1870–1879
The 1870s
Whose names filled the books of the 1870s — anyone at all, however long dead — counted as mentions per million words printed, so a period that simply published more does not inflate anyone.
Talked about then
Whose names appeared most in Russian books during the 1870s — whenever they lived.
In books written inEnglish14,075German3,121French2,919Italian1,652Spanish982Russian180Hebrew93Chinese2
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Per million words
- 1
Patriarch Nikon of Moscow1605–1681 · 17th century · Religious Figures8.5 - 2
Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow1482–1563 · 16th century · Writers4.0 - 3
Elizabeth of Russia1709–1761 · 18th century · Historical Figures1.7 - 4
Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia1850–1908 · 19th century · Historical Figures1.3 - 5
Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia1779–1831 · 19th century · Politicians1.1 - 6
Patriarch Joachim1621–1690 · 17th century0.98 - 7
Alexandra Velyaminova1301–1364 · 14th century0.93 - 8
Alexander I of Russia1777–1825 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.84 - 9
Peter the Great1672–1725 · 18th century · Politicians0.77 - 10
Anna of Russia1693–1740 · 18th century · Politicians0.76 - 11
Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia1832–1909 · 19th century · Politicians0.68 - 12
Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsesarevich of Russia1843–1865 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.62 - 13
Boris Godunov1552–1605 · 16th century · Politicians0.56 - 14
Ivan I of Tver1357–1425 · 14th century · Historical Figures0.55 - 15
Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia1859–1919 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.53 - 16
Maximus the Greek1475–1556 · 16th century · Writers0.47 - 17
Ivan the Terrible1530–1584 · 16th century · Politicians0.43 - 18
Avraamy Palitsyn1550–1626 · 16th century · Writers0.42 - 19
Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia1827–1892 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.42 - 20
Paul I of Russia1754–1801 · 18th century · Historical Figures0.41 - 21
Ivan I Aleksandrovich, Prince of Smolenskdied 1359 · 14th century0.40 - 22
Grigory Orlov1734–1783 · 18th century · Historical Figures0.33 - 23
Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov1727–1797 · 18th century · Writers0.29 - 24
Nicholas I of Russia1796–1855 · 19th century · Models0.26 - 25
Vasili IV of Russia1552–1612 · 16th century · Historical Figures0.25 - 26
Stefan Yavorsky1658–1722 · 17th century · Academics0.24 - 27
Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia1860–1919 · 19th century · Politicians0.24 - 28
Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia1783–1801 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.24 - 29
Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia1864–1931 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.24 - 30
Grigory Potemkin1739–1791 · 18th century · Politicians0.23 - 31
Alexander Menshikov1673–1729 · 18th century · Politicians0.23 - 32
Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn1643–1714 · 17th century · Politicians0.20 - 33
Peter III of Russia1728–1762 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0.20
- 34
Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov1787–1869 · 19th century · Politicians0.19 - 35
Peter Ivanovich Shuvalov1711–1762 · 18th century · Politicians0.18 - 36
Symeon of Polotsk1629–1680 · 17th century · Writers0.18 - 37
Konstantin Aksakov1817–1860 · 19th century · Writers0.17 - 38
Pyotr Panin1721–1789 · 18th century0.17 - 39
Nicholas Repnin1734–1801 · 18th century · Writers0.17 - 40
Dimitry of Rostov1651–1709 · 17th century · Writers0.17 - 41
Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia1858–1915 · 19th century · Writers0.16 - 42
Mikhail Vorontsov1782–1856 · 19th century · Politicians0.16 - 43
Nikita Panin1718–1783 · 18th century · Politicians0.16
- 44
Gleb Uspensky1843–1902 · 19th century · Writers0.14
- 45
Nikolai Leskov1831–1895 · 19th century · Writers0.14 - 46
Kirill Razumovsky1728–1803 · 18th century · Politicians0.13 - 47
Olga Nikolaevna of Russia1822–1892 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.13 - 48
Oleg I of Chernigov1052–1115 · 11th century · Historical Figures0.12 - 49
Alexis of Russia1629–1676 · 17th century · Historical Figures0.11 - 50
Pavel Nakhimov1802–1855 · 19th century0.11 - 51
Alexander Ivanov1806–1858 · 19th century · Artists0.11 - 52
Catherine I of Russia1684–1727 · 18th century · Historical Figures0.10 - 53
Joseph Volotsky1440–1515 · 15th century · Writers0.10 - 54
Alexander Pushkin1799–1837 · 19th century · Writers0.10 - 55
Konstantin of Uglich1389–1434 · 15th century0.08 - 56
Peter II of Russia1715–1730 · 18th century · Politicians0.08 - 57
Alexander Gorchakov1798–1883 · 19th century · Politicians0.07 - 58
Catherine Pavlovna of Russia1788–1819 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.07 - 59
Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia1857–1905 · 19th century · Politicians0.07 - 60
Stepan Rumovsky1734–1812 · 18th century · Academics0.07 - 61
Mikhail Pogodin1800–1875 · 19th century · Writers0.07 - 62
Leo Tolstoy1828–1910 · 19th century · Writers0.07 - 63
Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov1737–1807 · 18th century · Politicians0.07 - 64
Alexander Sumarokov1717–1777 · 18th century · Writers0.06 - 65
Basil Fool for Christ1468–1552 · 16th century0.06 - 66
Michael of Russia1596–1645 · 17th century · Historical Figures0.06 - 67
Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia1690–1718 · 18th century · Politicians0.06 - 68
Boris of Tver1400–1461 · 15th century0.06 - 69
Boris Sheremetev1652–1719 · 17th century · Politicians0.06 - 70
Vasily Tatishchev1686–1750 · 18th century · Historical Figures0.06 - 71
Ivan Dmitriev1760–1837 · 18th century · Writers0.05 - 72
Alexander II of Russia1818–1881 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.05 - 73
Alexander Bestuzhev1797–1837 · 19th century · Writers0.05 - 74
Luka Zhidiatadied 1059 · 11th century0.05 - 75
Pyotr Andreyevich Tolstoy1645–1729 · 17th century · Writers0.05 - 76VMVsevolod Mstislavich of Volhynia1150–1195 · 12th century0.05
- 77
Dmitry Pozharsky1577–1642 · 17th century · Politicians0.05 - 78
Sophia Alekseyevna of Russia1657–1704 · 17th century · Politicians0.05 - 79
Yemelyan Pugachev1742–1775 · 18th century · Activists0.05 - 80
Alexander Suvorov1730–1800 · 18th century0.04
- 81
Nikolay Rumyantsev1754–1826 · 18th century · Writers0.04 - 82
Ivan Mazepa1639–1709 · 17th century · Politicians0.04 - 83DZDaniil Zatochnik1101–1299 · 12th century · Writers0.04
- 84
Ivan Fyodorov1510–1583 · 16th century0.04 - 85
Paul of Kolomna1600–1656 · 17th century · Writers0.04 - 86
Alexander Ostrovsky1823–1886 · 19th century · Writers0.04 - 87
Vasily Zhukovsky1783–1852 · 19th century · Writers0.04 - 88
Konstantin Leontiev1831–1891 · 19th century · Academics0.04 - 89
Alexander Shishkov1754–1841 · 18th century · Writers0.04 - 90
Jacob Bruce1669–1735 · 18th century · Scientists0.04 - 91FVFyodor Vasilyev1707–1782 · 18th century0.04
- 92
Konstantin of Rostov1185–1218 · 13th century · Politicians0.03 - 93
Mikhail Lazarev1788–1851 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.03 - 94
Ivan Pavlov1849–1936 · 19th century · Scientists0.03 - 95
Maksim Kovalevsky1851–1916 · 19th century · Academics0.03 - 96
Alexander Sergeyevich Stroganov1733–1811 · 18th century · Writers0.03 - 97
Fyodor Dostoevsky1821–1881 · 19th century · Writers0.03 - 98
Denis Davydov1784–1839 · 19th century · Writers0.03 - 99
Antiochus Kantemir1708–1744 · 18th century · Academics0.03 - 100
Mikhail Bakunin1814–1876 · 19th century · Activists0.03
Lived then
The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 1870s, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Echoed
- 1
Friedrich Nietzsche1844–1900 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics15 decades - 2
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky1840–1893 · Musicians10 decades - 3
Émile Zola1840–1902 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers16 decades - 4
Sarah Bernhardt1844–1923 · 🇫🇷 France · Actors15 decades - 5
Claude Monet1840–1926 · 🇫🇷 France · Artists14 decades - 6
Mark Twain1835–1910 · 🇺🇸 United States · Writers16 decades - 7
Paul Cézanne1839–1906 · 🇫🇷 France · Artists12 decades - 8
Edward VII1841–1910 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Historical Figures13 decades - 9
Pope Pius X1835–1914 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures12 decades - 10
William McKinley1843–1901 · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians16 decades - 11
Empress Dowager Cixi1835–1908 · 🇨🇳 China · Historical Figures5 decades
- 12
Antonín Dvořák1841–1904 · Musicians0 decades - 13
Bertha von Suttner1843–1914 · Writers13 decades - 14
John D. Rockefeller1839–1937 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders14 decades - 15
Pierre-Auguste Renoir1841–1919 · 🇫🇷 France · Artists12 decades - 16
Georges Clemenceau1841–1929 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians13 decades - 17
Paul Verlaine1844–1896 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers14 decades - 18
Leopold II of Belgium1835–1909 · Historical Figures9 decades - 19
Empress Elisabeth of Austria1837–1898 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 20
Giosuè Carducci1835–1907 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers17 decades - 21
Grover Cleveland1837–1908 · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians14 decades - 22
Robert Koch1843–1910 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors14 decades - 23
Auguste Rodin1840–1917 · 🇫🇷 France · Artists14 decades - 24
Peter Kropotkin1842–1921 · Activists11 decades - 25
Ilya Repin1844–1930 · Artists10 decades - 26
Anatole France1844–1924 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers15 decades - 27
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov1844–1908 · Musicians9 decades - 28
Karl Benz1844–1929 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists11 decades - 29
Edvard Grieg1843–1907 · 🇳🇴 Norway · Musicians12 decades - 30
Modest Mussorgsky1839–1881 · Musicians11 decades - 31
Georges Bizet1838–1875 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians15 decades - 32
Umberto I of Italy1844–1900 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures14 decades - 33
Andrew Carnegie1835–1919 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics14 decades - 34
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer1836–1870 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers13 decades - 35
Alphonse Daudet1840–1897 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers16 decades - 36
Camille Saint-Saëns1835–1921 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians15 decades - 37
J. P. Morgan1837–1913 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders16 decades - 38
Abdul Hamid II1842–1918 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Historical Figures13 decades - 39
Benito Pérez Galdós1843–1920 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers14 decades - 40
Karl May1842–1912 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers14 decades - 41
Bernadette Soubirous1844–1879 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures15 decades - 42
Henry James1843–1916 · 🇺🇸 United States · Writers18 decades - 43
William James1842–1910 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics18 decades - 44
Stéphane Mallarmé1842–1898 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers14 decades - 45
Berthe Morisot1841–1895 · 🇫🇷 France · Artists13 decades - 46
Henri Rousseau1844–1910 · 🇫🇷 France · Artists12 decades - 47
Thomas Hardy1840–1928 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers18 decades - 48
Ludwig Boltzmann1844–1906 · 🇦🇹 Austria · Scientists15 decades - 49
Gustave Le Bon1841–1931 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics15 decades - 50
August Bebel1840–1913 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians14 decades - 51
Ernst Mach1838–1916 · Scientists16 decades - 52
Sadi Carnot1837–1894 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians16 decades - 53
George Armstrong Custer1839–1876 · 🇺🇸 United States · Historical Figures7 decades - 54
Félix Faure1841–1899 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians18 decades - 55
Mary Cassatt1844–1926 · 🇺🇸 United States · Artists12 decades - 56
Henry Morton Stanley1841–1904 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Journalists7 decades - 57
Alois Hitler1837–1903 · 🇦🇹 Austria8 decades - 58
Alexandra of Denmark1844–1925 · Historical Figures2 decades - 59
Ramakrishna1836–1886 · 🇮🇳 India · Academics14 decades - 60
Rosalía de Castro1837–1885 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers13 decades - 61
Giovanni Verga1840–1922 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers15 decades - 62
Alfred Sisley1839–1899 · 🇫🇷 France · Artists9 decades - 63
Victoria, Princess Royal1840–1901 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Artists0 decades - 64
Cesare Lombroso1835–1909 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Doctors16 decades - 65
Ambrose Bierce1842–1914 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists13 decades - 66
Nikolay Przhevalsky1839–1888 · Historical Figures9 decades - 67
Leopold von Sacher-Masoch1836–1895 · Writers5 decades - 68
Charles Sanders Peirce1839–1914 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics9 decades - 69
Léon Gambetta1838–1882 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians15 decades - 70
Crazy Horse1849–1877 · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians15 decades
- 71
Mehmed V1844–1918 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers0 decades - 72
Arkhip Kuindzhi1841–1910 · Artists2 decades - 73
Giovanni Giolitti1842–1928 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians14 decades - 74
Vasily Vereshchagin1842–1904 · Artists8 decades - 75
Mily Balakirev1836–1910 · Musicians9 decades - 76
Armand Fallières1841–1931 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians12 decades - 77
John Muir1838–1914 · 🇺🇸 United States · Scientists19 decades - 78
Jules Massenet1842–1912 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians14 decades - 79
Ivan Kramskoi1837–1887 · Artists11 decades - 80
Wilhelm Steinitz1836–1900 · 🇺🇸 United States · Athletes0 decades - 81
Odilon Redon1840–1916 · 🇫🇷 France · Artists14 decades - 82
Liliʻuokalani1838–1917 · 🇺🇸 United States · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 83
Émile Loubet1838–1929 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians11 decades - 84
Ferdinand von Zeppelin1838–1917 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists5 decades - 85
Murad V1840–1904 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Models0 decades - 86
Tongzhi Emperor1856–1875 · 🇨🇳 Chinanot measured— - 87
Carol I of Romania1839–1914 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures19 decades - 88
Frederick VIII of Denmark1843–1912 · Historical Figures0 decades - 89
Carlota of Mexico1840–1927 · Historical Figures0 decades - 90
Princess Alice of the United Kingdom1843–1878 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 91
Menelik II1844–1913 · Politicians14 decades - 92
Léo Delibes1836–1891 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians16 decades - 93
Paul Morphy1837–1884 · 🇺🇸 United States7 decades - 94
Itō Hirobumi1841–1909 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Politicians0 decades - 95
Comte de Lautréamont1846–1870 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers8 decades - 96
Paul Lafargue1842–1911 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers15 decades - 97
Louis Riel1844–1885 · 🇨🇦 Canada · Politicians15 decades - 98
Machado de Assis1839–1908 · 🇧🇷 Brazil · Writers0 decades - 99
Max Bruch1838–1920 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians17 decades - 100
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad1835–1908 · 🇮🇳 India · Academics4 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.