magdalena of the Palatinate-Zweibrückennot measured- - 32
John Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg3 decades - 33
George Ghicanot measured- - 34
Frederick V, Margrave of Baden-Durlachnot measured- - 35
John George of Brandenburgnot measured- - 36
Princess Louise of Savoynot measured- - 37
Sofie Luise of Württemberg-Winnentalnot measured- - 38
Mihnea Turcitul0 decades - 39
Constantin Șerbannot measured- - 40
Margravine Dorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbachnot measured- - 41
Joachim Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach22 decades - 42
Marie of Prussia, Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth0 decades - 43Christian Henry, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach8 decades
- 44
Grigore I Ghicanot measured- - 45
Countess Palatine Eleonora Catherine of Zweibrückennot measured- - 46
Mihnea III0 decades - 47
Christine of Baden-Durlachnot measured- - 48
Erdmann August of Brandenburg-Bayreuthnot measured- - 49
Fillide Melandroni0 decades - 50Christian Albert, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach0 decades
- 51
Philip Dietrich, Count of Waldeck1 decades - 52
Mihai Racovițănot measured- - 53Frederick III, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbachnot measured-
- 54
Georg Albrecht, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbachnot measured- - 55
Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburgnot measured-
- 56Philip III, Margrave of Baden-Rodemachernnot measured-
- 57Francis Erdmann, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg0 decades
- 58Christian, Count of Waldeck-Wildungennot measured-
- 59
Geertje Dircxnot measured- - 60
Sophie of Brandenburg-Ansbachnot measured- - 61
Frederick IX, Margrave of Brandenburgnot measured- - 62
Barbara of Württembergnot measured- - 63
Francisco de la Cuestanot measured- - 64Maria Magdalena of Oettingen-Baldernnot measured-
- 65
Otto, Landgrave of Hesse-Kasselnot measured- - 66
George Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburgnot measured- - 67Catherine Ursula of Hohenzollern-Hechingennot measured-
- 68
Marie Jonas de la Mottenot measured- - 69
Antonie Vodă din Popeștinot measured- - 70
Eleonore Klara von Hohenlohe-Neuensteinnot measured- - 71
Maria Vittoria Gonzaganot measured- - 72Archduke Leopold Joseph of Austrianot measured-
- 73Susanna Fourmentnot measured-
- 74August of Brandenburgnot measured-
- 75John Philip II, Wild- and Rhinegrave of Salm-Dhaunnot measured-
- 76
Sophie Margarete of Oettingen-Oettingennot measured- - 77
Anna Sophia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttelnot measured- - 78
Eva Christina of Württembergnot 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.