215,950 profiles ranked

← Fame through time1900-1909

The 1900s

Whose names filled the books of the 1900s - anyone at all, however long dead - counted as mentions per million words printed, so a period that simply published more does not inflate anyone.

Talked about then

Whose names appeared most in Spanish books during the 1900s, whenever they lived.

  1. 1John of God1495-1550 · 16th century · Portugal11
  2. 2Francisco de Villagra1511-1563 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures6.4
  3. 3Lope de Vega1562-1635 · 16th century · Spain · Writers5.3
  4. 4Porfirio Díaz1830-1915 · 19th century · Mexico · Politicians4.6
  5. 5Francis Xavier1506-1552 · 16th century · Spain · Religious Figures4.4
  6. 6Pedro de Valdivia1497-1553 · 16th century · Spain · Politicians3.8
  7. 7Juan Fernández1529-1602 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures2.9
  8. 8Gonzalo Pizarro1502-1548 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures2.7
  9. 9Francisco de Toledo, Count of Oropesa1515-1582 · 16th century · Spain · Politicians2.2
  10. 10Miguel de Cervantes1547-1616 · 16th century · Spain · Writers2.1
  11. 11Christopher Columbus1451-1506 · 15th century · Italy · Historical Figures2.0
  12. 12Bartolomé Mitre1821-1906 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians1.9
  13. 13Teresa of Ávila1515-1582 · 16th century · Spain · Writers1.9
  14. 14Nicolás Antonio1617-1684 · 17th century · Spain · Politicians1.7
  15. 15John of Austria1547-1578 · 16th century · Spain · Politicians1.7
  16. 16Pedro de Villagra1513-1577 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures1.6
  17. 17Hernán Cortés1485-1547 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures1.5
  18. 18Benito Juárez1806-1872 · 19th century · Mexico · Politicians1.5
  19. 19Francisco Pizarro1478-1541 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures1.5
  20. 20João Serrão1500-1521 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures1.4
  21. 21Rodrigo de Quiroga1512-1580 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures1.3
  22. 22Cipriano Castro1858-1924 · 19th century · Venezuela · Politicians1.3
  23. 23Ignatius of Loyola1491-1556 · 16th century · Spain · Religious Figures1.3
  24. 24Diego de Almagro1475-1538 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures1.3
  25. 25Francisco de Aguirre1507-1581 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures1.2
  26. 26John I of France1316-1316 · 14th century · France · Historical Figures1.1
  27. 27Antonio Cánovas del Castillo1828-1897 · 19th century · Spain · Politicians1.1
  28. 28Tirso de Molina1583-1648 · 17th century · Spain · Writers1.1
  29. 29Vincent Ferrer1350-1419 · 14th century · Spain · Religious Figures1.0
  30. 30Andrés Bello1781-1865 · 19th century · Chile · Politicians1.0
  31. 31Francis Solanus1549-1610 · 16th century · Spain0.98
  32. 32Lope de Rueda1505-1566 · 16th century · Spain · Writers0.94
  33. 33Simón Bolívar1783-1830 · 19th century · Spain · Politicians0.93
  34. 34Rubén Darío1867-1916 · 20th century · Nicaragua · Writers0.92
  35. 35Pope Alexander VI1431-1503 · 15th century · Spain · Religious Figures0.91
  36. 36Juan Bravo1483-1521 · 16th century · Politicians0.91
  37. 37Ambrosio de Morales1513-1591 · 16th century · Spain · Writers0.89
  38. 38María de Jesús1560-1640 · 16th century · Spain0.88
  39. 39Luis de León1527-1591 · 16th century · Spain · Writers0.84
  40. 40Manuel Montt1809-1880 · 19th century · Chile · Politicians0.83
  41. 41Ángel de Saavedra, 3rd Duke of Rivas1791-1865 · 19th century · Spain · Writers0.78
  42. 42Juan de Garay1528-1583 · 16th century · Spain0.76
  43. 43John of the Cross1542-1591 · 16th century · Spain · Writers0.75
  44. 44Emilia Pardo Bazán1851-1921 · 19th century · Spain · Writers0.74
  45. 45Concepción Arenal Ponte1820-1893 · 19th century · Spain · Writers0.71
  46. 46Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo1856-1912 · 19th century · Spain · Academics0.68
  47. 47Pedro de Alvarado1486-1541 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures0.68
  48. 48Lope de Aguirre1510-1561 · 16th century · Spain0.66
  49. 49Ricardo Palma1833-1919 · 19th century · Peru · Writers0.66
  50. 50Antonio Maura1853-1925 · 19th century · Spain · Politicians0.65
  51. 51Garcilaso de la Vega1503-1536 · 16th century · Spain · Writers0.64
  52. 52Bernardo O'Higgins1778-1842 · 19th century · Spain · Politicians0.62
  53. 53Alonso Cano1601-1667 · 17th century · Spain · Artists0.61
  54. 54Fernán González of Castile910-970 · 10th century0.61
  55. 55Manuel Quintana1835-1906 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians0.60
  56. 56Francisco Quevedo1584-1645 · 17th century · Spain · Writers0.60
  57. 57Ramón de la Cruz1731-1794 · 18th century · Spain · Writers0.60
  58. 58Manuel Oribe1792-1857 · 19th century · Uruguay · Politicians0.58
  59. 59José Echegaray1832-1916 · 19th century · Spain · Writers0.58
  60. 60Juan Andrés1740-1817 · 18th century · Spain · Academics0.57
  61. 61Antonio de Ulloa1716-1795 · 18th century · Writers0.57
  62. 62Hernando Pizarro1502-1578 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures0.56
  63. 63Diego de Rojas1500-1544 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures0.55
  64. 64Jorge Juan y Santacilia1713-1773 · 18th century · Spain · Scientists0.55
  65. 65Francisco Pacheco1564-1644 · 16th century · Artists0.54
  66. 66García Fernández of Castile938-995 · 10th century · Politicians0.54
  67. 67Carlos Pellegrini1846-1906 · 19th century · Argentina · Journalists0.54
  68. 68Martín Ruiz de Gamboa1533-1590 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures0.53
  69. 69Juan de Ribera1532-1611 · 16th century · Spain · Actors0.53
  70. 70García Hurtado de Mendoza, 5th Marquis of Cañete1535-1609 · 16th century · Spain0.53
  71. 71Alonso Rodriguez1526-1616 · 16th century · Spain · Writers0.52
  72. 72Fernán Caballero1796-1877 · 19th century · Spain · Writers0.52
  73. 73Juan de Ayolas1500-1537 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures0.52
  74. 74Emilio Castelar1832-1899 · 19th century · Spain · Politicians0.52
  75. 75Jose Miguel Carrera1785-1821 · 19th century · Chile · Politicians0.51
  76. 76José de San Martín1778-1850 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians0.50
  77. 77Eduardo Dato1856-1921 · 19th century · Spain · Politicians0.48
  78. 78Thomas of Villanova1488-1555 · 16th century · Spain · Academics0.47
  79. 79Bartolomé de las Casas1484-1566 · 16th century · Spain · Writers0.47
  80. 80Bernardino Rivadavia1780-1845 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians0.47
  81. 81Fructuoso Rivera1784-1854 · 19th century · Uruguay · Politicians0.46
  82. 82Tomás Estrada Palma1835-1908 · 19th century · Cuba · Politicians0.45
  83. 83José Hernández1834-1886 · 19th century · Argentina · Writers0.44
  84. 84Juan de Herrera1530-1597 · 16th century · Spain · Architects0.44
  85. 85Diego Velázquez1599-1660 · 17th century · Spain · Artists0.44
  86. 86Mateo Alemán1547-1614 · 16th century · Spain · Writers0.44
  87. 87Juan de Ortega1480-1568 · 16th century · Spain · Academics0.43
  88. 88Isidore of Seville560-636 · 6th century · Spain · Academics0.42
  89. 89Bernal Díaz del Brawl1492-1584 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures0.42
  90. 90José Canalejas1854-1912 · 19th century · Spain · Politicians0.41
  91. 91Alonso de Ercilla1533-1595 · 16th century · Spain · Writers0.41
  92. 92Pedro Calderón de la Barca1600-1681 · 17th century · Spain · Writers0.41
  93. 93Miguel de Unamuno1864-1936 · 19th century · Spain · Writers0.40
  94. 94Juan Manuel de Rosas1793-1877 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians0.40
  95. 95Juan de Castro1431-1506 · 15th century0.39
  96. 96Manuel Belgrano1770-1820 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians0.39
  97. 97Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz1651-1695 · 17th century · Mexico · Writers0.39
  98. 98Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain1549-1580 · 16th century · Spain · Politicians0.38
  99. 99Wittiza686-710 · 8th century · Historical Figures0.37
  100. 100Peter of Alcantara1499-1562 · 16th century · Spain0.37

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 1900s, ranked where coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1Winston Churchill1874-1965 · United Kingdom · Politicians13 decades
  2. 2Vladimir Lenin1870-1924 · Russia · Politicians12 decades
  3. 3Mahatma Gandhi1869-1948 · India · Activists10 decades
  4. 4Marie Curie1867-1934 · France · Scientists4 decades
  5. 5George V1865-1936 · United Kingdom · Historical Figures16 decades
  6. 6Grigori Rasputin1869-1916 · Russia · Politicians11 decades
  7. 7Herbert Hoover1874-1964 · United States · Politicians11 decades
  8. 8Nicholas II of Russia1868-1918 · Russia · Historical Figures14 decades
  9. 9Sun Yat-sen1866-1925 · China · Politicians12 decades
  10. 10Calvin Coolidge1872-1933 · United States · Politicians11 decades
  11. 11Warren G. Harding1865-1923 · United States · Politicians11 decades
  12. 12Rudyard Kipling1865-1936 · United Kingdom · Writers13 decades
  13. 13Frank Lloyd Wright1867-1959 · United States · Architects12 decades
  14. 14Rosa Luxemburg1871-1919 · Germany · Activists13 decades
  15. 15Neville Chamberlain1869-1940 · United Kingdom · Politicians16 decades
  16. 16H. G. Wells1866-1946 · United Kingdom · Writers16 decades
  17. 17Bertrand Russell1872-1970 · United Kingdom · Academics13 decades
  18. 18Harry Houdini1874-1926 · United States · Actors7 decades
  19. 19Marcel Proust1871-1922 · France · Writers12 decades
  20. 20Henri Matisse1869-1954 · France · Artists12 decades
  21. 21Sergei Rachmaninoff1873-1943 · United States · Musiciansnot measured-
  22. 22Robert Frost1874-1963 · United States · Writers13 decades
  23. 23W. B. Yeats1865-1939 · Writers12 decades
  24. 24G. K. Chesterton1874-1936 · United Kingdom · Writers12 decades
  25. 25Beatrix Potter1866-1943 · United Kingdom · Writers10 decades
Show 75 more

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.