1800–1899
The 19th century
Whose names filled the books of the 19th century — 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 German books during the 19th century — whenever they lived.
In books written inEnglish18,114German3,599French3,347Italian1,787Spanish1,162Russian325Hebrew105Chinese9
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Per million words
- 1
Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg1620–1688 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures8.4 - 2
Frederick William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt1700–1771 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany8.4 - 3
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Frederick William, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen1663–1735 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures8.4 - 4
Frederick William of Saxe-Meiningen1679–1746 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures8.4 - 5
Friedrich II, Grand Duke of Baden1857–1928 · 19th century · Historical Figures4.0 - 6
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Maria Theresa1717–1780 · 18th century · 🇦🇹 Austria · Historical Figures3.8 - 7
Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg1676–1732 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians3.8 - 8
Frederick II, Elector Palatine1482–1556 · 16th century3.8 - 9
Frederick II of Legnica1480–1547 · 16th century3.8 - 10
Frederick II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1418–1478 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures3.8 - 11
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Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg1633–1708 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany3.8 - 12
John Frederick, Duke of Pomerania1542–1600 · 16th century · Religious Figures2.9 - 13
John Frederick, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt1721–1767 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.9 - 14
John Frederick, Duke of Württemberg1582–1628 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.9 - 15
John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1625–1679 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.9 - 16
John Frederick, Count Palatine of Sulzbach-Hilpoltstein1587–1644 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany2.9 - 17
John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach1654–1686 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models2.9 - 18
Johann Georg, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels1677–1712 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.7 - 19
John George, Elector of Brandenburg1525–1598 · 16th century · Religious Figures2.7 - 20HIHenry IV, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg1397–1427 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.5
- 21HIHenry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen1460–1526 · 15th century · Historical Figures2.5
- 22
Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg1417–1477 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany2.5 - 23
Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein1853–1938 · 19th century · 🇦🇹 Austria · Politicians1.9 - 24
Jean Paul1763–1825 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers1.8 - 25
Frederick Augustus, Duke of Württemberg-Neuenstadt1654–1716 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.8 - 26
Frederick Augustus, Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Oels1740–1805 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.8 - 27
Frederick August I, Duke of Oldenburg1711–1785 · 18th century · Models1.8 - 28
Frederick Augustus, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst1734–1793 · 18th century · Historical Figures1.8 - 29
Duke Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt1831–1904 · 19th century · Historical Figures1.7 - 30
Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden1826–1907 · 19th century · Historical Figures1.7 - 31
Henry II, Duke of Bavaria951–995 · 10th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.6 - 32
Henry II, Count of Reuss-Gera1572–1635 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.6 - 33
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Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1489–1568 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.6 - 34HIHenry II, Count of Gorizia1150–1150 · 12th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.6
- 35
Henry II, Landgrave of Hesse1299–1376 · 14th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.6 - 36HIHenry II, Duke of Limburg1110–1167 · 12th century · Historical Figures1.6
- 37HIHenry II, Lord of Mecklenburg1262–1329 · 13th century · Historical Figures1.6
- 38HIHenry II of Augsburg1001–1063 · 11th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Religious Figures1.6
- 39HIHenry II, Margrave of Meissen1103–1123 · 12th century · Models1.6
- 40
Frederick I1425–1476 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians1.5 - 41
Frederick I, Count Palatine of Simmern1417–1480 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.5 - 42
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Frederick I of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg1646–1691 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.5 - 43
Frederick I, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg1585–1638 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.5 - 44
Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg1371–1440 · 15th century1.5 - 45
Frederick I of Liegnitz1446–1488 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.5 - 46
Frederick I of Prussia1657–1713 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians1.5 - 47
Frederick I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel1357–1400 · 14th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.5 - 48
Frederick III, German Emperor1831–1888 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians1.5 - 49
Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg1852–1931 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.5 - 50
Henry III of Nassau-Breda1483–1538 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.4 - 51HIHenry III, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben1300–1307 · 14th century · Religious Figures1.4
- 52
Henry III, Count of Sayn1193–1247 · 13th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.4 - 53
Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse1440–1483 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models1.4 - 54
Henry III, Duke of Limburg1167–1221 · 13th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.4 - 55HIHenry III, Duke of Mecklenburg1337–1383 · 14th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.4
- 56HIHenry III, Duke of Bavaria940–989 · 10th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.4
- 57HIHenry III, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen1416–1464 · 15th century1.4
- 58
Henry III1215–1288 · 13th century · Writers1.4 - 59
William III1425–1482 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.4 - 60WIWilliam III, Count of Weimar1000–1039 · 11th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.4
- 61
William III, Landgrave of Hesse1471–1500 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.4 - 62
Paracelsus1493–1541 · 16th century · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Doctors1.4 - 63
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor1741–1790 · 18th century · 🇦🇹 Austria · Historical Figures1.3 - 64
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor1316–1378 · 14th century · Historical Figures1.3 - 65
Frederick III of Legnica1520–1570 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.3 - 66
Friedrich III, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth1711–1763 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models1.3 - 67
Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg1699–1772 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.3 - 68
Frederick III, Burgrave of Nuremberg1220–1297 · 13th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.3 - 69
Frederick III, Prince of Salm-Kyrburg1744–1794 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.3 - 70
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Frederick III, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp1597–1659 · 17th century · Historical Figures1.3 - 71
Frederick III of the Palatinate1515–1576 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models1.3 - 72
Frederick III, Margrave of Baden1327–1353 · 14th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models1.3 - 73
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Frederick III, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg1673–1746 · 18th century · Politicians1.3 - 74
Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow1633–1695 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers1.2 - 75
Philip II, Margrave of Baden-Baden1559–1588 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models1.2 - 76PIPhilip II, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen1533–1596 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.2
- 77
Philip II, Duke of Pomerania1573–1618 · 17th century · Historical Figures1.2 - 78
Philip II, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe1723–1787 · 18th century · Historical Figures1.2 - 79PIPhilip II, Count of Waldeck1453–1524 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.2
- 80PIPhilip II, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg1462–1504 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.2
- 81PIPhilip II, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg1501–1529 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.2
- 82WIWilliam I of Weimar900–963 · 10th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.1
- 83
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William I1343–1407 · 14th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.1 - 84
William I, German Emperor1797–1888 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.1 - 85
William the Silent1533–1584 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians1.1 - 86
Wilhelm I of Württemberg1781–1864 · 19th century · Historical Figures1.1 - 87
William I, Duke of Bavaria1330–1389 · 14th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians1.1 - 88
William I, Elector of Hesse1743–1821 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.1 - 89
William, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg1648–1725 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.1 - 90
William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen1487–1559 · 16th century1.1 - 91
Carl Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach1783–1853 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.0 - 92
Charles Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen1712–1743 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.0 - 93
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Karl Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg1668–1721 · 18th century · Historical Figures1.0 - 94
Ferdinand I of Romania1865–1927 · 20th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.0 - 95
Ferdinand II of Portugal1816–1885 · 19th century · 🇦🇹 Austria · Historical Figures1.0 - 96
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor1578–1637 · 17th century · 🇦🇹 Austria · Historical Figures1.0 - 97
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria1529–1595 · 16th century · 🇦🇹 Austria · Historical Figures1.0 - 98
Hans Sachs1494–1576 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers0.99 - 99
Wilhelm II, German Emperor1859–1941 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0.99 - 100
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Wilhelm II of Württemberg1848–1921 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0.95
Lived then
The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 19th century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Echoed
- 1
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Joseph Lister1827–1912 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors18 decades - 2
John Snow1813–1858 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors21 decades - 3
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John Langdon Down1828–1896 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors0 decades - 4
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Havelock Ellis1859–1939 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors14 decades - 5
Ronald Ross1857–1932 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors13 decades - 6
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson1836–1917 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors7 decades - 7
Joseph Bell1837–1911 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors19 decades - 8
Hudson Taylor1832–1905 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors14 decades - 9
Henry Gray1827–1861 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors19 decades - 10
Charles Bell1774–1842 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors22 decades - 11
Frederick Hopkins1861–1947 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors1 decades - 12
Thomas Addison1793–1860 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors12 decades - 13
James Braid1795–1860 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors7 decades - 14
Edward Granville Browne1862–1926 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors0 decades - 15
Anna Kingsford1846–1888 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors3 decades - 16
Astley Cooper1768–1841 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 17
Almroth Wright1861–1947 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 18
Edward Albert Sharpey-Schäfer1850–1935 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 19
Henry Head1861–1940 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 20
Bertrand Dawson, 1st Viscount Dawson of Penn1864–1945 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 21
Edward Treacher Collins1862–1932 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 22
Agnes McLaren1837–1913 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 23
Sir Thomas Barlow, 1st Baronet1845–1945 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 24
Waren Tay1843–1927 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 25
John Kidd1775–1851 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 26
Alice Vickery1844–1929 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 27
Isaac Baker Brown1811–1873 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 28
Madre Teresa Nuzzo1851–1923 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 29
Frederick Parkes Weber1863–1962 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 30
Mary Scharlieb1845–1930 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 31
Jane Elizabeth Waterston1843–1932 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 32
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Henry Walter Bellew1834–1892 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 33
John Hughes Bennett1812–1875 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 34
Ethel Bentham1861–1931 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 35
James Syme1799–1870 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 36
William Fergusson1808–1877 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 37ASAlice Stewart Ker1853–1943 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured—
- 38
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Frederick Howard Taylor1862–1946 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 39
William Ramsay Smith1859–1937 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 40
William Whitla1851–1933 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 41
Joseph Bancroft1836–1894 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured—
- 42
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Robert Muir1864–1959 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 43TBThomas Bateman1778–1821 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured—
- 44
Charles Alfred Ballance1856–1936 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 45
Byrom Bramwell1847–1931 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 46
Humphry Rolleston1862–1944 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 47
Arthur Sloggett1857–1929 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 48
Sir John Bradford, 1st Baronet1863–1935 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured— - 49JTJames Thorne1777–1847 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctorsnot measured—
How this is measured
- Placing people in time. Each person belongs to the century in which they were most active — around age 35, and never after their death.
- Who ranks highest. Within a century, people are ranked where two independent signals agree: how many of the world’s Wikipedia language editions cover them, and how many people actually read about them. Article counts alone can be lifted by a person’s own circle; readers cannot.
- Fame in print. The curves count how often a name appears in Google Books from 1800 to 2019, as a share of all the words printed each year, in the person’s own language wherever that corpus exists. Those decades are over, so each measurement is made once and kept.
- What is left out. A lifetime is measured only from 1820, when there is enough print to judge; the five years after a death are skipped as obituaries; and a name shared with someone equally notable is credited to neither.