Claim profile
1890–1899

The 1890s

Whose names filled the books of the 1890s — 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 Chinese books during the 1890s — whenever they lived.

In books written inEnglish16,297German3,409French3,146Italian1,714Spanish1,109Russian242Hebrew99Chinese3
  1. 1Zhang ZhidongZhang Zhidong1837–1909 · 19th century · Politicians86
  2. 2Zuo ZongtangZuo Zongtang1812–1885 · 19th century · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians43
  3. 3Mao ZedongMao Zedong1893–1976 · 20th century · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians12

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 1890s, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1Nikola TeslaNikola Tesla1856–1943 · Scientists13 decades
  2. 2Anton ChekhovAnton Chekhov1860–1904 · Writers15 decades
  3. 3Sigmund FreudSigmund Freud1856–1939 · 🇦🇹 Austria · Writers12 decades
  4. 4Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt1858–1919 · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians16 decades
  5. 5Wilhelm II, German EmperorWilhelm II, German Emperor1859–1941 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures17 decades
  6. 6Gustav MahlerGustav Mahler1860–1911 · Musicians13 decades
  7. 7Giacomo PucciniGiacomo Puccini1858–1924 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians15 decades
  8. 8Arthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan Doyle1859–1930 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers12 decades
  9. 9Henry FordHenry Ford1863–1947 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders16 decades
  10. 10Pope Pius XIPope Pius XI1857–1939 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures10 decades
  11. 11Gabriele D'AnnunzioGabriele D'Annunzio1863–1938 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers14 decades
  12. 12Max WeberMax Weber1864–1920 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics15 decades
  13. 13Max PlanckMax Planck1858–1947 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists14 decades
  14. 14Gustav KlimtGustav Klimt1862–1918 · 🇦🇹 Austria · Artists12 decades
  15. 15Woodrow WilsonWoodrow Wilson1856–1924 · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians14 decades
  16. 16Archduke Franz Ferdinand of AustriaArchduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria1863–1914 · 🇦🇹 Austria · Politiciansnot measured—
  17. 17Philippe PétainPhilippe Pétain1856–1951 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians8 decades
  18. 18Edvard MunchEdvard Munch1863–1944 · 🇳🇴 Norway · Artists7 decades
  19. 19Konstantin TsiolkovskyKonstantin Tsiolkovsky1857–1935 · Scientists5 decades
  20. 20Claude DebussyClaude Debussy1862–1918 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians12 decades
  21. 21George Bernard ShawGeorge Bernard Shaw1856–1950 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers13 decades
  22. 22Miguel de UnamunoMiguel de Unamuno1864–1936 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers14 decades
  23. 23Pierre CuriePierre Curie1859–1906 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists13 decades
  24. 24Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-PowellRobert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell1857–1941 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured—
  25. 25Theodor HerzlTheodor Herzl1860–1904 · Journalists13 decades
  26. 26Rudolf SteinerRudolf Steiner1861–1925 · Writers14 decades
  27. 27Gerhart HauptmannGerhart Hauptmann1862–1946 · Writers13 decades
  28. 28Henri de Toulouse-LautrecHenri de Toulouse-Lautrec1864–1901 · 🇫🇷 France · Artists10 decades
  29. 29Henri BergsonHenri Bergson1859–1941 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics12 decades
  30. 30Richard StraussRichard Strauss1864–1949 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians13 decades
  31. 31Émile DurkheimÉmile Durkheim1858–1917 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics11 decades
  32. 32Thérèse of LisieuxThérèse of Lisieux1873–1897 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics10 decades
  33. 33Clara ZetkinClara Zetkin1857–1933 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians11 decades
  34. 34Konstantin StanislavskiKonstantin Stanislavski1863–1938 · Actors9 decades
  35. 35Joseph ConradJoseph Conrad1857–1924 · Writers14 decades
  36. 36Jean JaurèsJean Jaurès1859–1914 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians13 decades
  37. 37Selma LagerlöfSelma Lagerlöf1858–1940 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers7 decades
  38. 38David HilbertDavid Hilbert1862–1943 · Academics14 decades
  39. 39Pierre de CoubertinPierre de Coubertin1863–1937 · 🇫🇷 France · Educators14 decades
  40. 40Rabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore1861–1941 · 🇮🇳 India · Writers11 decades
  41. 41Alfred DreyfusAlfred Dreyfus1859–1935 · 🇫🇷 France13 decades
  42. 42Knut HamsunKnut Hamsun1859–1952 · 🇳🇴 Norway · Writers10 decades
  43. 43Pyotr StolypinPyotr Stolypin1862–1911 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians6 decades
  44. 44William Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft1857–1930 · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians12 decades
  45. 45Fridtjof NansenFridtjof Nansen1861–1930 · 🇳🇴 Norway · Politicians13 decades
  46. 46John DeweyJohn Dewey1859–1952 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics14 decades
  47. 47Edmund HusserlEdmund Husserl1859–1938 · Academics12 decades
  48. 48Raymond PoincaréRaymond Poincaré1860–1934 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians13 decades
  49. 49Rudolf DieselRudolf Diesel1858–1913 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists10 decades
  50. 50Arthur SchnitzlerArthur Schnitzler1862–1931 · 🇦🇹 Austria · Writers14 decades
  51. 51Vladimir VernadskyVladimir Vernadsky1863–1945 · Academics8 decades
  52. 52Yuan ShikaiYuan Shikai1859–1916 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians11 decades
  53. 53Heinrich HertzHeinrich Hertz1857–1894 · Scientists13 decades
  54. 54Ferdinand de SaussureFerdinand de Saussure1857–1913 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Academics12 decades
  55. 55L. L. ZamenhofL. L. Zamenhof1859–1917 · Doctorsnot measured—
  56. 56Maurice MaeterlinckMaurice Maeterlinck1862–1949 · Writers13 decades
  57. 57Aristide BriandAristide Briand1862–1932 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians12 decades
  58. 58David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George1863–1945 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Politicians11 decades
  59. 59Swami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda1863–1902 · 🇮🇳 India · Academics13 decades
  60. 60Georges MélièsGeorges Méliès1861–1938 · 🇫🇷 France · Directors9 decades
  61. 61Georgi PlekhanovGeorgi Plekhanov1856–1918 · Academics11 decades
  62. 62Alphonse MuchaAlphonse Mucha1860–1939 · Artists1 decades
  63. 63J. M. BarrieJ. M. Barrie1860–1937 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers13 decades
  64. 64Emmeline PankhurstEmmeline Pankhurst1858–1928 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Politicians7 decades
  65. 65Lou Andreas-SaloméLou Andreas-Salomé1861–1937 · Writers1 decades
  66. 66Italo SvevoItalo Svevo1861–1928 · Writers10 decades
  67. 67Mehmed VIMehmed VI1861–1926 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Historical Figures0 decades
  68. 68Edward ElgarEdward Elgar1857–1934 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Musicians13 decades
  69. 69Georges SeuratGeorges Seurat1859–1891 · 🇫🇷 France · Artists11 decades
  70. 70J. J. ThomsonJ. J. Thomson1856–1940 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Scientists0 decades
  71. 71Edith WhartonEdith Wharton1862–1937 · 🇺🇸 United States · Writers13 decades
  72. 72Nellie BlyNellie Bly1864–1922 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists13 decades
  73. 73José RizalJosé Rizal1861–1896 · Writers13 decades
  74. 74Alfred North WhiteheadAlfred North Whitehead1861–1947 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics10 decades
  75. 75Sholem AleichemSholem Aleichem1859–1916 · Writers10 decades
  76. 76Paul DoumerPaul Doumer1857–1932 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians13 decades
  77. 77Pietro MascagniPietro Mascagni1863–1945 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Musicians13 decades
  78. 78Svante ArrheniusSvante Arrhenius1859–1927 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Scientists6 decades
  79. 79Alexander Stepanovich PopovAlexander Stepanovich Popov1859–1905 · Scientists15 decades
  80. 80Georg SimmelGeorg Simmel1858–1918 · Academics13 decades
  81. 81George SantayanaGeorge Santayana1863–1952 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academics9 decades
  82. 82Camille ClaudelCamille Claudel1864–1943 · 🇫🇷 France · Artists11 decades
  83. 83Emilio SalgariEmilio Salgari1862–1911 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers13 decades
  84. 84Gustaf V of SwedenGustaf V of Sweden1858–1950 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Historical Figures0 decades
  85. 85John Singer SargentJohn Singer Sargent1856–1925 · 🇺🇸 United States · Artists11 decades
  86. 86Philipp LenardPhilipp Lenard1862–1947 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists11 decades
  87. 87Isaac LevitanIsaac Levitan1860–1900 · Artists7 decades
  88. 88Eleonora DuseEleonora Duse1858–1924 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Actors14 decades
  89. 89Venustiano CarranzaVenustiano Carranza1859–1920 · 🇲🇽 Mexico · Politicians12 decades
  90. 90Maurice BarrèsMaurice Barrès1862–1923 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers14 decades
  91. 91Alexandre MillerandAlexandre Millerand1859–1943 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians11 decades
  92. 92Theobald von Bethmann-HollwegTheobald von Bethmann-Hollweg1856–1921 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians6 decades
  93. 93Alois AlzheimerAlois Alzheimer1864–1915 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors3 decades
  94. 94Paul DeschanelPaul Deschanel1855–1922 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians14 decades
  95. 95Gaston DoumergueGaston Doumergue1863–1937 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians13 decades
  96. 96L. Frank BaumL. Frank Baum1856–1919 · 🇺🇸 United States · Writers8 decades
  97. 97Jane AddamsJane Addams1860–1935 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics14 decades
  98. 98Georgy LvovGeorgy Lvov1861–1925 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians2 decades
  99. 99Klara HitlerKlara Hitler1860–1907 · 🇦🇹 Austria1 decades
  100. 100Isaac AlbénizIsaac Albéniz1860–1909 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Musicians12 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.