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🇨🇭 Switzerland
FieldAllPoliticiansHistorical FiguresWritersScientistsMusiciansArtistsAcademicsArchitectsDoctorsReligious Figures
  1. 1Jean-Baptiste KléberJean-Baptiste Kléber1753–1800 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects0 decades
  2. 2Filippo JuvarraFilippo Juvarra1678–1736 · Architects12 decades
  3. 3Francesco Bartolomeo RastrelliFrancesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli1700–1771 · Architects3 decades
  4. 4Luigi VanvitelliLuigi Vanvitelli1700–1773 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects22 decades
  5. 5Thomas ChippendaleThomas Chippendale1718–1779 · Architects11 decades
  6. 6Robert AdamRobert Adam1728–1792 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Architects22 decades
  7. 7Claude Nicolas LedouxClaude Nicolas Ledoux1736–1806 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects5 decades
  8. 8John NashJohn Nash1752–1835 · Architects22 decades
  9. 9Pierre Charles L’EnfantPierre Charles L’Enfant1754–1825 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects0 decades
  10. 10Lancelot BrownLancelot Brown1716–1783 · Architects2 decades
  11. 11Étienne-Louis BoulléeÉtienne-Louis Boullée1728–1799 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects0 decades
  12. 12John SoaneJohn Soane1753–1837 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Architects22 decades
  13. 13James HobanJames Hoban1762–1831 · Architects8 decades
  14. 14Giacomo QuarenghiGiacomo Quarenghi1744–1817 · Architects14 decades
  15. 15Ange-Jacques GabrielAnge-Jacques Gabriel1698–1782 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects9 decades
  16. 16Benjamin Henry LatrobeBenjamin Henry Latrobe1764–1820 · 🇺🇸 United States · Architects7 decades
  17. 17Domenico TrezziniDomenico Trezzini1670–1734 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Architects2 decades
  18. 18Carl Gotthard LanghansCarl Gotthard Langhans1732–1808 · Architects6 decades
  19. 19Jacques-Germain SoufflotJacques-Germain Soufflot1713–1780 · Architects1 decades
  20. 20Georg Wenzeslaus von KnobelsdorffGeorg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff1699–1753 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Architects5 decades
  21. 21Andrey VoronikhinAndrey Voronikhin1759–1814 · Architects6 decades
  22. 22Agustín de BetancourtAgustín de Betancourt1758–1824 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects11 decades
  23. 23Johann Lukas von HildebrandtJohann Lukas von Hildebrandt1668–1745 · 🇦🇹 Austria · Architects7 decades
  24. 24Nicola SalviNicola Salvi1697–1751 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects18 decades
  25. 25William ChambersWilliam Chambers1723–1796 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Architects22 decades
  26. 26Matvey KazakovMatvey Kazakov1738–1812 · Architects6 decades
  27. 27Antonio RinaldiAntonio Rinaldi1710–1794 · Architects18 decades
  28. 28Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of BurlingtonRichard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington1694–1753 · Architectsnot measured—
  29. 29Jean-François ChalgrinJean-François Chalgrin1739–1811 · 🇫🇷 France · Architectsnot measured—
  30. 30William AdamWilliam Adam1689–1748 · Architects22 decades
  31. 31James GibbsJames Gibbs1682–1754 · Architects22 decades
  32. 32Giuseppe ValadierGiuseppe Valadier1762–1839 · Architects21 decades
  33. 33Jacques-François BlondelJacques-François Blondel1705–1774 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects8 decades
  34. 34Giuseppe PiermariniGiuseppe Piermarini1734–1808 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects22 decades
  35. 35James WyattJames Wyatt1746–1813 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Architects22 decades
  36. 36Ventura RodríguezVentura Rodríguez1717–1785 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects22 decades
  37. 37María Antonia de Paz y FigueroaMaría Antonia de Paz y Figueroa1730–1799 · Architectsnot measured—
  38. 38José Benito de ChurrigueraJosé Benito de Churriguera1665–1725 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects9 decades
  39. 39Francesco SabatiniFrancesco Sabatini1721–1797 · Architects17 decades
  40. 40Humphry ReptonHumphry Repton1752–1818 · Architects5 decades
  41. 41Cosmas Damian AsamCosmas Damian Asam1686–1739 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Architects10 decades
  42. 42William ThorntonWilliam Thornton1759–1828 · 🇺🇸 United States · Architects22 decades
  43. 43FDFrançois de Cuvilliés1695–1768 · 🇫🇷 France · Architectsnot measured—
  44. 44DZDominikus Zimmermann1685–1766 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Architects9 decades
  45. 45Charles BulfinchCharles Bulfinch1763–1844 · 🇺🇸 United States · Architects15 decades
  46. 46George BährGeorge Bähr1666–1738 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Architects4 decades
  47. 47Pierre-François-Léonard FontainePierre-François-Léonard Fontaine1762–1853 · 🇫🇷 France · Architectsnot measured—
  48. 48Alessandro GalileiAlessandro Galilei1691–1737 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects21 decades
  49. 49Charles CameronCharles Cameron1745–1812 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Architects22 decades
  50. 50Charles Percier BassantCharles Percier Bassant1764–1838 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects7 decades
  51. 51JSJan Santini Aichel1677–1723 · Architectsnot measured—
  52. 52Juan de VillanuevaJuan de Villanueva1739–1811 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects22 decades
  53. 53Ivan StarovIvan Starov1745–1808 · Architects0 decades
  54. 54Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le BlondJean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond1679–1719 · 🇫🇷 France · Architectsnot measured—
  55. 55Kilián Ignaz DientzenhoferKilián Ignaz Dientzenhofer1689–1751 · Architectsnot measured—
  56. 56Giovanni Battista NolliGiovanni Battista Nolli1701–1756 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects2 decades
  57. 57Ferdinando FugaFerdinando Fuga1699–1782 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects22 decades
  58. 58JVJean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe1729–1800 · 🇫🇷 France · Architectsnot measured—
  59. 59Yury FeltenYury Felten1730–1801 · Architectsnot measured—
  60. 60Victor LouisVictor Louis1731–1800 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects14 decades
  61. 61MZMikhail Zemtsov1688–1743 · Architects3 decades
  62. 62Germain BoffrandGermain Boffrand1667–1754 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects12 decades
  63. 63Jean-François Thomas de ThomonJean-François Thomas de Thomon1760–1813 · 🇫🇷 France · Architectsnot measured—
  64. 64Johann Conrad SchlaunJohann Conrad Schlaun1695–1773 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Architects7 decades
  65. 65Jean-Jacques LequeuJean-Jacques Lequeu1757–1826 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects0 decades
  66. 66Andreyan ZakharovAndreyan Zakharov1761–1811 · Architects0 decades
  67. 67Ivan Hryhorovych-BarskyiIvan Hryhorovych-Barskyi1713–1785 · Architectsnot measured—
  68. 68Carl HårlemanCarl Hårleman1700–1753 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Architectsnot measured—
  69. 69Alexander KokorinovAlexander Kokorinov1726–1772 · Architects0 decades
  70. 70Christian Frederik HansenChristian Frederik Hansen1756–1845 · Architects0 decades
  71. 71Manuel TolsáManuel Tolsá1757–1816 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects12 decades
  72. 72Colen CampbellColen Campbell1676–1729 · Architects1 decades
  73. 73Savva ChevakinskySavva Chevakinskyborn 1709 · Architects0 decades
  74. 74Alexandre-Théodore BrongniartAlexandre-Théodore Brongniart1739–1813 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects2 decades
  75. 75Giuseppe VasiGiuseppe Vasi1710–1782 · Architects15 decades
  76. 76Laurynas GucevičiusLaurynas Gucevičius1753–1798 · Architectsnot measured—
  77. 77Johann Christoph GlaubitzJohann Christoph Glaubitz1710–1767 · Architects0 decades
  78. 78Johann Michael FischerJohann Michael Fischer1692–1766 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Architects9 decades
  79. 79Jean-Rodolphe PerronetJean-Rodolphe Perronet1708–1794 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects1 decades
  80. 80Domenico MerliniDomenico Merlini1730–1797 · Architects1 decades
  81. 81Francesco PiranesiFrancesco Piranesi1761–1810 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects17 decades
  82. 82Juste-Aurèle MeissonnierJuste-Aurèle Meissonnier1695–1750 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects0 decades
  83. 83Jean-Nicolas-Louis DurandJean-Nicolas-Louis Durand1760–1834 · 🇫🇷 France · Architectsnot measured—
  84. 84Joseph Emanuel Fischer von ErlachJoseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach1693–1742 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Architects5 decades
  85. 85Nicolai EigtvedNicolai Eigtved1701–1754 · Architects0 decades
  86. 86James GandonJames Gandon1742–1823 · Architects0 decades
  87. 87Richard MiqueRichard Mique1728–1794 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects12 decades
  88. 88Chrystian Piotr AignerChrystian Piotr Aigner1756–1841 · Architects0 decades
  89. 89James AdamJames Adam1732–1794 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Architects22 decades
  90. 90Szymon Bogumił ZugSzymon Bogumił Zug1733–1807 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Architects0 decades
  91. 91Giovanni Battista VaccariniGiovanni Battista Vaccarini1702–1768 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects0 decades
  92. 92Matthew BrettinghamMatthew Brettingham1699–1769 · Architects0 decades
  93. 93Charles-Louis ClérisseauCharles-Louis Clérisseau1721–1820 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects1 decades
  94. 94Emmanuel Héré de CornyEmmanuel Héré de Corny1705–1763 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects5 decades
  95. 95Charles GascoigneCharles Gascoigne1730–1806 · Architectsnot measured—
  96. 96Carl von GontardCarl von Gontard1731–1791 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Architectsnot measured—
  97. 97Philippe BuachePhilippe Buache1700–1773 · 🇫🇷 France · Architects10 decades
  98. 98Dmitry UkhtomskyDmitry Ukhtomsky1719–1774 · Architectsnot measured—
  99. 99Friedrich Ludwig von SckellFriedrich Ludwig von Sckell1750–1823 · Architectsnot measured—
  100. 100Henry HollandHenry Holland1745–1806 · Architectsnot 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.