← Fame through time1700-1799
The 18th century
Whose working lives fell in the 18th 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 18th century, ranked where coverage and readership agree.
- 1
Madame du Barry22 decades - 2
Jean-Philippe Rameau11 decades - 3
Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle20 decades - 4
François Couperin14 decades - 5
Luigi Cherubini2 decades - 6
François-André Danican Philidor0 decades - 7
Chevalier de Saint-Georgesnot measured- - 8
Julie d'Aubigny17 decades - 9
André Grétry0 decades - 10
François Joseph Gossec1 decades - 11
Ignaz Pleyelnot measured- - 12
Marie-Louise O'Murphy0 decades - 13
Jean-Marie Leclair4 decades - 14
Étienne Méhul0 decades - 15
Louis-Claude Daquin0 decades - 16
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault0 decades - 17
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier0 decades - 18
Élisabeth Thiblenot measured- - 19
Louis Marchand18 decades - 20
Jean-Joseph de Mondonvillenot measured- - 21
Jean-François Le Sueur0 decades - 22
François Devienne0 decades - 23
Jean-Féry Rebel0 decades - 24
Michel Corrette6 decades - 25Jean-Joseph Mouret0 decades
- 26
Hélène de Montgeroult1 decades - 27
Jacques-Martin Hotteterre0 decades - 28
Jean-Paul-Égide Martininot measured- - 29
Claude Balbastre0 decades - 30
Nicolas de Grigny6 decades - 31
Jean-Benjamin de La Bordenot measured- - 32
Antoine Forqueray1 decades - 33
Marie Sallé1 decades - 34
François Francoeur1 decades - 35
Nicolas Dalayrac0 decades - 36
Marie Louise Mignot1 decades - 37
André Cardinal Destouches0 decades - 38
Jean-Louis Duport0 decades - 39Giuseppe Cambini0 decades
- 40
Jean-Baptiste Krumpholz0 decades - 41Michel Pignolet de Montéclair0 decades
- 42Jacques Duphly0 decades
- 43
Joseph Baranot measured- - 44
Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royernot measured- - 45
Pierre Gaviniès0 decades - 46
Pierre Gaveaux0 decades - 47
Pierre-Gabriel Buffardinnot measured- - 48
Justine Favart0 decades - 49
Louis Adam8 decades - 50
Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny0 decades - 51
Armand-Louis Couperin2 decades - 52Antoine Dauvergne0 decades
- 53
Jean-Baptiste Brévalnot measured- - 54François Rebel1 decades
- 55
Michel de la Barre0 decades - 56
Jean Joseph Vadé0 decades - 57
Jean-Pierre Duport3 decades - 58
Jean-Baptiste Forqueraynot measured- - 59Jean Gillesnot measured-
- 60
Marie Fel1 decades - 61Jean-Frédéric Edelmann0 decades
- 62Jacques Aubertnot measured-
- 63
Pierre-Jean Garat0 decades - 64Jean Baptiste Senaillénot measured-
- 65
Martin Berteaunot measured- - 66
Pierre Dumagenot measured- - 67Jacques-Christophe Naudotnot measured-
- 68
Gilles-Louis Chrétiennot measured- - 69
Anne Louise Boyvin d'Hardancourt Brillon de Jouynot measured- - 70
Claude Balonnot measured- - 71
Pierre Montan Berton0 decades - 72
Honoré Langlénot measured- - 73Jean-Baptiste Lully filsnot measured-
- 74
Henri-Joseph Rigelnot measured- - 75Louis-Gabriel Guillemainnot measured-
- 76
Louis de Caix d'Herveloisnot measured- - 77
Antoine Mahautnot measured- - 78Mlle Duvalnot measured-
- 79
Pierre Jélyottenot measured- - 80Anne Danican Philidornot measured-
- 81
Pierre Gardelnot measured- - 82
Rosalie Levasseurnot measured- - 83Marguerite-Antoinette Couperinnot measured-
- 84
Joseph Legrosnot measured- - 85
Jean-Pierre Soliénot measured- - 86
François-Hippolyte Barthélémonnot measured- - 87
Jean-Baptiste Stucknot measured- - 88
Michèl Yostnot measured- - 89
Marc Theodore Bourritnot measured- - 90
Nicolas Rozenot measured- - 91
Jean-Baptiste Reynot measured- - 92
Cécile Stanislas Xavier de Girardinnot measured- - 93
Frédéric Blasiusnot measured- - 94
Jean-François Janinetnot measured- - 95
Michel Paul Guy de Chabanonnot measured- - 96
François Colin de Blamontnot measured- - 97
Marie-Anne-Catherine Quinaultnot measured- - 98
Jean-Baptiste Davauxnot measured- - 99
Jérôme-Joseph de Momignynot measured- - 100Lucile Grétrynot 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.