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 French books during the 19th century — whenever they lived.
In books written inEnglish18,114German3,599French3,347Italian1,787Spanish1,162Russian325Hebrew105Chinese9
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Per million words
- 1
Voltaire1694–1778 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers37 - 2
Louis XIV of France1638–1715 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures32 - 3
Louis XVI of France1754–1793 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures16 - 4
Molière1622–1673 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers15 - 5
Louis XV of France1710–1774 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures10 - 6
Montesquieu1689–1755 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Academics7.7 - 7HIHenry II, Count of Euborn 1160 · 12th century · 🇫🇷 France5.7
- 8
Henry II of France1519–1559 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians5.7 - 9
Louis XVIII of France1755–1824 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians5.7 - 10
François Fénelon1651–1715 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures5.5
- 11
Louis XII of France1462–1515 · 15th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures5.2 - 12
Victor Hugo1802–1885 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers3.3 - 13
Charles X of France1757–1836 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians3.1 - 14
Marie Antoinette1755–1793 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures2.4 - 15
Joan of Arc1412–1431 · 15th century · 🇫🇷 France2.4 - 16
Francis de Sales1567–1622 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures2.4 - 17
Philip V of Spain1683–1746 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians2.2 - 18
Francis II of France1544–1560 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians1.9 - 19
Marie de' Medici1575–1642 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians1.9
- 20
Napoleon III1808–1873 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians1.9 - 21
Vincent de Paul1581–1660 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures1.9 - 22
Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme1540–1614 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers1.8 - 23
Louis Blanc1811–1882 · 19th century · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians1.6 - 24
Benjamin Constant1767–1830 · 19th century · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Politicians1.5 - 25
Pope Julius II1443–1513 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures1.5 - 26
Jules Favre1809–1880 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians1.4 - 27
Jules Simon1814–1896 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians1.4 - 28
Pierre de Marivaux1688–1763 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers1.2 - 29
Alexandre Dumas fils1824–1895 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers1.1 - 30
Jules Ferry1832–1893 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians1.1 - 31
Charles de Lorraine de Vaudémont1561–1587 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0.94
- 32
Charles of Lorraine1567–1607 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France0.94 - 33
Camille Desmoulins1760–1794 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists0.90 - 34
Pope John XXII1244–1334 · 13th century · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0.89
- 35
Alexandre Dumas1802–1870 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.87 - 36
George Sand1804–1876 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.85
- 37
Firmin Didot1764–1836 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.80 - 38
Claude Bernard1813–1878 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.79 - 39
Pope Clement V1264–1314 · 13th century · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0.78
- 40
Jean-Jacques Rousseau1712–1778 · 18th century · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Academics0.76 - 41
Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon1635–1719 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0.76 - 42
Odilon Barrot1791–1873 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.76 - 43
Louis XVII of France1785–1795 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France0.73 - 44
Louis Bonaparte1778–1846 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.73 - 45
Anne of Brittany1477–1514 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France0.73 - 46
La Grange1635–1692 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France · Actors0.73 - 47
Auguste Comte1798–1857 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0.69 - 48
Charles the Bold1433–1477 · 15th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.69 - 49
Alfred de Musset1810–1857 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.68 - 50
André Chénier1762–1794 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.66 - 51
Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of Liège1438–1482 · 15th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.62 - 52
Louis de Bourbon, Count of Clermont1709–1771 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France0.62 - 53
Louis, Count of Vermandois1667–1683 · 17th century0.62 - 54
Louis, Count of Soissons1604–1641 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France0.62 - 55
Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre1725–1793 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.62 - 56
Margaret of Valois1553–1615 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.61 - 57
Gustav III of Sweden1746–1792 · 18th century · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Politicians0.58 - 58
Théophile Gautier1811–1872 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.57 - 59
Diane de Poitiers1499–1566 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France0.56 - 60
Olivier de Serres1539–1619 · 16th century · Writers0.55 - 61
Nostradamus1503–1566 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0.53 - 62
Jeanne d'Albret1528–1572 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.52 - 63
Augustin Thierry1795–1856 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.52 - 64
Napoleon1769–1821 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures0.51 - 65
Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy1480–1530 · 16th century · 🇪🇸 Spain · Artists0.49 - 66
Joseph Bonaparte1768–1844 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.49 - 67
Charlotte Corday1768–1793 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures0.48
- 68
Joseph de Maistre1753–1821 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0.48 - 69
Ambroise Paré1510–1590 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0.48 - 70
Mary of Burgundy1457–1482 · 15th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.47 - 71
Pierre Corneille1606–1684 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.46 - 72
Stendhal1783–1842 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.45 - 73
Claude Michel1738–1814 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Artists0.45 - 74
Pierre Leroux1797–1871 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0.44 - 75
Charles Nodier1780–1844 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.43 - 76
Maine de Biran1766–1824 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.43 - 77
Lucien Bonaparte1775–1840 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.42 - 78
Casimir Delavigne1793–1843 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.42 - 79
Charles, Count of Soissons1566–1612 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France0.40 - 80
Louis Racine1692–1763 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.40 - 81
Vincent of Beauvais1190–1264 · 13th century · Educators0.40 - 82
Jean Goujon1510–1567 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Architects0.39 - 83
Pope Urban V1310–1370 · 14th century · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0.39 - 84
Thomas Corneille1625–1709 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.38 - 85
Horace Vernet1789–1863 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Artists0.38 - 86
Gaston Paris1839–1903 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.37 - 87
Antoine of Navarre1518–1562 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.36 - 88
Félix Faure1841–1899 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.36 - 89
Jacques Clément1567–1589 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France0.36 - 90
Antoine Quentin Fouquier-Tinville1746–1795 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.36 - 91
Pope Clement IV1190–1268 · 13th century · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0.35
- 92
Pope Gregory XI1329–1378 · 14th century · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0.35 - 93
Charles Dupin1784–1873 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0.35 - 94
Napoléon, Prince Imperial1856–1879 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.34 - 95
Napoleon II1811–1832 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Designers0.33 - 96
John of Luxembourg, Lord of Beauvoir1370–1397 · 14th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.33 - 97
Alfred de Vigny1797–1863 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Writers0.33 - 98
Prince Philippe, Count of Paris1838–1894 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.32 - 99
Blanche of Castile1188–1252 · 13th century · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures0.32 - 100
Camille Jordan1838–1922 · 19th century · 🇫🇷 France · Academics0.32
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
Jules Vallès1832–1885 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists16 decades - 2
Jules Guesde1845–1922 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists14 decades - 3
Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire1802–1861 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists14 decades - 4
Édouard Drumont1844–1917 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists14 decades - 5
Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr1808–1890 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists19 decades - 6
Victor Noir1848–1870 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 7
Jean-Lambert Tallien1767–1820 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists0 decades
- 8
Louis Charles Delescluze1809–1871 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 9
Marguerite Durand1864–1936 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists13 decades - 10
Henri Rochefort1831–1913 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists17 decades - 11
Félix Fénéon1861–1944 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists13 decades - 12
Maria Deraismes1828–1894 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists9 decades - 13
Maurice Joly1829–1878 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 14
Louis Veuillot1813–1883 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 15
Charles-Louis Havas1783–1858 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 16
François Mignet1796–1884 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists0 decades - 17
Conrad Malte-Brun1775–1826 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists4 decades - 18
Théophile Thoré-Bürger1807–1869 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 19
Petrus Borel1809–1859 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 20
Jeanne Deroin1805–1894 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 21
Arsène Arnaud Claretie1840–1913 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists16 decades - 22
Prosper-Olivier Lissagaray1838–1901 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 23
Gustave Geffroy1855–1926 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 24
Émile Pouget1860–1931 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 25
Émile Souvestre1806–1854 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 26
Jean Grave1854–1939 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 27
Armand Carrel1800–1836 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 28
Édouard Pailleron1834–1899 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists4 decades - 29
Antonin Proust1832–1905 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 30
Alfred Capus1857–1922 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalists13 decades - 31
Jules Guérin1860–1910 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 32
Zo d'Axa1864–1930 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 33
Joseph Reinach1856–1921 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 34
Joseph Méry1797–1866 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 35
Anselme Bellegarrigue1813–1890 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 36
Claire Démar1799–1833 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 37
Élie Reclus1827–1904 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 38
Paul Alexis1847–1901 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 39
Paule Mink1839–1901 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 40
Gustave Flourens1838–1871 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 41
Suzanne Voilquin1799–1876 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 42
Abel Hugo1798–1855 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 43
Marc-André Raffalovich1864–1934 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 44
Théodore Duret1838–1927 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 45
Gaston Calmette1858–1914 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 46
Francisque Sarcey1827–1899 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 47
Octave Uzanne1851–1931 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 48
Jules-Antoine Castagnary1830–1888 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 49
Raoul Rigault1846–1871 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 50
Fortuné du Boisgobey1821–1891 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 51
René Doumic1860–1937 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 52
Eugène Brieux1858–1932 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 53
Charles Yriarte1832–1898 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 54
Arthur Meyer1844–1924 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 55
Hippolyte de Villemessant1810–1879 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 56
Léon Halévy1802–1883 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 57PRPauline Roland1805–1852 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured—
- 58
Jean Théophile Victor Leclerc1771–1820 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 59
Lucien-Anatole Prévost-Paradol1829–1870 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 60
Ernest Daudet1837–1921 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 61
Philarète Chasles1798–1873 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 62
Georges Charpentier1847–1905 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 63
Marie-Jean-Lucien Lacaze1860–1955 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 64
Henri Blowitz1825–1903 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 65
Louis-François Bertin1766–1841 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 66
Paul Hervieu1857–1915 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 67
Arthur Arnould1833–1895 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 68
Marc-Antoine Jullien de Paris1775–1848 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 69
Paul d'Ivoi1856–1915 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 70
Amédée Thierry1797–1873 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 71
Prince Bojidar Karageorgevitch1862–1908 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 72
Gaston de Raousset-Boulbon1817–1854 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 73
Émile Eudes1843–1888 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 74
Joseph Fiévée1767–1839 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 75
Amand Bazard1791–1832 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 76
Eugène de Mirecourt1812–1880 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured—
- 77
Jules Lermina1839–1915 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 78DGDesirée Gay1810–1890 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured—
- 79
Philippe Gille1830–1901 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 80
Louis Ulbach1822–1889 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 81
Éléonore-Louis Godefroi Cavaignac1801–1845 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 82
Charles Monselet1825–1888 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 83
Alphonse Toussenel1803–1885 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 84
Léon Richer1824–1911 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 85
Amédée Guillemin1826–1893 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 86ARAlphonse Rabbe1784–1829 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured—
- 87
Victorine Brocher1839–1921 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 88
Moïse Polydore Millaud1813–1871 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 89
Édouard Charton1807–1890 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 90TDThéodore Dézamy1808–1850 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured—
- 91
Paul Foucher1810–1875 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 92
Adolphe Joanne1813–1881 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 93
Auguste-Jean-Marie Vermorel1841–1871 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 94
Maria Pognon1844–1925 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 95
Baptiste Capefigue1798–1872 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 96
Urbain Gohier1862–1951 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 97
Prosper Duvergier de Hauranne1798–1881 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 98
Aurélien Scholl1833–1902 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 99
Edmund Chojecki1822–1899 · 🇫🇷 France · Journalistsnot measured— - 100
Pierre-Michel-François Chevalier1812–1863 · 🇫🇷 France · 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.