1700–1799
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 Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Echoed
- 1
Johann Gottlieb Fichte1762–1814 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics22 decades - 2
Moses Mendelssohn1729–1786 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics22 decades - 3
Adam Weishaupt1748–1830 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics18 decades - 4AGAlexander Gottlieb Baumgarten1714–1762 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics11 decades
- 5
.jpg?width=1200)
Johann Georg Hamann1730–1788 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics21 decades - 6
Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi1743–1819 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics22 decades - 7
Hermann Samuel Reimarus1694–1768 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics20 decades - 8
Abraham Gotthelf Kästner1719–1800 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics15 decades - 9
.jpg?width=1200)
Christoph Meiners1747–1810 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics11 decades - 10
Johann Salomo Semler1725–1791 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics10 decades - 11
Johann Samuel König1712–1757 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades - 12
Thomas Abbt1738–1766 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics22 decades - 13
Johann Jakob Griesbach1745–1812 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades - 14
Johannes Nikolaus Tetens1736–1807 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades - 15
Anton Friedrich Büsching1724–1793 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics9 decades - 16
Johann Franz Buddeus1667–1729 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics3 decades - 17
Johann Albert Fabricius1668–1736 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics12 decades - 18
Lorenz Christoph Mizler1711–1778 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics3 decades - 19JHJohann Heinrich Gottlob Justi1717–1771 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics5 decades
- 20
Johann Peter Süssmilch1707–1767 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics5 decades - 21
Johann Tobias Mayer1752–1830 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics4 decades - 22
Jacob Friedrich von Abel1751–1829 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades - 23
Christian August Crusius1715–1775 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics8 decades - 24
Abraham Vater1684–1751 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades - 25
Alexander Mack1679–1735 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 26
Johann Matthias Gesner1691–1761 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades - 27
.JPG?width=1200)
Jacob Leupold1674–1727 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics3 decades - 28JSJakob Sigismund Beck1761–1840 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
- 29
_2.JPG?width=1200)
Johann Christoph Gatterer1727–1799 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics7 decades - 30
Carl Hindenburg1741–1808 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics1 decades - 31
Johann Georg Büsch1728–1800 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 32
Ignaz Franz1719–1790 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 33
Johann Georg Tralles1763–1822 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades - 34
Johann Stephan Pütter1725–1807 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 35
_Henning_Boehmer.jpg?width=1200)
Justus Henning Böhmer1674–1749 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 36
Raphael Levi Hannover1685–1779 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 37CGChristoph Gottfried Bardili1761–1808 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades
- 38
Leopold of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel1752–1785 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 39
Nathaniel Gottfried Leske1751–1786 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 40
Johann Adam von Ickstatt1702–1776 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 41
Christian Adolph Klotz1738–1771 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics2 decades - 42
Johann Heinrich Samuel Formey1711–1797 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 43
.jpg?width=1200)
Johann Friedrich Meckel, the Elder1724–1774 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 44
Adam Lux1765–1793 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 45
.jpg?width=1200)
Georg Friedrich Meier1718–1777 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 46
Johann Christoph Wolf1683–1739 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 47
.png?width=1200)
Michael Christoph Hanow1695–1773 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 48
Burchard Mauchart1696–1751 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 49
_Christian_Storr_(1844).jpg?width=1200)
Gottlob Christian Storr1746–1805 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 50
Jacob Struve1755–1841 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 51
Johann Christoph Döderlein1746–1792 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 52
Ludwig Heinrich von Jakob1759–1827 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 53
Karl Wilhelm Jerusalem1747–1772 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 54
Dietrich Tiedemann1748–1803 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 55
Jacob von Staehlin1709–1785 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 56
Johann Joachim Lange1670–1744 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 57
Christian Gottlieb Jöcher1694–1758 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 58
Johann Jakob Rambach1693–1735 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 59
.jpg?width=1200)
Friedrich Anton von Heynitz1725–1802 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 60
Johanne Charlotte Unzer1725–1782 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 61
._Line_engraving._Wellcome_V0005134ER.jpg?width=1200)
Andreas Rüdiger1673–1731 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 62AJAndreas Joseph Hofmann1752–1849 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
- 63
Joachim Georg Darjes1714–1791 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 64
.png?width=1200)
Johann Baptist Schad1758–1834 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 65
August Friedrich Müller1684–1761 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 66
Christian Wilhelm Franz Walch1726–1784 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 67
Johann Georg Keyßler1693–1743 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 68
Gottfried Ernst Groddeck1762–1824 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 69ASAdam Struensee1708–1791 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
- 70
Johann Kies1713–1781 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 71
Friedrich Christian Laukhard1757–1822 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 72
Johann Friedrich Hennert1733–1813 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 73
Heinrich Philipp Konrad Henke1752–1809 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 74
Johan Martin Preisler1715–1794 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 75JKJohann Karl Wilhelm Voigt1752–1821 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
- 76
Johann Georg Estor1699–1773 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 77
Burkhard Gotthelf Struve1671–1738 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 78
Georg Joachim Zollikofer1730–1788 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 79
Petrus Wesseling1692–1764 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 80
Georg Gottlob Richter1694–1773 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 81
Wenceslaus Johann Gustav Karsten1732–1787 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 82
.jpg?width=1200)
Johann Friedrich Christ1701–1756 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 83
Johann Ulrich von Cramer1706–1772 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 84
Johann Jacob Ebert1737–1805 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 85
Friedrich Christoph Müller1751–1808 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 86DFDavid Friesenhausen1750–1828 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
- 87
Johann Jakob Quandt1686–1772 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 88
Johann Christian Stark1753–1811 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 89
Daniel Nettelbladt1719–1791 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 90
Anselm Desing1699–1772 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 91
Aloys Schreiber1761–1841 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 92GCGeorg Christian Adler1734–1804 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
- 93
Johann Georg Roederer1726–1763 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 94
Carl Christian Erhard Schmid1761–1812 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 95
John Christopher Kunze1744–1807 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 96JCJohann Christian Lossius1743–1813 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
- 97
Johann Jacob Baier1677–1735 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 98JEJohann Ernst Fabri1755–1825 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
- 99
Friedrich Boerner1723–1761 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured— - 100
Samuel Gottlieb Vogel1750–1837 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academicsnot measured—
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.