215,950 profiles ranked

← Fame through time1980-1989

The 1980s

Whose names filled the books of the 1980s - 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 1980s, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Vladimir Lenin1870-1924 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians2.6
  2. 2Leo Tolstoy1828-1910 · 19th century · Russia · Writers2.1
  3. 3Peter the Great1672-1725 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians1.5
  4. 4Boris Godunov1552-1605 · 16th century · Politicians1.2
  5. 5Patriarch Nikon of Moscow1605-1681 · 17th century · Religious Figures1.1
  6. 6Alexander Blok1880-1921 · 20th century · Russia · Writers1.1
  7. 7Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia1904-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.1
  8. 8Ivan I of Tver1357-1425 · 14th century · Historical Figures1.0
  9. 9Leonid Brezhnev1906-1982 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians1.0
  10. 10Sergo Ordzhonikidze1886-1937 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.99
  11. 11Nicholas I of Russia1796-1855 · 19th century · Russia · Models0.95
  12. 12Ivan the Terrible1530-1584 · 16th century · Politicians0.82
  13. 13Alexis of Russia1629-1676 · 17th century · Historical Figures0.81
  14. 14Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia1847-1909 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.80
  15. 15Maxim Gorky1868-1936 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.78
  16. 16Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia1690-1718 · 18th century · Politicians0.78
  17. 17Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia1832-1909 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.77
  18. 18Alexander I of Russia1777-1825 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.73
  19. 19Andrei Bely1880-1934 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.73
  20. 20Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow1482-1563 · 16th century · Writers0.69
  21. 21Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia1864-1931 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.65
  22. 22Ivan I Aleksandrovich, Prince of Smolenskdied 1359 · 14th century0.62
  23. 23Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia1899-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.61
  24. 24Aleksey Tolstoy1882-1945 · 20th century · France · Writers0.58
  25. 25Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia1857-1905 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.56
  26. 26Nicholas II of Russia1868-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.55
  27. 27Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy1817-1875 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.55
  28. 28Maria Feodorovna1847-1928 · 19th century · Denmark · Historical Figures0.51
  29. 29Alexander II of Russia1818-1881 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.51
  30. 30Anna Akhmatova1889-1966 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.49
  31. 31Sergei Yesenin1895-1925 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.49
  32. 32Konstantin Simonov1915-1979 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.48
  33. 33Michael of Russia1596-1645 · 17th century · Historical Figures0.48
  34. 34Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia1850-1908 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.46
  35. 35Vladimir Mayakovsky1893-1930 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.45
  36. 36Dmitri Mendeleev1834-1907 · 19th century · Russia · Scientists0.45
  37. 37Yuri Gagarin1934-1968 · 20th century · Russia · Astronauts0.45
  38. 38Ivan Fyodorov1510-1583 · 16th century0.44
  39. 39Georgi Dimitrov1882-1949 · 20th century · Bulgaria · Politicians0.43
  40. 40Boris of Tver1400-1461 · 15th century0.41
  41. 41Marina Tsvetaeva1892-1941 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.41
  42. 42Alexander Pushkin1799-1837 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.40
  43. 43Alexandra Velyaminova1301-1364 · 14th century0.37
  44. 44Hyacinth1777-1853 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.36
  45. 45Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia1860-1919 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.35
  46. 46Mikhail Sholokhov1905-1984 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.33
  47. 47Mikhail Gorbachev1931-2022 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.32
  48. 48Stepan Razin1630-1671 · 17th century0.30
  49. 49Paul I of Russia1754-1801 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.29
  50. 50Valery Bryusov1873-1924 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.28
  51. 51Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia1858-1915 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.28
  52. 52Ilya Ehrenburg1891-1967 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.28
  53. 53Elizabeth of Russia1709-1761 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.27
  54. 54Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia1827-1892 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.27
  55. 55Maximus the Greek1475-1556 · 16th century · Writers0.26
  56. 56Taras Shevchenko1814-1861 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.25
  57. 57Konstantin Chernenko1912-1985 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.25
  58. 58Leonid Andreyev1871-1919 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.25
  59. 59Béla Kun1886-1938 · 20th century · Hungary · Activists0.25
  60. 60Yuri Andropov1914-1984 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.24
  61. 61Alexander III of Russia1845-1894 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.24
  62. 62Anton Chekhov1860-1904 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.23
  63. 63Fyodor Dostoevsky1821-1881 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.23
  64. 64Symeon of Polotsk1629-1680 · 17th century · Writers0.23
  65. 65Andrei Platonov1899-1951 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.23
  66. 66Denis Davydov1784-1839 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.22
  67. 67Mikhail Kalinin1875-1946 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.22
  68. 68Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia1825-1844 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.21
  69. 69Vladimir Solovyov1853-1900 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.21
  70. 70Yanka Kupala1882-1942 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.21
  71. 71Rasul Gamzatov1923-2003 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.20
  72. 72Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia1779-1831 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.20
  73. 73Avraamy Palitsyn1550-1626 · 16th century · Writers0.20
  74. 74Vasily Shukshin1929-1974 · 20th century · Russia · Actors0.20
  75. 75Gleb Uspensky1843-1902 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.20
  76. 76Nadezhda Krupskaya1869-1939 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.19
  77. 77Sholem Aleichem1859-1916 · 19th century · United States · Writers0.19
  78. 78Patriarch Joachim1621-1690 · 17th century0.18
  79. 79Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia1863-1919 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.18
  80. 80Mikhail Lomonosov1711-1765 · 18th century · Russia · Scientists0.18
  81. 81Peter III of Russia1728-1762 · 18th century · Germany · Historical Figures0.17
  82. 82Korney Chukovsky1882-1969 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.17
  83. 83Yakub Kolas1882-1956 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.17
  84. 84Mikhail Bulgakov1891-1940 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.17
  85. 85Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia1871-1899 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.17
  86. 86Yemelyan Pugachev1742-1775 · 18th century · Russia · Activists0.17
  87. 87Catherine Pavlovna of Russia1788-1819 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.17
  88. 88Shoqan Walikhanov1835-1865 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.16
  89. 89Nikolai Ostrovsky1904-1936 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.16
  90. 90Nâzım Hikmet1902-1963 · 20th century · Turkey · Writers0.16
  91. 91Alexander Bestuzhev1797-1837 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.16
  92. 92Anna of Russia1693-1740 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians0.15
  93. 93Alexander Suvorov1730-1800 · 18th century · Russia0.15
  94. 94Vasili IV of Russia1552-1612 · 16th century · Historical Figures0.15
  95. 95Yevgeny Yevtushenko1933-2017 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.14
  96. 96Vladimir Vysotsky1938-1980 · 20th century · Russia · Musicians0.14
  97. 97Konstantin of Uglich1389-1434 · 15th century0.14
  98. 98Andrei Voznesensky1933-2010 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.13
  99. 99Sergei Korolev1906-1966 · 20th century · Russia · Scientists0.13
  100. 100Alexander Ivanov1806-1858 · 19th century · Russia · Artists0.13

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 1980s, ranked where coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1Donald Trumpborn 1946 · United States · Politicians4 decades
  2. 2Vladimir Putinborn 1952 · Russia · Politicians3 decades
  3. 3George W. Bushborn 1946 · United States · Politicians4 decades
  4. 4Xi Jinpingborn 1953 · China · Politicians3 decades
  5. 5Bill Clintonborn 1946 · United States · Politicians4 decades
  6. 6Benjamin Netanyahuborn 1949 · Israel · Politicians4 decades
  7. 7Freddie Mercury1946-1991 · United Kingdom · Musicians3 decades
  8. 8Robin Williams1951-2014 · United States · Actors7 decades
  9. 9Steven Spielbergborn 1946 · United States · Directors5 decades
  10. 10Arnold Schwarzeneggerborn 1947 · Austria · Actors4 decades
  11. 11Narendra Modiborn 1950 · India · Politicians2 decades
  12. 12Jackie Chanborn 1954 · United States · Actorsnot measured-
  13. 13David Bowie1947-2016 · United Kingdom · Musicians5 decades
  14. 14Meryl Streepborn 1949 · United States · Actors4 decades
  15. 15Bob Marley1945-1981 · Jamaica · Musicians5 decades
  16. 16Dolly Parton1946-2026 · United States · Musicians5 decades
  17. 17Stephen Kingborn 1947 · United States · Writers8 decades
  18. 18Sylvester Stalloneborn 1946 · United States · Actors5 decades
  19. 19Hugo Chávez1954-2013 · Venezuela · Politicians3 decades
  20. 20Hillary Clintonborn 1947 · United States · Politicians3 decades
  21. 21Cherborn 1946 · United States · Musiciansnot measured-
  22. 22Elton Johnborn 1947 · United Kingdom · Musicians5 decades
  23. 23Ozzy Osbourne1948-2025 · United Kingdom · Musicians3 decades
  24. 24Pablo Escobar1949-1993 · Colombia · Politicians4 decades
  25. 25John Travoltaborn 1954 · United States · Actors5 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.