215,950 profiles ranked

← Fame through time1940-1949

The 1940s

Whose names filled the books of the 1940s - 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 1940s, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Peter the Great1672-1725 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians3.3
  2. 2Leo Tolstoy1828-1910 · 19th century · Russia · Writers3.0
  3. 3Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia1904-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures2.4
  4. 4Patriarch Nikon of Moscow1605-1681 · 17th century · Religious Figures2.3
  5. 5Nicholas I of Russia1796-1855 · 19th century · Russia · Models2.2
  6. 6Ivan the Terrible1530-1584 · 16th century · Politicians2.2
  7. 7Boris Godunov1552-1605 · 16th century · Politicians1.9
  8. 8Vladimir Lenin1870-1924 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians1.8
  9. 9Alexander I of Russia1777-1825 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.7
  10. 10Alexander II of Russia1818-1881 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.5
  11. 11Maxim Gorky1868-1936 · 20th century · Russia · Writers1.4
  12. 12Fyodor Volkov1729-1763 · 18th century · Russia · Actors1.3
  13. 13Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow1482-1563 · 16th century · Writers1.2
  14. 14Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia1690-1718 · 18th century · Politicians1.2
  15. 15Ivan I of Tver1357-1425 · 14th century · Historical Figures1.1
  16. 16Joseph Stalin1878-1953 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians1.1
  17. 17Sergo Ordzhonikidze1886-1937 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians1.1
  18. 18Aleksey Tolstoy1882-1945 · 20th century · France · Writers1.1
  19. 19Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy1817-1875 · 19th century · Russia · Writers1.00
  20. 20Denis Davydov1784-1839 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.98
  21. 21Nicholas II of Russia1868-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.89
  22. 22Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia1850-1908 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.87
  23. 23Alexis of Russia1629-1676 · 17th century · Historical Figures0.84
  24. 24Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia1899-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.80
  25. 25Vladimir Mayakovsky1893-1930 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.79
  26. 26Ivan I Aleksandrovich, Prince of Smolenskdied 1359 · 14th century0.74
  27. 27Alexandra Velyaminova1301-1364 · 14th century0.74
  28. 28Anton Chekhov1860-1904 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.66
  29. 29Maximus the Greek1475-1556 · 16th century · Writers0.66
  30. 30Alexander III of Russia1845-1894 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.63
  31. 31Alexander Pushkin1799-1837 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.62
  32. 32Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia1864-1931 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.55
  33. 33Ivan Fyodorov1510-1583 · 16th century0.54
  34. 34Avraamy Palitsyn1550-1626 · 16th century · Writers0.52
  35. 35Michael of Russia1596-1645 · 17th century · Historical Figures0.52
  36. 36Paul I of Russia1754-1801 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.51
  37. 37Yemelyan Pugachev1742-1775 · 18th century · Russia · Activists0.50
  38. 38Alexander Blok1880-1921 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.49
  39. 39Ivan Pavlov1849-1936 · 19th century · Russia · Scientists0.49
  40. 40Alexander Suvorov1730-1800 · 18th century · Russia0.49
  41. 41Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia1847-1909 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.45
  42. 42Gleb Uspensky1843-1902 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.45
  43. 43Stepan Razin1630-1671 · 17th century0.44
  44. 44Yanka Kupala1882-1942 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.42
  45. 45Peter III of Russia1728-1762 · 18th century · Germany · Historical Figures0.42
  46. 46Vasili IV of Russia1552-1612 · 16th century · Historical Figures0.42
  47. 47Taras Shevchenko1814-1861 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.41
  48. 48Mikhail Kalinin1875-1946 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.41
  49. 49Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia1827-1892 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.41
  50. 50Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya1923-1941 · 20th century · Russia0.40
  51. 51Leonid Andreyev1871-1919 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.38
  52. 52Grigory Orlov1734-1783 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.38
  53. 53Mikhail Kutuzov1747-1813 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians0.36
  54. 54Andrei Bely1880-1934 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.36
  55. 55Elizabeth of Russia1709-1761 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.35
  56. 56Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia1832-1909 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.35
  57. 57Dmitri Mendeleev1834-1907 · 19th century · Russia · Scientists0.35
  58. 58Maria Feodorovna1847-1928 · 19th century · Denmark · Historical Figures0.34
  59. 59Kuzma Minindied 1616 · 17th century · Politicians0.34
  60. 60Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia1857-1905 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.32
  61. 61Mikhail Lomonosov1711-1765 · 18th century · Russia · Scientists0.32
  62. 62Nikolai Ostrovsky1904-1936 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.32
  63. 63Ilya Ehrenburg1891-1967 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.31
  64. 64Sergey Kirov1886-1934 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.31
  65. 65Boris of Tver1400-1461 · 15th century0.29
  66. 66Vasili III of Russia1479-1533 · 16th century · Politicians0.29
  67. 67Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia1779-1831 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.29
  68. 68Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia1825-1844 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.27
  69. 69Patriarch Joachim1621-1690 · 17th century0.27
  70. 70Valery Bryusov1873-1924 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.26
  71. 71Konstantin Simonov1915-1979 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.26
  72. 72Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia1860-1919 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.25
  73. 73Vissarion Belinsky1811-1848 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.25
  74. 74Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia1783-1801 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.25
  75. 75Nikolai Lobachevsky1792-1856 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.24
  76. 76Yakub Kolas1882-1956 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.24
  77. 77Mikhail Sholokhov1905-1984 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.23
  78. 78Kliment Timiryazev1843-1920 · 19th century · Russia · Scientists0.22
  79. 79Catherine Pavlovna of Russia1788-1819 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.22
  80. 80Nikita Panin1718-1783 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians0.22
  81. 81Vyacheslav Molotov1890-1986 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.21
  82. 82Vladimir Solovyov1853-1900 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.21
  83. 83Symeon of Polotsk1629-1680 · 17th century · Writers0.21
  84. 84Hyacinth1777-1853 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.20
  85. 85Ivan Michurin1855-1935 · 19th century · Russia · Scientists0.20
  86. 86Nikolay Chernyshevsky1828-1889 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.19
  87. 87Alexander Stepanovich Popov1859-1905 · 19th century · Russia · Scientists0.19
  88. 88Ilya Repin1844-1930 · 19th century · Russia · Artists0.19
  89. 89Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov1737-1807 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians0.19
  90. 90Alexander Radishchev1749-1802 · 18th century · Russia · Writers0.17
  91. 91Pyotr Panin1721-1789 · 18th century · Russia0.17
  92. 92Joseph Volotsky1440-1515 · 15th century · Writers0.16
  93. 93Nikolay Nekrasov1821-1877 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.16
  94. 94Konstantin Aksakov1817-1860 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.16
  95. 95Nadezhda Krupskaya1869-1939 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.16
  96. 96Konstantin of Uglich1389-1434 · 15th century0.16
  97. 97Alexander Bestuzhev1797-1837 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.16
  98. 98Ivan Krylov1769-1844 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.15
  99. 99Alexander Menshikov1673-1729 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians0.15
  100. 100Sholem Aleichem1859-1916 · 19th century · United States · Writers0.15

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 1940s, ranked where coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1Ronald Reagan1911-2004 · United States · Politicians9 decades
  2. 2Richard Nixon1913-1994 · United States · Politicians8 decades
  3. 3Frida Kahlo1907-1954 · Mexico · Artists8 decades
  4. 4Lyndon B. Johnson1908-1973 · United States · Politicians8 decades
  5. 5Alan Turing1912-1954 · United Kingdom · Academics4 decades
  6. 6Gerald Ford1913-2006 · United States · Politicians6 decades
  7. 7Anne Frank1929-1945 · Germany · Writers7 decades
  8. 8Mother Teresa1910-1997 · Albania · Musicians9 decades
  9. 9Leonid Brezhnev1906-1982 · Russia · Politicians7 decades
  10. 10John Wayne1907-1979 · United States · Actors9 decades
  11. 11Albert Camus1913-1960 · France · Academics8 decades
  12. 12Pope John Paul I1912-1978 · Italy · Religious Figures2 decades
  13. 13Katharine Hepburn1907-2003 · United States · Actors9 decades
  14. 14Rosa Parks1913-2005 · United States · Activists6 decades
  15. 15Ayn Rand1905-1982 · United States · Writers3 decades
  16. 16James Stewart1908-1997 · United States · Actorsnot measured-
  17. 17Adolf Eichmann1906-1962 · Austria · Politicians8 decades
  18. 18Hedy Lamarr1914-2000 · Austria · Actors3 decades
  19. 19Bette Davis1908-1989 · United States · Actors9 decades
  20. 20Wernher von Braun1912-1977 · United States · Scientists7 decades
  21. 21Hannah Arendt1906-1975 · United States · Academics8 decades
  22. 22Jean-Paul Sartre1905-1980 · France · Academics9 decades
  23. 23Ian Fleming1908-1964 · United Kingdom · Writers7 decades
  24. 24Vivien Leigh1913-1967 · United Kingdom · Actors8 decades
  25. 25Akira Kurosawa1910-1998 · Japan · Directors6 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.