215,950 profiles ranked

← Fame through time1920-1929

The 1920s

Whose names filled the books of the 1920s - 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 Italian books during the 1920s, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Dante Alighieri1265-1321 · 14th century · Writers7.2
  2. 2Giotto1267-1337 · 14th century · Italy · Artists6.4
  3. 3Leonardo da Vinci1452-1519 · 15th century · Italy · Artists5.3
  4. 4Benito Mussolini1883-1945 · 20th century · Italy · Politicians4.2
  5. 5Giuseppe Mazzini1805-1872 · 19th century · Italy · Activists3.6
  6. 6Antonio da Correggio1489-1534 · 16th century · Italy · Artists3.5
  7. 7Ugo Foscolo1778-1827 · 19th century · Writers3.4
  8. 8Alessandro Manzoni1785-1873 · 19th century · Italy · Writers2.8
  9. 9Caravaggio1571-1610 · 17th century · Italy · Artists2.6
  10. 10Francis of Assisi1182-1226 · 13th century · Italy · Writers2.6
  11. 11Benedetto Croce1866-1952 · 20th century · Italy · Academics2.5
  12. 12Pietro Perugino1448-1523 · 15th century · Italy · Artists2.3
  13. 13Donato Bramante1444-1514 · 15th century · Italy · Architects2.3
  14. 14Francesco Crispi1818-1901 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians2.3
  15. 15Giosuè Carducci1835-1907 · 19th century · Italy · Writers2.1
  16. 16Donatello1386-1466 · 15th century · Artists2.1
  17. 17Tintoretto1519-1594 · 16th century · Italy · Artists2.1
  18. 18Giordano Bruno1548-1600 · 16th century · Italy · Academics1.9
  19. 19Giacomo Leopardi1798-1837 · 19th century · Italy · Writers1.8
  20. 20Vittorio Alfieri1749-1803 · 18th century · Italy · Historical Figures1.8
  21. 21Cesare Balbo1789-1853 · 19th century · Politicians1.6
  22. 22Farinelli1705-1782 · 18th century · Italy · Musicians1.5
  23. 23Marco Polo1254-1324 · 13th century · Italy · Historical Figures1.5
  24. 24Giovanni Pascoli1855-1912 · 19th century · Italy · Writers1.5
  25. 25Torquato Tasso1544-1595 · 16th century · Italy · Writers1.5
  26. 26Silvio Pellico1789-1854 · 19th century · Writers1.4
  27. 27Masaccio1401-1428 · 15th century · Italy · Artists1.3
  28. 28Giuseppe Verdi1813-1901 · 19th century · Italy · Musicians1.3
  29. 29Vincenzo Gioberti1801-1852 · 19th century · Italy · Academics1.3
  30. 30Luigi Luzzatti1841-1927 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians1.3
  31. 31Galileo Galilei1564-1642 · 16th century · Italy · Scientists1.2
  32. 32Gabriele D'Annunzio1863-1938 · 19th century · Italy · Writers1.2
  33. 33Alessandro Volta1745-1827 · 18th century · Italy · Scientists1.2
  34. 34Lorenzo de' Medici1449-1492 · 15th century · Politicians1.2
  35. 35Cimabue1240-1302 · 13th century · Artists1.2
  36. 36Petrarch1304-1374 · 14th century · Italy · Academics1.1
  37. 37Guido Cavalcanti1258-1300 · 13th century · Writers1.1
  38. 38Margaret of Savoy1851-1926 · 19th century · Italy · Artists1.0
  39. 39Massimo d'Azeglio1798-1866 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians0.97
  40. 40Philip Neri1515-1595 · 16th century · Religious Figures0.97
  41. 41Paul the Deacon720-799 · 8th century · Writers0.95
  42. 42Dino Compagni1255-1324 · 13th century · Writers0.95
  43. 43Carlo Goldoni1707-1793 · 18th century · Italy · Writers0.92
  44. 44Francesca da Rimini1259-1285 · 13th century · Italy · Writers0.91
  45. 45Pietro Verri1728-1797 · 18th century · Academics0.89
  46. 46Paolo Boselli1838-1932 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians0.88
  47. 47Giulio Romano1499-1546 · 16th century · Italy · Artists0.88
  48. 48Vittoria Colonna1492-1547 · 16th century · Italy · Writers0.88
  49. 49Charles Borromeo1538-1584 · 16th century · Italy · Religious Figures0.87
  50. 50Enrico Ferri1856-1929 · 19th century · Italy · Journalists0.83
  51. 51Arrigo Boito1842-1918 · 19th century · Italy · Writers0.80
  52. 52Cesare Borgia1475-1507 · 16th century · Italy · Historical Figures0.79
  53. 53Guercino1591-1666 · 17th century · Italy · Artists0.79
  54. 54Domenichino1581-1641 · 17th century · Artists0.78
  55. 55Paolo Sarpi1552-1623 · 16th century · Academics0.78
  56. 56Galileo Ferraris1847-1897 · 19th century · Italy · Scientists0.77
  57. 57Eleonora Duse1858-1924 · 19th century · Italy · Actors0.76
  58. 58Giovanni Boccaccio1313-1375 · 14th century · Italy · Writers0.75
  59. 59Parmigianino1503-1540 · 16th century · Italy · Artists0.75
  60. 60Niccolò Tommaseo1802-1874 · 19th century · Italy · Academics0.74
  61. 61Bernardino of Siena1380-1444 · 15th century · Italy · Academics0.74
  62. 62Cesare Lombroso1835-1909 · 19th century · Italy · Doctors0.73
  63. 63Marco Minghetti1818-1886 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians0.73
  64. 64Paolo Veronese1528-1588 · 16th century · Italy · Artists0.73
  65. 65Luigi Pirandello1867-1936 · 20th century · Italy · Writers0.73
  66. 66Goffredo Mameli1827-1849 · 19th century · Italy · Writers0.71
  67. 67Niccolò Machiavelli1469-1527 · 16th century · Politicians0.71
  68. 68Girolamo Romanino1485-1562 · 16th century · Artists0.70
  69. 69Salvator Rosa1615-1673 · 17th century · Italy · Artists0.70
  70. 70Giuseppe Parini1729-1799 · 18th century · Italy · Writers0.69
  71. 71Antonio Canova1757-1822 · 18th century · Italy · Artists0.68
  72. 72Leon Battista Alberti1404-1472 · 15th century · Italy · Architects0.67
  73. 73Alessandro Cagliostro1743-1795 · 18th century · France · Doctors0.65
  74. 74Agostino Depretis1813-1887 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians0.64
  75. 75Cesare Cantù1804-1895 · 19th century · Italy · Writers0.64
  76. 76Guido Reni1575-1642 · 17th century · Italy · Artists0.64
  77. 77Antonio Rosmini1797-1855 · 19th century · Academics0.63
  78. 78Lucrezia Borgia1480-1519 · 16th century · Italy · Historical Figures0.62
  79. 79Giovanni Verga1840-1922 · 19th century · Italy · Writers0.62
  80. 80Carlo Porta1775-1821 · 19th century · Writers0.61
  81. 81Tommaso Grossi1790-1853 · 19th century · Writers0.61
  82. 82Domenico Passignano1559-1638 · 16th century · Artists0.59
  83. 83Girolamo Savonarola1452-1498 · 15th century · Italy · Politicians0.59
  84. 84Pisanello1395-1455 · 15th century · Italy · Artists0.59
  85. 85Giorgio Vasari1511-1574 · 16th century · Italy · Artists0.58
  86. 86Francesco Gonzaga1444-1483 · 15th century0.58
  87. 87Filippo Maria Visconti1392-1447 · 15th century · Politicians0.58
  88. 88Giambattista Vico1668-1744 · 18th century · Italy · Academics0.57
  89. 89Filippo Turati1857-1932 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians0.56
  90. 90Giovanni Pisano1248-1315 · 13th century · Italy · Artists0.56
  91. 91Pietro Aretino1492-1556 · 16th century · Italy · Writers0.56
  92. 92Antonio Fogazzaro1842-1911 · 19th century · Italy · Writers0.55
  93. 93Sidney Sonnino1847-1922 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians0.55
  94. 94Jacopone da Todi1236-1306 · 13th century · Writers0.55
  95. 95Federico Cesi1585-1630 · 17th century0.55
  96. 96Giuseppe Giusti1809-1850 · 19th century · Writers0.55
  97. 97Cosimo de' Medici1389-1464 · 15th century · Politicians0.54
  98. 98Andrea del Sarto1486-1530 · 16th century · Artists0.54
  99. 99Benvenuto Cellini1500-1571 · 16th century · France · Artists0.54
  100. 100Fra Angelico1390-1455 · 15th century · Italy · Artists0.54

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 1920s, ranked where coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1Adolf Hitler1889-1945 · Austria · Politicians10 decades
  2. 2Mao Zedong1893-1976 · China · Politicians13 decades
  3. 3Charlie Chaplin1889-1977 · United Kingdom · Actors11 decades
  4. 4Dwight D. Eisenhower1890-1969 · United States · Politicians9 decades
  5. 5J. R. R. Tolkien1892-1973 · United Kingdom · Writers7 decades
  6. 6Charles de Gaulle1890-1970 · France · Politicians9 decades
  7. 7Agatha Christie1890-1976 · United Kingdom · Writers10 decades
  8. 8Nikita Khrushchev1894-1971 · Russia · Politicians10 decades
  9. 9Hermann Göring1893-1946 · Germany · Politicians9 decades
  10. 10Chiang Kai-shek1887-1975 · Taiwan · Politicians4 decades
  11. 11Francisco Franco1892-1975 · Spain · Politicians9 decades
  12. 12Edward VIII1894-1972 · United Kingdom · Historical Figures9 decades
  13. 13Jawaharlal Nehru1889-1964 · India · Politicians10 decades
  14. 14B. R. Ambedkar1891-1956 · India · Academics8 decades
  15. 15Srinivasa Ramanujan1887-1920 · India · Academics0 decades
  16. 16Ho Chi Minh1890-1969 · Politicians8 decades
  17. 17Erwin Rommel1891-1944 · Germany · Historical Figures8 decades
  18. 18Josip Broz Tito1892-1980 · Hungary · Activists8 decades
  19. 19H. P. Lovecraft1890-1937 · United States · Writers6 decades
  20. 20Haile Selassie1892-1975 · Historical Figures0 decades
  21. 21Sergei Yesenin1895-1925 · Russia · Writers11 decades
  22. 22Rudolf Hess1894-1987 · Egypt · Politicians9 decades
  23. 23George S. Patton1885-1945 · United States · Writers8 decades
  24. 24David Ben-Gurion1886-1973 · Israel · Politiciansnot measured-
  25. 25Karl Dönitz1891-1980 · Germany · Politicians8 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.