Claim profile
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.

CountryAll🇫🇷 France🇩🇪 Germany🇺🇸 United States🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇮🇹 Italy🇪🇸 Spain🇸🇪 Sweden🇯🇵 Japan🇹🇷 Turkey🇦🇹 Austria
FieldAllPoliticiansHistorical FiguresWritersScientistsMusiciansArtistsAcademicsArchitectsDoctorsReligious Figures
  1. 1Johann Kaspar LavaterJohann Kaspar Lavater1741–1801 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers17 decades
  2. 2Albrecht von HallerAlbrecht von Haller1708–1777 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers22 decades
  3. 3Suzanne CurchodSuzanne Curchod1737–1794 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers13 decades
  4. 4Johann David WyssJohann David Wyss1743–1818 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers0 decades
  5. 5Salomon GessnerSalomon Gessner1730–1788 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers22 decades
  6. 6Johannes von MüllerJohannes von Müller1752–1809 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers22 decades
  7. 7Johann Gaudenz von Salis-SeewisJohann Gaudenz von Salis-Seewis1762–1834 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  8. 8Pierre Victor, baron de Besenval de BrünstattPierre Victor, baron de Besenval de Brünstatt1721–1791 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  9. 9Johann Jakob BreitingerJohann Jakob Breitinger1701–1776 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers9 decades
  10. 10Isabelle de MontolieuIsabelle de Montolieu1751–1832 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers4 decades
  11. 11Ulrich BräkerUlrich Bräker1735–1798 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  12. 12Henri de CattHenri de Catt1725–1795 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  13. 13Julie BondeliJulie Bondeli1732–1778 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  14. 14Placidus a SpeschaPlacidus a Spescha1752–1833 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  15. 15Fortunato de Felice, 2nd Count PanzuttiFortunato de Felice, 2nd Count Panzutti1723–1789 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  16. 16Johann Gottfried EbelJohann Gottfried Ebel1764–1830 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  17. 17Béat Louis de MuraltBéat Louis de Muralt1665–1749 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  18. 18Johann Martin UsteriJohann Martin Usteri1763–1827 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  19. 19Joseph PlantaJoseph Planta1744–1827 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  20. 20David de BoudryDavid de Boudry1756–1821 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  21. 21Regula EngelRegula Engel1761–1853 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  22. 22Béat Fidèle Antoine Jean Dominique de La Tour-Châtillon de ZurlaubenBéat Fidèle Antoine Jean Dominique de La Tour-Châtillon de Zurlauben1720–1799 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  23. 23Doyen BridelDoyen Bridel1757–1845 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  24. 24Gottlieb Emanuel HallerGottlieb Emanuel Haller1735–1786 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  25. 25Johann Jacob LeuJohann Jacob Leu1689–1768 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  26. 26Charles-Louis Loys de CheseauxCharles-Louis Loys de Cheseaux1730–1789 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot measured—
  27. 27CRConradin Riola1667–1743 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writersnot 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.