← 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
Johann Gottlieb Fichte22 decades - 2
Adam Weishaupt18 decades - 3
Moses Mendelssohn22 decades - 4
Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi22 decades - 5
Johann Georg Hamann21 decades - 6Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten11 decades
- 7
Hermann Samuel Reimarus20 decades - 8
Abraham Gotthelf Kästner15 decades - 9
Thomas Abbt22 decades - 10
Johann Salomo Semler10 decades - 11
Anton Friedrich Büsching9 decades - 12
Johannes Nikolaus Tetens0 decades - 13
Christoph Meiners11 decades - 14
Johann Samuel König0 decades - 15
Johann Jakob Griesbach0 decades - 16
Johann Franz Buddeus3 decades - 17
Johann Albert Fabricius12 decades - 18
Johann Peter Süssmilch5 decades - 19
Lorenz Christoph Mizler3 decades - 20Alexander Macknot measured-
- 21
Johann Matthias Gesner0 decades - 22Johann Heinrich Gottlob Justi5 decades
- 23
Johann Tobias Mayer4 decades - 24
Jacob Friedrich von Abel0 decades - 25
Christian August Crusius8 decades - 26
Johann Georg Tralles0 decades - 27
Abraham Vater0 decades - 28
Jacob Leupold3 decades - 29Jakob Sigismund Becknot measured-
- 30
Johann Christoph Gatterer7 decades - 31
Raphael Levi Hannovernot measured- - 32
Carl Hindenburg1 decades - 33
Johann Georg Büschnot measured- - 34
Ignaz Franznot measured- - 35
Johann Stephan Pütternot measured- - 36
Leopold of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttelnot measured- - 37
Justus Henning Böhmernot measured- - 38Christoph Gottfried Bardili0 decades
- 39
Nathaniel Gottfried Leskenot measured- - 40
Johann Adam von Ickstattnot measured- - 41
Christian Adolph Klotz2 decades - 42
Johann Heinrich Samuel Formeynot measured- - 43
Adam Luxnot measured- - 44
Johann Friedrich Meckel, the Eldernot measured- - 45
Georg Friedrich Meiernot measured- - 46
Karl Wilhelm Jerusalemnot measured- - 47
Johann Christoph Wolfnot measured- - 48
Jacob von Staehlinnot measured- - 49
Burchard Mauchartnot measured- - 50
Michael Christoph Hanownot measured- - 51
Gottlob Christian Storrnot measured- - 52
Jacob Struvenot measured- - 53
Johann Christoph Döderleinnot measured- - 54
Ludwig Heinrich von Jakobnot measured- - 55
Johann Adam Steinmetznot measured- - 56
Dietrich Tiedemannnot measured- - 57
Friedrich Anton von Heynitznot measured- - 58
Johann Jakob Rambachnot measured- - 59
Johann Joachim Langenot measured- - 60
Christian Gottlieb Jöchernot measured- - 61Andreas Joseph Hofmannnot measured-
- 62
Johanne Charlotte Unzernot measured- - 63
Johann Friedrich Christnot measured- - 64
Andreas Rüdigernot measured- - 65
Joachim Georg Darjesnot measured- - 66
Friedrich Christian Laukhardnot measured- - 67
August Friedrich Müllernot measured- - 68
Johann Georg Keyßlernot measured- - 69
Johann Baptist Schadnot measured- - 70Adam Struenseenot measured-
- 71
Gottfried Ernst Groddecknot measured- - 72
Christian Wilhelm Franz Walchnot measured- - 73
Heinrich Philipp Konrad Henkenot measured- - 74
Johan Martin Preislernot measured- - 75
Johann Friedrich Hennertnot measured- - 76
Johann Kiesnot measured- - 77Johann Karl Wilhelm Voigtnot measured-
- 78
Georg Gottlob Richternot measured- - 79
Johann Georg Estornot measured- - 80
Burkhard Gotthelf Struvenot measured- - 81
Georg Joachim Zollikofernot measured- - 82
Petrus Wesselingnot measured- - 83
Johann Ulrich von Cramernot measured- - 84David Friesenhausennot measured-
- 85
Wenceslaus Johann Gustav Karstennot measured- - 86
Johann Jakob Quandtnot measured- - 87
Johann Christian Starknot measured- - 88
Daniel Nettelbladtnot measured- - 89
Johann Jacob Ebertnot measured- - 90
Aloys Schreibernot measured- - 91
Friedrich Christoph Müllernot measured- - 92Georg Christian Adlernot measured-
- 93
Johann Georg Roederernot measured- - 94
Carl Christian Erhard Schmidnot measured- - 95
John Christopher Kunzenot measured- - 96
Anselm Desingnot measured- - 97
Johann Jacob Baiernot measured- - 98Johann Christian Lossiusnot measured-
- 99
Samuel Gottlieb Vogelnot measured- - 100
Christoph Wilhelm Jacob Gatterernot 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.