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
William Herschel1738–1822 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists22 decades - 2
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg1742–1799 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists17 decades - 3
Caroline Herschel1750–1848 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists10 decades
- 4
Ernst Chladni1756–1827 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists5 decades - 5
Johann Friedrich Gmelin1748–1804 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists3 decades - 6
Johann Heinrich Schulze1687–1744 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists7 decades - 7
Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost1715–1794 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 8
Jacob Christian Schäffer1718–1790 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 9MMMaria Margaretha Kirch1670–1720 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades
- 10
Johann Bessler1680–1745 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 11
Johann Andreas Segner1704–1777 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 12
Maria Clara Eimmart1676–1707 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 13
Johann Hedwig1730–1799 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists2 decades - 14
Christian August Hausen1693–1743 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 15
Lorenz Heister1683–1758 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists10 decades - 16
Johann Gottfried Zinn1727–1759 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 17JGJohann Gerhard König1728–1785 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades
- 18
Friedrich Kasimir Medikus1736–1808 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists2 decades - 19
Christian Mayer1719–1783 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists17 decades - 20
Philipp Friedrich Gmelin1721–1768 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 21
Otto von Münchhausen1716–1774 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists2 decades - 22
Johann Gottlieb Gleditsch1714–1786 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 23
Ignaz Kögler1680–1746 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 24
Johan Gabriel Doppelmayr1677–1750 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists2 decades - 25
Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst1743–1807 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 26
Matthäus Seutter1678–1757 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 27
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Abraham Roentgen1711–1793 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 28
Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper1742–1810 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 29FVFriedrich von Wurmb1742–1781 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades
- 30
Peter Kolbe1675–1726 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 31CKChristine Kirch1697–1782 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades
- 32
Ernst Gottfried Baldinger1738–1804 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 33
Georg Matthias Bose1710–1761 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 34
Paul Dietrich Giseke1741–1796 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 35
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Georg Christian Oeder1728–1791 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 36
Christoph Jacob Trew1695–1769 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 37VRValentin Rose the Elder1736–1771 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 38
Augustin Friedrich Walther1688–1746 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 39
Friedrich von Hahn1742–1805 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 40
Johann Christian Wiegleb1732–1800 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 41
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Johann Ludwig Christ1739–1813 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 42
Johann David Schoepff1752–1800 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 43JGJohann Gottfried Koehler1745–1801 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades
- 44
Catharina Helena Dörrien1717–1795 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 45CFCarl Friedrich Wenzel1740–1793 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades
- 46
Georg Erhard Hamberger1697–1755 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 47JAJohann August Carl Sievers1762–1795 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 48
Johann Hieronymus Kniphof1704–1763 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades - 49VRValentin Rose1762–1807 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 50
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann1683–1741 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 51
Johann Helfrich von Müller1746–1830 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 52
Johann Philipp Breyne1680–1764 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 53
Paul Möhring1710–1792 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 54JAJohan Adam Pollich1741–1780 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 55
Hieronymus David Gaubius1705–1780 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 56
Johann Matthias Hase1684–1742 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 57
Karl Gottfried Hagen1749–1829 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 58GAGeorg Adolf Suckow1751–1813 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 59
Sigismund Friedrich Hermbstädt1760–1833 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 60
Georg Andreas Helwing1666–1748 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 61
Samuel von Schmettau1684–1751 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 62PSPeter Schenk the Younger1693–1775 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 63
Christian Carl Andre1763–1831 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 64
Johann Kaspar Schiller1723–1796 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 65HBHeinrich Bernhard Rupp1688–1719 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 66
Justus Claproth1728–1805 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 67CCCasimir Christoph Schmidel1718–1792 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists0 decades
- 68
Johan Maurits Mohr1716–1775 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 69
Hans Moritz von Brühl1736–1809 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 70
Johann Leonhard Rost1688–1727 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 71FVFriedrich von Knauss1724–1789 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 72KAKarl August von Bergen1704–1759 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 73
Christian Friedrich Ludwig1751–1823 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 74
Georg Andreas Agricola1672–1738 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 75
Johannes Zorn1739–1799 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 76
Joseph Stepling1716–1778 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 77
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Johann Friedrich Weidler1691–1755 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 78
Christian Gottlieb Reichard1758–1837 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 79
Hermann Friedrich Teichmeyer1685–1746 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 80MAMichael Adelbulner1702–1779 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 81PCPhilipp Conrad Fabricius1714–1774 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 82
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Christlieb Ehregott Gellert1713–1795 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 83
Johann Jakob Reichard1743–1782 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 84
Johann Friedrich August Göttling1755–1809 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 85JGJohann Georg Siegesbeck1686–1755 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 86
Johann Heinrich von Heucher1677–1746 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 87JCJohann Christoph Röhling1757–1813 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 88
Maximus von Imhof1758–1817 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 89JVJulius von Rohr1737–1793 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 90
Friedrich Albrecht Carl Gren1760–1798 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 91JHJohann Hermann Knoop1706–1769 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 92
Johann Philipp Du Roi1741–1785 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 93
Carl Heinrich Merck1761–1799 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 94
Joachim Christian Timm1734–1805 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 95
Johann Samuel Traugott Gehler1751–1795 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 96JBJohann Bartsch1709–1738 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 97JJJohann Jacob Heber1666–1724 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured—
- 98
Christfried Kirch1694–1740 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 99
Gerhard August Honckeny1724–1805 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot measured— - 100
Carl Constantin Haberle1764–1832 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientistsnot 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.