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 Russian books during the 1920s, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Leo Tolstoy1828-1910 · 19th century · Russia · Writers4.0
  2. 2Nicholas II of Russia1868-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures2.5
  3. 3Nicholas I of Russia1796-1855 · 19th century · Russia · Models2.0
  4. 4Alexander II of Russia1818-1881 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures2.0
  5. 5Alexander III of Russia1845-1894 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.9
  6. 6Patriarch Nikon of Moscow1605-1681 · 17th century · Religious Figures1.9
  7. 7Andrei Bely1880-1934 · 20th century · Russia · Writers1.7
  8. 8Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia1899-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.3
  9. 9Alexander I of Russia1777-1825 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.3
  10. 10Maxim Gorky1868-1936 · 20th century · Russia · Writers1.1
  11. 11Boris Godunov1552-1605 · 16th century · Politicians1.1
  12. 12Leonid Andreyev1871-1919 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.99
  13. 13Alexandra Velyaminova1301-1364 · 14th century0.99
  14. 14Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia1832-1909 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.98
  15. 15Alexander Blok1880-1921 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.95
  16. 16Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia1857-1905 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.88
  17. 17Valery Bryusov1873-1924 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.88
  18. 18Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia1847-1909 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.86
  19. 19Alexis of Russia1629-1676 · 17th century · Historical Figures0.84
  20. 20Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia1860-1919 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.83
  21. 21Ivan the Terrible1530-1584 · 16th century · Politicians0.81
  22. 22Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia1850-1908 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.78
  23. 23Gleb Uspensky1843-1902 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.74
  24. 24Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia1864-1931 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.74
  25. 25Ivan I of Tver1357-1425 · 14th century · Historical Figures0.73
  26. 26Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow1482-1563 · 16th century · Writers0.71
  27. 27Ivan I Aleksandrovich, Prince of Smolenskdied 1359 · 14th century0.71
  28. 28Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia1904-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.69
  29. 29Peter the Great1672-1725 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians0.68
  30. 30Mikhail Bakunin1814-1876 · 19th century · Israel · Activists0.63
  31. 31Maria Feodorovna1847-1928 · 19th century · Denmark · Historical Figures0.59
  32. 32Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia1690-1718 · 18th century · Politicians0.57
  33. 33Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia1779-1831 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.55
  34. 34Boris of Tver1400-1461 · 15th century0.54
  35. 35Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia1827-1892 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.52
  36. 36Vladimir Lenin1870-1924 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.50
  37. 37Sergei Yesenin1895-1925 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.50
  38. 38Michael of Russia1596-1645 · 17th century · Historical Figures0.49
  39. 39Aleksey Tolstoy1882-1945 · 20th century · France · Writers0.46
  40. 40Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy1817-1875 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.46
  41. 41Vladimir Solovyov1853-1900 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.45
  42. 42Elizabeth of Russia1709-1761 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.37
  43. 43Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia1783-1801 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.36
  44. 44Fyodor Dostoevsky1821-1881 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.35
  45. 45Paul I of Russia1754-1801 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.35
  46. 46Peter III of Russia1728-1762 · 18th century · Germany · Historical Figures0.34
  47. 47Anna Akhmatova1889-1966 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.32
  48. 48Konstantin Pobedonostsev1827-1907 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.31
  49. 49Ivan Fyodorov1510-1583 · 16th century0.30
  50. 50Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia1858-1915 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.30
  51. 51Maximus the Greek1475-1556 · 16th century · Writers0.29
  52. 52Alexander Pushkin1799-1837 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.29
  53. 53Vasili IV of Russia1552-1612 · 16th century · Historical Figures0.28
  54. 54Vera Figner1852-1942 · 19th century · Russia · Activists0.27
  55. 55Sophia Perovskaya1853-1881 · 19th century · Russia · Activists0.27
  56. 56Vladimir Mayakovsky1893-1930 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.26
  57. 57Stepan Razin1630-1671 · 17th century0.25
  58. 58Béla Kun1886-1938 · 20th century · Hungary · Activists0.25
  59. 59Olga Constantinovna of Russia1851-1926 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.25
  60. 60Avraamy Palitsyn1550-1626 · 16th century · Writers0.24
  61. 61Anton Chekhov1860-1904 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.24
  62. 62Alexander Radishchev1749-1802 · 18th century · Russia · Writers0.23
  63. 63Alexander Bestuzhev1797-1837 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.23
  64. 64Catherine Pavlovna of Russia1788-1819 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.23
  65. 65Konstantin of Uglich1389-1434 · 15th century0.22
  66. 66Vladimir Korolenko1853-1921 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.20
  67. 67Patriarch Joachim1621-1690 · 17th century0.20
  68. 68Nikolay Morozov1854-1946 · 19th century · Russia · Activists0.20
  69. 69Nikolay Chernyshevsky1828-1889 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.19
  70. 70Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia1825-1844 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.18
  71. 71Ilya Ehrenburg1891-1967 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.18
  72. 72Ivan Aksakov1823-1886 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.17
  73. 73Alexander Ivanov1806-1858 · 19th century · Russia · Artists0.17
  74. 74Grigori Rasputin1869-1916 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.16
  75. 75Hyacinth1777-1853 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.16
  76. 76Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia1871-1899 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.16
  77. 77Peter Kropotkin1842-1921 · 19th century · Russia · Activists0.15
  78. 78Marina Tsvetaeva1892-1941 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.13
  79. 79Faddey Bulgarin1789-1859 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.12
  80. 80Alexander Herzen1812-1870 · 19th century · Switzerland · Writers0.12
  81. 81Konstantin Aksakov1817-1860 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.11
  82. 82Zinaida Gippius1869-1945 · 20th century · France · Writers0.11
  83. 83Konstantin Leontiev1831-1891 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.11
  84. 84Nikolay Nekrasov1821-1877 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.11
  85. 85Nikita Khrushchev1894-1971 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.11
  86. 86Pitirim Sorokin1889-1968 · 20th century · United States · Academics0.10
  87. 87Vasili III of Russia1479-1533 · 16th century · Politicians0.10
  88. 88Symeon of Polotsk1629-1680 · 17th century · Writers0.10
  89. 89Sophia Alekseyevna of Russia1657-1704 · 17th century · Politicians0.10
  90. 90John of Kronstadt1829-1908 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.09
  91. 91Stefan Yavorsky1658-1722 · 17th century · Russia · Academics0.09
  92. 92Vissarion Belinsky1811-1848 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.09
  93. 93Apollon Maykov1821-1897 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.09
  94. 94Denis Davydov1784-1839 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.09
  95. 95Pavel Pestel1793-1826 · 19th century · Russia · Activists0.09
  96. 96Ivan Pavlov1849-1936 · 19th century · Russia · Scientists0.08
  97. 97Georgy Chicherin1872-1936 · 20th century · Russia · Activists0.08
  98. 98Catherine I of Russia1684-1727 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.08
  99. 99Anna of Russia1693-1740 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians0.08
  100. 100Korney Chukovsky1882-1969 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.08

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.