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
Francisco Goya1746–1828 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists18 decades - 2
Charles III of Spain1716–1788 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Models21 decades - 3
Charles IV of Spain1748–1819 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures17 decades - 4
Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla1753–1811 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures21 decades - 5
Ferdinand VI of Spain1713–1759 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Models4 decades - 6
Louis I of Spain1707–1724 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians4 decades - 7
Francisco de Miranda1750–1816 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians22 decades - 8
Maria Luisa of Savoy1688–1714 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians21 decades - 9
Maria Luisa of Parma1751–1819 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures17 decades - 10
Elisabeth Farnese1692–1766 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures22 decades - 11
Maria Amalia of Saxony1724–1760 · 🇪🇸 Spain20 decades - 12
Amaro Pargo1678–1747 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Business Professionals0 decades - 13
Barbara of Portugal, Queen of Spain1711–1758 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Musicians17 decades - 14
Mariana Victoria of Spain1718–1781 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 15
Maria Luisa of Spain1745–1792 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians15 decades - 16
Filippo I, Duke of Parma1720–1765 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 17
Leandro Fernández de Moratín1760–1828 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers14 decades - 18
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Princess Isabella of Parma1741–1763 · 🇪🇸 Spainnot measured— - 19
Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos1744–1811 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians22 decades - 20
Junípero Serra1713–1784 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Religious Figures18 decades - 21
Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain1726–1746 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 22
María Antonia of Spain1729–1785 · 🇪🇸 Spainnot measured— - 23
Bernardo de Gálvez1746–1786 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians14 decades - 24
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Infante Gabriel of Spain1752–1788 · 🇪🇸 Spain12 decades - 25
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Gaspar de Portolà1716–1786 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures8 decades - 26
Juan O'Donojú1762–1821 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians18 decades - 27
José Celestino Mutis y Bosio1732–1808 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academicsnot measured— - 28
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Benito Jerónimo Feijoo1677–1764 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers3 decades - 29
Félix de Azara1742–1821 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers20 decades - 30
Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros1758–1829 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians22 decades - 31
Blas de Lezo1689–1741 · 🇪🇸 Spain22 decades - 32
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Infante Luis, Count of Chinchón1727–1785 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures0 decades - 33ASAntonio Soler1729–1783 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Musiciansnot measured—
- 34
Infanta Maria Josefa of Spain1744–1801 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 35
Félix María de Samaniego1745–1801 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians13 decades - 36
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Francisco Javier Castaños, 1st Duke of Bailén1758–1852 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians21 decades - 37
Federico Gravina1756–1806 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians19 decades - 38
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Juan Bautista de Anza1736–1788 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures12 decades - 39
Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea, 10th Count of Aranda1718–1798 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 40
María Teresa de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba1762–1802 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured— - 41
Agustín de Betancourt1758–1824 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects11 decades - 42
José Moñino, 1st Count of Floridablanca1728–1808 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians2 decades - 43
Infante Antonio Pascual of Spain1755–1817 · 🇪🇸 Spain0 decades - 44
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Infanta María Amalia of Spain1779–1798 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures0 decades - 45
Vicente Martín y Soler1754–1806 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Musicians1 decades - 46
Tomás de Iriarte1750–1791 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 47
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Andrés Manuel del Río1764–1849 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Scientistsnot measured— - 48
José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa1743–1821 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians18 decades - 49
James Fitz-James Stuart, 2nd Duke of Berwick1696–1738 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 50
Jorge Juan y Santacilia1713–1773 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Scientists22 decades - 51
Ventura Rodríguez1717–1785 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects22 decades
- 52
José Benito de Churriguera1665–1725 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects9 decades - 53
Antonio José Cavanilles1745–1804 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Scientists19 decades - 54
Pedro de Cevallos1715–1778 · 🇪🇸 Spain19 decades - 55
José Cadalso1741–1782 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers21 decades - 56
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Zenón de Somodevilla, 1st Marqués de la Ensenada1702–1781 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians0 decades - 57
Pedro Romero Martínez1754–1839 · 🇪🇸 Spainnot measured— - 58
Fausto Elhuyar1755–1833 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Scientists1 decades - 59
Juan Ruiz de Apodaca, 1st Count of Venadito1754–1835 · 🇪🇸 Spainnot measured— - 60
Francisco Bayeu1734–1795 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists22 decades - 61
Juan Meléndez Valdés1754–1817 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers16 decades - 62
Gervasio Antonio de Posadas1757–1833 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians16 decades - 63
Juan de Villanueva1739–1811 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects22 decades - 64
Bruno Mauricio de Zabala1682–1736 · 🇪🇸 Spainnot measured— - 65
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Luis Egidio Meléndez1716–1780 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists0 decades - 66
Joaquín Blake y Joyes1759–1827 · 🇪🇸 Spain22 decades - 67
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Diego de Torres Villarroel1693–1770 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers20 decades - 68
Juan Vicente de Güemes, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo1740–1799 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 69
María Josefa Pimentel, Duchess of Osuna1752–1834 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured— - 70
Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra1744–1794 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 71JJJuan José Elhuyar1754–1796 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Scientists0 decades
- 72
Rafael de Sobremonte, 3rd Marquis of Sobremonte1754–1827 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians12 decades - 73
Alejandro O'Reilly1723–1794 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians12 decades - 74
Juan Antonio Llorente1750–1823 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 75
Félix María Calleja del Rey, 1st Count of Calderón1753–1828 · 🇪🇸 Spain14 decades - 76
José Manso de Velasco, 1st Count of Superunda1689–1767 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians11 decades - 77
Francisco Javier Venegas1754–1838 · 🇪🇸 Spain16 decades - 78
Gregorio García de la Cuesta1741–1811 · 🇪🇸 Spain4 decades - 79
María Teresa de Vallabriga y Rozas1759–1820 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures3 decades - 80
Francisco Salzillo1707–1783 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artistsnot measured— - 81
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Ramón de la Cruz1731–1794 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers21 decades - 82
Manuel Tolsá1757–1816 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects12 decades - 83
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Pedro Caro, 3rd Marquis of la Romana1761–1811 · 🇪🇸 Spain7 decades - 84
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Francisco Antonio de Lorenzana1722–1804 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 85
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Infante Francisco Javier of Spain1757–1771 · 🇪🇸 Spainnot measured— - 86
José de Iturrigaray1742–1815 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 87
Pablo de Olavide1725–1803 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 88
Lorenzo Hervás y Panduro1735–1809 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers20 decades - 89
Jerónimo Grimaldi, 1st Duke of Grimaldi1710–1789 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers3 decades - 90
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Felipe de Neve1724–1784 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 91
José Patiño1666–1736 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 92
Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque1666–1733 · 🇪🇸 Spainnot measured— - 93
Félix Berenguer de Marquina1736–1826 · 🇪🇸 Spain17 decades - 94
Luis Paret y Alcázar1746–1799 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists14 decades - 95
Antonio José Amar y Borbón1742–1826 · 🇪🇸 Spainnot measured— - 96
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Francisco de Saavedra1746–1819 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 97
Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo1719–1799 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 98
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Joseph Pignatelli1737–1811 · 🇪🇸 Spain12 decades - 99
Matías de Gálvez y Gallardo1717–1784 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politiciansnot measured— - 100
José Francisco de Isla1703–1781 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Actors21 decades
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.