← 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
William Herschel22 decades - 2
Caroline Herschel10 decades
- 3
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg17 decades - 4
Ernst Chladni5 decades - 5
Johann Friedrich Gmelin3 decades - 6
Johann Heinrich Schulze7 decades - 7Maria Margaretha Kirch0 decades
- 8
Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost0 decades - 9
Maria Clara Eimmart0 decades - 10
Jacob Christian Schäffer0 decades - 11
Johann Besslernot measured- - 12
Johann Andreas Segner0 decades - 13
Lorenz Heister10 decades - 14
Johann Gottfried Zinn0 decades - 15Johann Gerhard König0 decades
- 16
Christian August Hausennot measured- - 17
Christian Mayer17 decades - 18
Johann Hedwig2 decades - 19
Philipp Friedrich Gmelin0 decades - 20
Friedrich Kasimir Medikus2 decades - 21
Georg Matthias Bosenot measured- - 22
Otto von Münchhausen2 decades - 23
Ignaz Kögler0 decades - 24
Johann Gottlieb Gleditsch0 decades - 25
Johan Gabriel Doppelmayr2 decades - 26
Matthäus Seutternot measured- - 27
Paul Möhringnot measured- - 28
Abraham Roentgennot measured- - 29
Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst0 decades - 30Friedrich von Wurmb0 decades
- 31
Peter Kolbenot measured- - 32
Ernst Gottfried Baldingernot measured- - 33Christine Kirch0 decades
- 34Valentin Rosenot measured-
- 35
Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper0 decades - 36
Paul Dietrich Giseke0 decades - 37Valentin Rose the Eldernot measured-
- 38
Christoph Jacob Trew0 decades - 39
Georg Christian Oeder0 decades - 40
Augustin Friedrich Walther0 decades - 41
Friedrich von Hahnnot measured- - 42
Johann Christian Wieglebnot measured- - 43
Johann Ludwig Christ0 decades - 44
Johann David Schoepff0 decades - 45Johann Gottfried Koehler0 decades
- 46
Georg Erhard Hambergernot measured- - 47Johann August Carl Sieversnot measured-
- 48
Catharina Helena Dörrien0 decades - 49Carl Friedrich Wenzel0 decades
- 50
Johann Hieronymus Kniphof0 decades - 51
Johann Wilhelm Weinmannnot measured- - 52
Johann Helfrich von Müllernot measured- - 53
Hieronymus David Gaubiusnot measured-
- 54
Johann Philipp Breynenot measured- - 55Johan Adam Pollichnot measured-
- 56
Johann Matthias Hasenot measured- - 57
Karl Gottfried Hagennot measured- - 58Georg Adolf Suckownot measured-
- 59
Johann Kaspar Schillernot measured- - 60
Johann Friedrich Weidlernot measured- - 61
Samuel von Schmettaunot measured- - 62
Sigismund Friedrich Hermbstädtnot measured- - 63Peter Schenk the Youngernot measured-
- 64
Georg Andreas Helwingnot measured- - 65
Christian Carl Andrenot measured- - 66
Justus Claprothnot measured- - 67
Hans Moritz von Brühlnot measured- - 68
Johan Maurits Mohrnot measured- - 69Heinrich Bernhard Ruppnot measured-
- 70
Johann Leonhard Rostnot measured- - 71Casimir Christoph Schmidel0 decades
- 72Friedrich von Knaussnot measured-
- 73Karl August von Bergennot measured-
- 74
Georg Andreas Agricolanot measured- - 75
Christian Friedrich Ludwignot measured- - 76
Adam Friedrich Zürnernot measured- - 77
Joseph Steplingnot measured- - 78
Johannes Zornnot measured- - 79
Christlieb Ehregott Gellertnot measured- - 80
Christian Gottlieb Reichardnot measured- - 81Michael Adelbulnernot measured-
- 82
Johann Friedrich August Göttlingnot measured- - 83
Hermann Friedrich Teichmeyernot measured- - 84Johann Georg Siegesbecknot measured-
- 85Philipp Conrad Fabriciusnot measured-
- 86
Johann Heinrich von Heuchernot measured- - 87
Johann Jakob Reichardnot measured- - 88
Albert Brahmsnot measured- - 89
Maximus von Imhofnot measured- - 90Christian Gärtnernot measured-
- 91Julius von Rohrnot measured-
- 92Johann Christoph Röhlingnot measured-
- 93
Friedrich Albrecht Carl Grennot measured- - 94
Carl Heinrich Mercknot measured- - 95
Johann Samuel Traugott Gehlernot measured- - 96Johann Bartschnot measured-
- 97Johann Hermann Knoopnot measured-
- 98
Joachim Christian Timmnot measured- - 99William Gerard de Brahmnot measured-
- 100
Johann Philipp Du Roinot 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.