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 English books during the 19th century — whenever they lived.
In books written inEnglish18,114German3,599French3,347Italian1,787Spanish1,162Russian325Hebrew105Chinese9
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Per million words
- 1
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Jesus5 BC–30 · 1st century · Religious Figures94 - 2
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Homer900 BC–800 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers15 - 3
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Cicero106 BC–43 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians13 - 4
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Augustus63 BC–14 · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians13 - 5
Plato428 BC–348 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics10 - 6
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Virgil70 BC–19 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers9.6 - 7
Aristotle384 BC–322 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics9.4 - 8
Socrates470 BC–399 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇧🇷 Brazil · Academics6.4 - 9
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Herodotus484 BC–425 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers6.2 - 10
Charles II, Duke of Savoy1489–1496 · 15th century · Historical Figures5.9 - 11
Charles II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels1545–1617 · 16th century · Historical Figures5.9 - 12
Charles II, Lord of Monaco1555–1589 · 16th century · Politicians5.9 - 13
Plutarch40–120 · 1st century · Academics5.6 - 14
Ovid43 BC–17 · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers4.2 - 15
Strabo63 BC–23 · 1st millennium BC · Academics4.1 - 16
Charlemagne748–814 · 8th century · Historical Figures3.9 - 17
Demosthenes384 BC–322 BC · 1st millennium BC · Politicians3.8 - 18
Lord Byron1788–1824 · 19th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers3.6 - 19
Henry IV, Duke of Brabant1251–1272 · 13th century3.5 - 20
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor1050–1106 · 11th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures3.5 - 21
Henry IV, Duke of Limburg1195–1247 · 13th century · Historical Figures3.5 - 22HIHenry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1463–1514 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany3.5
- 23HIHenry IV, Count of Waldeck1300–1348 · 14th century3.5
- 24
Henry IV, Count of Luxembourg1113–1196 · 12th century · Politicians3.5 - 25
Livy59 BC–17 · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers3.4 - 26
Origen185–254 · 3rd century · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Academics3.1 - 27
Cleopatra69 BC–30 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures3.0 - 28
Xenophon430 BC–354 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics3.0 - 29
Walter Scott1771–1832 · 19th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers3.0 - 30
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Henry III, Duke of Głogów1251–1309 · 13th century · Politicians2.8 - 31HIHenry III, Count of Luxembourg1070–1096 · 11th century · Historical Figures2.8
- 32
Henry III, Count of Louvain1060–1095 · 11th century · Politicians2.8 - 33
Henry III, Count of Schauenburg-Holstein1370–1421 · 15th century2.8 - 34
Henry III, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels1542–1587 · 16th century2.8 - 35
Henry III, Margrave of Baden-Hachberg1300–1330 · 14th century · Models2.8 - 36
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Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor1016–1056 · 11th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.8 - 37
Henry III, Count of Gorizia1263–1323 · 13th century2.8 - 38
Tertullian160–240 · 2nd century · Academics2.7 - 39
James II, Count of Urgell1388–1433 · 15th century2.6 - 40
Robert Peel1788–1850 · 19th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Politicians2.6 - 41
Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor1275–1313 · 14th century · 🇫🇷 France2.6 - 42
Pericles494 BC–429 BC · 1st millennium BC · Politicians2.5 - 43
Henry VI, Count of Luxembourg1240–1288 · 13th century · Politicians2.5 - 44HVHenry VI, Count of Waldeck1340–1397 · 14th century2.5
- 45
Henry VI1376–1454 · 15th century2.5 - 46
John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford1485–1555 · 16th century · Politicians2.4 - 47
Euclid333 BC–285 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics2.4 - 48
John the Baptist6 BC–30 · 1st century · 🇮🇱 Israel · Religious Figures2.4 - 49
Henry II, Count of Champagne1166–1197 · 12th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures2.3 - 50
Henry II, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg1317–1390 · 14th century2.3 - 51
Henry II , Duke of Lower Lorraine1059–1119 · 11th century2.3 - 52Henry II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels1507–1548 · 16th century2.3
- 53
Henry II, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben1215–1266 · 13th century · Historical Figures2.3 - 54
Henry II, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen1289–1351 · 14th century · Historical Figures2.3 - 55
Henry II, Duke of Świdnica1312–1345 · 14th century2.3 - 56
Henry II1207–1248 · 13th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians2.3 - 57
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor973–1024 · 11th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.3 - 58HIHenry II, Margrave of the Nordmark1102–1128 · 12th century2.3
- 59
Henry II, Duke of Ziębice1396–1420 · 15th century2.3 - 60
Henry II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal1308–1320 · 14th century · Models2.3 - 61
Otho32–69 · 1st century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians2.3 - 62
Trajan53–117 · 1st century · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians2.3 - 63
Bede672–735 · 8th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers2.3 - 64
Solon630 BC–560 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers2.2 - 65
Euripides480 BC–406 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers2.2 - 66
Thucydides460 BC–395 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers2.1 - 67
Pythagoras582 BC–490 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics2.1 - 68
Pindar517 BC–437 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers2.0 - 69
Richard II963–1026 · 10th century · 🇫🇷 France1.9 - 70
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Julius Caesar100 BC–44 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians1.9 - 71
Sophocles496 BC–406 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers1.9 - 72
John Smith1580–1631 · 17th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Historical Figures1.8 - 73
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Vespasian9–79 · 1st century · Politicians1.8 - 74
Aristophanes445 BC–385 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers1.8 - 75
William Henry1774–1836 · 19th century · Scientists1.7 - 76
Ben Jonson1572–1637 · 17th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers1.7 - 77
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Alexander the Great356 BC–323 BC · 1st millennium BC · Historical Figures1.7 - 78
Hippocrates460 BC–370 BC · 1st millennium BC · Doctors1.7 - 79
Alcibiades450 BC–404 BC · 1st millennium BC · Politicians1.6 - 80
Ahab918 BC–852 BC · 1st millennium BC · Models1.6 - 81
Isaac Newton1642–1727 · 17th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics1.6 - 82WIWilliam III, Count of Burgundy1110–1127 · 12th century · Historical Figures1.6
- 83WIWilliam III, Marquess of Montferrat970–1042 · 11th century · Historical Figures1.6
- 84WIWilliam III, Count of Jülich1150–1218 · 12th century · Historical Figures1.6
- 85
William III, Count of Toulouse975–1037 · 11th century · Historical Figures1.6 - 86WIWilliam III, Count of Genevaborn 1280 · 14th century1.6
- 87
William III, Duke of Bavaria1375–1435 · 15th century · Historical Figures1.6 - 88WIWilliam III, Duke of Aquitaine910–963 · 10th century1.6
- 89
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John Bull1562–1628 · 16th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Musicians1.6 - 90
George II, Duke of Württemberg-Montbéliard1626–1699 · 17th century1.6 - 91
George II, Duke of Brieg1523–1586 · 16th century1.6 - 92
George II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels1512–1553 · 16th century1.6 - 93
Polybius200 BC–120 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers1.5 - 94
Galen129–300 · 2nd century · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Doctors1.5 - 95
Hadrian76–138 · 2nd century · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures1.5 - 96
Lucretius94 BC–55 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers1.5 - 97
Lucan39–65 · 1st century · Writers1.4 - 98
William Jones1746–1794 · 18th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics1.4 - 99
William the Conqueror1028–1087 · 11th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures1.4
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
Nellie Bly1864–1922 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists13 decades - 2
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Ambrose Bierce1842–1914 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists13 decades - 3
Ida B. Wells1862–1931 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists6 decades - 4
Henry Adams1838–1918 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists19 decades - 5
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William Lloyd Garrison1805–1879 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists19 decades - 6
Carrie Chapman Catt1859–1947 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists12 decades - 7
Frederick Law Olmsted1822–1903 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists16 decades - 8
Soh Jaipil1864–1951 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 9
Melvil Dewey1851–1931 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists15 decades - 10
Ida Tarbell1857–1944 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists12 decades - 11
Lucy Stone1818–1893 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists17 decades - 12
Charles Dow1851–1902 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists0 decades - 13
Lucy Parsons1851–1942 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists2 decades - 14
Benjamin Tucker1854–1939 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists3 decades - 15
Matilda Joslyn Gage1826–1898 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists5 decades - 16
Amelia Bloomer1818–1894 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists6 decades - 17
Joel Chandler Harris1848–1908 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists14 decades - 18
Simon Bolivar Buckner1823–1914 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists1 decades - 19
Daniel De Leon1852–1914 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists8 decades - 20
August Vincent Theodore Spies1855–1887 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 21
Rufus Wilmot Griswold1815–1857 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists0 decades - 22
Helen Churchill Candee1858–1949 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 23
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Gideon Welles1802–1878 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 24
Albert Parsons1848–1887 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 25
Helen Hunt Jackson1830–1885 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists14 decades - 26
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Henry Jarvis Raymond1820–1869 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 27
Adolph Ochs1858–1935 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 28
Bat Masterson1853–1921 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 29
Lysander Spooner1808–1887 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists2 decades - 30
James Gordon Bennett Jr.1841–1918 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 31
Frances Benjamin Johnston1864–1952 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 32
Nathaniel Parker Willis1806–1867 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 33
Mary Ann Shadd1823–1893 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 34
Charles Godfrey Leland1824–1903 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 35
Francis Preston Blair1791–1876 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 36
Richard Harding Davis1864–1916 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 37
Andrew Jackson Downing1815–1852 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 38
Elijah Parish Lovejoy1802–1837 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 39
James Gordon Bennett Sr.1795–1872 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 40
John L. O'Sullivan1813–1895 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 41
Alice Stone Blackwell1857–1950 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalists7 decades - 42
Joseph Weydemeyer1818–1866 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 43
Gustav Struve1805–1870 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 44
Mary Livermore1820–1905 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 45
Lorrin A. Thurston1858–1931 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 46
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Charles Sealsfield1793–1864 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 47
Ellen Browning Scripps1836–1932 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 48
Mordecai Manuel Noah1785–1851 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 49
Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin1842–1924 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 50
Edward Bok1863–1930 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 51
Charles Warren Stoddard1843–1909 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 52
Rebecca Harding Davis1831–1910 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 53
Patrick Edward Connor1820–1891 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 54
Julian Hawthorne1846–1934 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 55
Elizabeth Bacon Custer1842–1933 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 56
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Ainsworth Rand Spofford1825–1908 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 57
Fanny Fern1811–1872 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 58
Dorothy Dix1861–1951 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 59
James Gibbons Huneker1857–1921 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 60
Elliott Fitch Shepard1833–1893 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 61
Mathilde Franziska Anneke1817–1884 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 62
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Arthur Brisbane1864–1936 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 63
Thurlow Weed1797–1882 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 64
Oscar Dunn1820–1871 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 65
Januarius MacGahan1844–1878 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 66
Oscar Neebe1850–1916 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 67
Francis Pharcellus Church1839–1906 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 68
Pauline Hopkins1859–1930 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 69
Robert Underwood Johnson1853–1937 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 70
George Henry Mackenzie1837–1891 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 71
James Thomas Fields1817–1881 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 72
Mary Louise Booth1831–1889 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 73
Ida Husted Harper1851–1931 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 74FAFrederick Aiken1832–1878 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured—
- 75
Edgar Wilson Nye1850–1896 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 76
Robert Sterling Yard1861–1945 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 77
George Lippard1822–1854 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 78
James Ryder Randall1839–1908 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 79
Charles Johnson Maynard1845–1929 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 80
John Russell Young1840–1899 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 81
Jane Cunningham Croly1829–1901 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 82
Mark Kellogg1831–1876 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 83
Richard Hildreth1807–1865 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 84
Kate Austin1864–1902 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 85
Helen Pitts Douglass1838–1903 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 86
George William Foote1850–1915 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 87
William S. Fulton1795–1844 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 88
Harold Frederic1856–1898 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 89
Clara Bewick Colby1846–1916 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 90
Ban Johnson1863–1931 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 91
Irving Bacheller1859–1950 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 92
Samuel Cornish1795–1858 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 93
Augustus Baldwin Longstreet1790–1870 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 94
Marian de Forest1864–1935 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 95
Frank Arthur Vanderlip1864–1937 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 96
George Pope Morris1802–1864 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 97
Franklin Benjamin Sanborn1831–1917 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 98
Stilson Hutchins1838–1912 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 99
Willard Richards1804–1854 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot measured— - 100
Poultney Bigelow1855–1954 · 🇺🇸 United States · Journalistsnot 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.