215,950 profiles ranked

← Fame through time1990-1999

The 1990s

Whose names filled the books of the 1990s - 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 1990s, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Patriarch Nikon of Moscow1605-1681 · 17th century · Religious Figures4.5
  2. 2Peter the Great1672-1725 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians3.7
  3. 3Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow1482-1563 · 16th century · Writers3.1
  4. 4Nicholas II of Russia1868-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures2.8
  5. 5Alexis of Russia1629-1676 · 17th century · Historical Figures2.5
  6. 6Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia1847-1909 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians2.5
  7. 7Alexander I of Russia1777-1825 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures2.3
  8. 8Nicholas I of Russia1796-1855 · 19th century · Russia · Models2.3
  9. 9Leo Tolstoy1828-1910 · 19th century · Russia · Writers2.2
  10. 10Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia1857-1905 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians2.0
  11. 11Ivan the Terrible1530-1584 · 16th century · Politicians1.9
  12. 12Boris Godunov1552-1605 · 16th century · Politicians1.9
  13. 13Ivan I of Tver1357-1425 · 14th century · Historical Figures1.7
  14. 14Alexander II of Russia1818-1881 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.7
  15. 15Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia1904-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.7
  16. 16Andrei Bely1880-1934 · 20th century · Russia · Writers1.5
  17. 17Ivan I Aleksandrovich, Prince of Smolenskdied 1359 · 14th century1.4
  18. 18Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia1832-1909 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians1.4
  19. 19Alexander III of Russia1845-1894 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.3
  20. 20Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia1690-1718 · 18th century · Politicians1.3
  21. 21Michael of Russia1596-1645 · 17th century · Historical Figures1.2
  22. 22Boris Yeltsin1931-2007 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians1.2
  23. 23Maria Feodorovna1847-1928 · 19th century · Denmark · Historical Figures1.2
  24. 24Elizabeth of Russia1709-1761 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.1
  25. 25Marina Tsvetaeva1892-1941 · 20th century · Russia · Writers1.1
  26. 26Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia1864-1931 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.1
  27. 27Paul I of Russia1754-1801 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.0
  28. 28Anna Akhmatova1889-1966 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.99
  29. 29Alexander Blok1880-1921 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.99
  30. 30Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia1850-1908 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.94
  31. 31Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia1827-1892 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.83
  32. 32Patriarch Joachim1621-1690 · 17th century0.82
  33. 33Alexander Pushkin1799-1837 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.81
  34. 34Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia1899-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.80
  35. 35Vladimir Solovyov1853-1900 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.79
  36. 36Maxim Gorky1868-1936 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.77
  37. 37Boris of Tver1400-1461 · 15th century0.77
  38. 38Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia1860-1919 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.76
  39. 39Sergei Yesenin1895-1925 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.72
  40. 40Peter III of Russia1728-1762 · 18th century · Germany · Historical Figures0.69
  41. 41Anna of Russia1693-1740 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians0.68
  42. 42Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia1858-1915 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.65
  43. 43Avraamy Palitsyn1550-1626 · 16th century · Writers0.58
  44. 44Vladimir Lenin1870-1924 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.57
  45. 45Mikhail Gorbachev1931-2022 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.53
  46. 46Valery Bryusov1873-1924 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.50
  47. 47Maximus the Greek1475-1556 · 16th century · Writers0.50
  48. 48Patriarch Alexius II1929-2008 · 20th century · Estonia · Religious Figures0.49
  49. 49Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia1871-1899 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.49
  50. 50Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia1779-1831 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.48
  51. 51Aleksey Tolstoy1882-1945 · 20th century · France · Writers0.46
  52. 52Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy1817-1875 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.45
  53. 53Symeon of Polotsk1629-1680 · 17th century · Writers0.44
  54. 54Vasili IV of Russia1552-1612 · 16th century · Historical Figures0.44
  55. 55Joseph Brodsky1940-1996 · 20th century · United States · Writers0.42
  56. 56Seraphim of Sarov1754-1833 · 18th century · Russia0.42
  57. 57Vasili III of Russia1479-1533 · 16th century · Politicians0.41
  58. 58Alexandra Velyaminova1301-1364 · 14th century0.40
  59. 59John of Kronstadt1829-1908 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.39
  60. 60Vladimir Mayakovsky1893-1930 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.39
  61. 61Mikhail Bulgakov1891-1940 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.38
  62. 62Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn1918-2008 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.38
  63. 63Sergo Ordzhonikidze1886-1937 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.37
  64. 64Andrei Platonov1899-1951 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.36
  65. 65Leonid Andreyev1871-1919 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.36
  66. 66Konstantin of Uglich1389-1434 · 15th century0.35
  67. 67Ilya Ehrenburg1891-1967 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.34
  68. 68Ivan Fyodorov1510-1583 · 16th century0.34
  69. 69Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia1863-1919 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.33
  70. 70Nikolai Berdyaev1874-1948 · 20th century · France · Academics0.33
  71. 71Vladimir Vysotsky1938-1980 · 20th century · Russia · Musicians0.32
  72. 72Catherine Pavlovna of Russia1788-1819 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.31
  73. 73Andrei Sakharov1921-1989 · 20th century · Russia · Scientists0.31
  74. 74Joseph Volotsky1440-1515 · 15th century · Writers0.31
  75. 75Stepan Razin1630-1671 · 17th century0.30
  76. 76Victor Chernomyrdin1938-2010 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.30
  77. 77Ivan Bunin1870-1953 · 20th century · France · Writers0.30
  78. 78Peter II of Russia1715-1730 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians0.29
  79. 79Nikita Khrushchev1894-1971 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.28
  80. 80Joseph Stalin1878-1953 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.28
  81. 81Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia1825-1844 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.28
  82. 82Fyodor Dostoevsky1821-1881 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.28
  83. 83Konstantin Simonov1915-1979 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.28
  84. 84Egor Gajdar1956-2009 · 20th century · Russia · Academics0.27
  85. 85Anton Chekhov1860-1904 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.27
  86. 86Yury Luzhkov1936-2019 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.26
  87. 87Vladimir Nabokov1899-1977 · 20th century · United States · Writers0.26
  88. 88Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov1737-1807 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians0.25
  89. 89Vladimir Zhirinovsky1946-2022 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.24
  90. 90Dmitri Mendeleev1834-1907 · 19th century · Russia · Scientists0.24
  91. 91Bulat Okudzhava1924-1997 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.24
  92. 92Sholem Aleichem1859-1916 · 19th century · United States · Writers0.24
  93. 93Konstantin Leontiev1831-1891 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.24
  94. 94Korney Chukovsky1882-1969 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.23
  95. 95Zinaida Gippius1869-1945 · 20th century · France · Writers0.23
  96. 96Grigory Orlov1734-1783 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.22
  97. 97Grand Duke Dimitri Constantinovich of Russia1860-1919 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.21
  98. 98Denis Davydov1784-1839 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.21
  99. 99Catherine I of Russia1684-1727 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.21
  100. 100Sergey Solovyov1820-1879 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.21

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 1990s, ranked where coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1Michael Jackson1958-2009 · United States · Musicians5 decades
  2. 2Barack Obamaborn 1961 · United States · Politicians2 decades
  3. 3Steve Jobs1955-2011 · United States · Founders4 decades
  4. 4Pope Leo XIVborn 1955 · United States · Religious Figures0 decades
  5. 5Madonnaborn 1958 · United States · Musiciansnot measured-
  6. 6Osama bin Laden1957-2011 · Saudi Arabia · Historical Figures3 decades
  7. 7Diego Maradona1960-2020 · Argentina · Footballers4 decades
  8. 8Bill Gatesborn 1955 · United States · Founders4 decades
  9. 9Brad Pittborn 1963 · United States · Actors3 decades
  10. 10Nicolás Maduroborn 1962 · Venezuela · Politicians2 decades
  11. 11Michael Jordanborn 1963 · United States · Basketball Players4 decades
  12. 12Diana, Princess of Wales1961-1997 · United Kingdom · Historical Figures0 decades
  13. 13Kamala Harrisborn 1964 · United States · Politicians1 decades
  14. 14Johnny Deppborn 1963 · United States · Actors3 decades
  15. 15Tom Cruiseborn 1962 · United States · Actors4 decades
  16. 16Tom Hanksborn 1956 · United States · Actors4 decades
  17. 17Tupac Shakur1971-1996 · United States · Musicians3 decades
  18. 18Keanu Reevesborn 1964 · Canada · Actors3 decades
  19. 19Whitney Houston1963-2012 · United States · Musicians4 decades
  20. 20Keir Starmerborn 1962 · United Kingdom · Politicians0 decades
  21. 21Sandra Bullockborn 1964 · United States · Actors3 decades
  22. 22Jim Carreyborn 1962 · United States · Actors3 decades
  23. 23George Clooneyborn 1961 · United States · Actors3 decades
  24. 24Bruce Willisborn 1955 · United States · Actors4 decades
  25. 25Jeff Bezosborn 1964 · United States · Founders2 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.