215,950 profiles ranked

← Fame through time1970-1979

The 1970s

Whose names filled the books of the 1970s - 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 French books during the 1970s, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Voltaire1694-1778 · 18th century · France · Writers28
  2. 2Louis XIV of France1638-1715 · 17th century · France · Historical Figures13
  3. 3Molière1622-1673 · 17th century · France · Writers11
  4. 4Stendhal1783-1842 · 19th century · France · Writers11
  5. 5Montesquieu1689-1755 · 18th century · France · Academics7.3
  6. 6Victor Hugo1802-1885 · 19th century · France · Writers6.2
  7. 7Louis XV of France1710-1774 · 18th century · France · Historical Figures5.5
  8. 8Louis XVI of France1754-1793 · 18th century · France · Historical Figures5.3
  9. 9François Fénelon1651-1715 · 17th century · France · Religious Figures4.7
  10. 10Pierre de Marivaux1688-1763 · 18th century · France · Writers3.4
  11. 11George Sand1804-1876 · 19th century · France · Writers3.2
  12. 12Napoleon III1808-1873 · 19th century · France · Politicians3.2
  13. 13Joan of Arc1412-1431 · 15th century · France3.1
  14. 14André Gide1869-1951 · 20th century · France · Writers2.9
  15. 15Léon Blum1872-1950 · 20th century · France · Politicians2.5
  16. 16Georges Pompidou1911-1974 · 20th century · France · Politicians2.4
  17. 17François Mitterrand1916-1996 · 20th century · France · Politicians2.2
  18. 18Marcel Proust1871-1922 · 20th century · France · Writers2.2
  19. 19Louis XVIII of France1755-1824 · 18th century · France · Politicians2.2
  20. 20Paul Valéry1871-1945 · 20th century · France · Writers2.1
  21. 21Valéry Giscard d'Estaing1926-2020 · 20th century · France · Politicians2.0
  22. 22Jules Verne1828-1905 · 19th century · France · Writers1.9
  23. 23André Malraux1901-1976 · 20th century · France · Writers1.9
  24. 24Romain Rolland1866-1944 · 20th century · France · Writers1.7
  25. 25Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor1500-1558 · 16th century · Historical Figures1.7
  26. 26André Breton1896-1966 · 20th century · France · Writers1.7
  27. 27Paul Claudel1868-1955 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.6
  28. 28Anatole France1844-1924 · 19th century · France · Writers1.6
  29. 29Marie Antoinette1755-1793 · 18th century · France · Historical Figures1.5
  30. 30Benjamin Constant1767-1830 · 19th century · Switzerland · Politicians1.4
  31. 31Louis XII of France1462-1515 · 15th century · France · Historical Figures1.4
  32. 32Jean-Jacques Rousseau1712-1778 · 18th century · Switzerland · Academics1.4
  33. 33Jacques Chirac1932-2019 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.4
  34. 34Charles Marie René Leconte de Lisle1818-1894 · 19th century · France · Writers1.4
  35. 35Charles X of France1757-1836 · 18th century · France · Politicians1.4
  36. 36Claude Bernard1813-1878 · 19th century · France · Politicians1.3
  37. 37Le Corbusier1887-1965 · 20th century · Switzerland · Architects1.3
  38. 38François Mauriac1885-1970 · 20th century · France · Writers1.2
  39. 39Francis de Sales1567-1622 · 17th century · France · Religious Figures1.2
  40. 40Max Jacob1876-1944 · 20th century · France · Writers1.2
  41. 41Auguste Comte1798-1857 · 19th century · France · Academics1.2
  42. 42Charles de Gaulle1890-1970 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.1
  43. 43Jean Cocteau1889-1963 · 20th century · France · Writers1.1
  44. 44Léon Bloy1846-1917 · 19th century · France · Writers1.1
  45. 45Roland Barthes1915-1980 · 20th century · France · Academics1.1
  46. 46Théophile Gautier1811-1872 · 19th century · France · Writers1.0
  47. 47Simone de Beauvoir1908-1986 · 20th century · France · Academics0.97
  48. 48Chrétien de Troyes1135-1181 · 12th century · France · Writers0.95
  49. 49Saint-John Perse1887-1975 · 20th century · France · Writers0.93
  50. 50Jules Ferry1832-1893 · 19th century · France · Politicians0.91
  51. 51Albert Camus1913-1960 · 20th century · France · Academics0.90
  52. 52Pope John XXII1244-1334 · 13th century · France · Religious Figures0.89
  53. 53Simone Weil1909-1943 · 20th century · France · Academics0.87
  54. 54Roger Martin du Gard1881-1958 · 20th century · France · Writers0.87
  55. 55Francis II of France1544-1560 · 16th century · France · Politicians0.86
  56. 56Charles Péguy1873-1914 · 20th century · France · Writers0.85
  57. 57Philip V of Spain1683-1746 · 18th century · France · Politicians0.85
  58. 58Antonin Artaud1896-1948 · 20th century · France · Writers0.83
  59. 59Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme1540-1614 · 16th century · France · Writers0.82
  60. 60Raymond Aron1905-1983 · 20th century · France · Academics0.78
  61. 61Louis Blanc1811-1882 · 19th century · Spain · Politicians0.77
  62. 62Vincent de Paul1581-1660 · 17th century · France · Religious Figures0.77
  63. 63Charles the Bold1433-1477 · 15th century · France · Politicians0.76
  64. 64Jean-Paul Sartre1905-1980 · 20th century · France · Academics0.76
  65. 65Gérard de Nerval1808-1855 · 19th century · France · Writers0.75
  66. 66Michel Foucault1926-1984 · 20th century · France · Academics0.74
  67. 67Gabriel Marcel1889-1973 · 20th century · France · Academics0.71
  68. 68Pierre Laval1883-1945 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.71
  69. 69Marie de' Medici1575-1642 · 17th century · France · Politicians0.70
  70. 70Charles Maurras1868-1952 · 20th century · France · Writers0.70
  71. 71Guillaume Apollinaire1880-1918 · 20th century · France · Writers0.67
  72. 72Robert Schuman1886-1963 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.65
  73. 73Vincent Auriol1884-1966 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.63
  74. 74Jean Monnet1888-1979 · 20th century · France · Academics0.62
  75. 75Joseph de Maistre1753-1821 · 18th century · France · Academics0.61
  76. 76La Grange1635-1692 · 17th century · France · Actors0.59
  77. 77Jules Renard1864-1910 · 19th century · France · Writers0.59
  78. 78André Chénier1762-1794 · 18th century · France · Writers0.58
  79. 79Charles, Duke of Orléans1394-1465 · 15th century · France · Writers0.56
  80. 80Boris Vian1920-1959 · 20th century · France · Writers0.56
  81. 81Maine de Biran1766-1824 · 19th century · France · Politicians0.56
  82. 82Marcel Duchamp1887-1968 · 20th century · France · Artists0.53
  83. 83Marc Bloch1886-1944 · 20th century · France · Writers0.53
  84. 84Alfred de Musset1810-1857 · 19th century · France · Writers0.53
  85. 85Nostradamus1503-1566 · 16th century · France · Academics0.52
  86. 86Paul Bourget1852-1935 · 19th century · France · Writers0.51
  87. 87Aimé Césaire1913-2008 · 20th century · France · Writers0.51
  88. 88Jacques Maritain1882-1973 · 20th century · France · Academics0.51
  89. 89Pierre Leroux1797-1871 · 19th century · France · Academics0.51
  90. 90Alfred de Vigny1797-1863 · 19th century · France · Writers0.50
  91. 91Jean Giraudoux1882-1944 · 20th century · France · Writers0.49
  92. 92Gustave Moreau1826-1898 · 19th century · France · Artists0.49
  93. 93Jean Bodin1530-1596 · 16th century · France · Academics0.49
  94. 94Gustave Flaubert1821-1880 · 19th century · France · Writers0.47
  95. 95Georges Duhamel1884-1966 · 20th century · France · Writers0.47
  96. 96Jean Jaurès1859-1914 · 19th century · France · Politicians0.47
  97. 97Marguerite Duras1914-1996 · 20th century · France · Writers0.47
  98. 98Eugène Sue1804-1857 · 19th century · France · Writers0.47
  99. 99Pope Julius II1443-1513 · 15th century · Italy · Religious Figures0.46
  100. 100Rutebeuf1245-1285 · 13th century · France · Writers0.46

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 1970s, ranked where coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1Pope Francis1936-2025 · Argentina · Religious Figuresnot measured-
  2. 2Joe Bidenborn 1942 · United States · Politicians4 decades
  3. 3Elvis Presley1935-1977 · United States · Musicians7 decades
  4. 4Bob Dylanborn 1941 · United States · Musicians6 decades
  5. 5Ali Khamenei1939-2026 · Iran · Politicians4 decades
  6. 6Bruce Lee1940-1973 · United States · Actors5 decades
  7. 7Stephen Hawking1942-2018 · United Kingdom · Scientists4 decades
  8. 8John Lennon1940-1980 · United Kingdom · Musicians6 decades
  9. 9Muhammad Ali1942-2016 · United States · Athletes8 decades
  10. 10Saddam Hussein1937-2006 · Iraq · Politicians6 decades
  11. 11Paul McCartneyborn 1942 · United Kingdom · Musicians6 decades
  12. 12Muammar Gaddafi1942-2011 · Politicians2 decades
  13. 13Robert De Niroborn 1943 · United States · Actors5 decades
  14. 14Woody Allenborn 1935 · United States · Directors6 decades
  15. 15Pelé1940-2022 · Brazil · Footballers3 decades
  16. 16Al Pacinoborn 1940 · United States · Actors5 decades
  17. 17Jack Nicholsonborn 1937 · United States · Actors5 decades
  18. 18Bernie Sandersborn 1941 · United States · Politicians3 decades
  19. 19Harrison Fordborn 1942 · United States · Actors4 decades
  20. 20Morgan Freemanborn 1937 · United States · Actors3 decades
  21. 21George Harrison1943-2001 · United Kingdom · Musiciansnot measured-
  22. 22Chuck Norris1940-2026 · United States · Actors4 decades
  23. 23Jane Fondaborn 1937 · United States · Actors6 decades
  24. 24Jimi Hendrix1942-1970 · United States · Musicians5 decades
  25. 2514th Dalai Lamaborn 1935 · China · Politiciansnot measured-
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.