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
Karl Marx1818–1883 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics17 decades - 2
Ludwig van Beethoven1770–1827 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians21 decades - 3
Friedrich Nietzsche1844–1900 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics15 decades - 4
Otto von Bismarck1815–1898 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians16 decades - 5
Richard Wagner1813–1883 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians19 decades - 6
Heinrich Heine1797–1856 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers21 decades
- 7
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel1770–1831 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics21 decades - 8
Wilhelm II, German Emperor1859–1941 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures17 decades - 9
Carl Friedrich Gauss1777–1855 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics11 decades - 10
Johannes Brahms1833–1897 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians17 decades - 11
Max Weber1864–1920 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics15 decades - 12
Friedrich Engels1820–1895 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics17 decades - 13
Paul von Hindenburg1847–1934 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians10 decades - 14
Max Planck1858–1947 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists14 decades - 15
Robert Schumann1810–1856 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians19 decades - 16
Empress Elisabeth of Austria1837–1898 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 17
William I, German Emperor1797–1888 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures22 decades
- 18
Wilhelm Röntgen1845–1923 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists11 decades - 19
Robert Koch1843–1910 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors14 decades - 20
Richard Strauss1864–1949 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians13 decades - 21
Carl von Clausewitz1780–1831 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers12 decades - 22
E. T. A. Hoffmann1776–1822 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers21 decades - 23
Clara Zetkin1857–1933 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians11 decades - 24
Karl Benz1844–1929 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists11 decades - 25
Novalis1772–1801 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades - 26
Ludwig II of Bavaria1845–1886 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures18 decades - 27
Klemens von Metternich1773–1859 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians0 decades - 28
Heinrich von Kleist1777–1811 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades - 29
Frederick III, German Emperor1831–1888 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians19 decades - 30
Friedrich Hölderlin1770–1843 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers18 decades - 31
Pyotr Stolypin1862–1911 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians6 decades - 32
Theodor Fontane1819–1898 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers17 decades - 33
Albert, Prince Consort1819–1861 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 34
Leopold I of Belgium1790–1865 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures22 decades - 35
Ludwig Feuerbach1804–1872 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics19 decades - 36
Theodor Mommsen1817–1903 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics18 decades - 37
Karl May1842–1912 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers14 decades - 38
Ernst Haeckel1834–1919 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists16 decades - 39
Wilhelm von Humboldt1767–1835 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics22 decades - 40
Georg Büchner1813–1837 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers17 decades - 41
Bernhard Riemann1826–1866 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics12 decades - 42
Carl Maria von Weber1786–1826 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians21 decades - 43
Justus von Liebig1803–1873 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists17 decades - 44
Helmuth von Moltke the Elder1800–1891 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers13 decades - 45
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling1775–1854 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics9 decades - 46
Jacob Grimm1785–1863 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics21 decades - 47
Georg Ohm1789–1854 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists12 decades - 48
Wilhelm Busch1832–1908 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists15 decades - 49
Heinrich Schliemann1822–1890 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics15 decades - 50
Frederick William III of Prussia1770–1840 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures22 decades - 51
August Bebel1840–1913 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians14 decades - 52
Hermann von Helmholtz1821–1894 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists14 decades - 53
Gottlieb Daimler1834–1900 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists11 decades - 54
Gottlob Frege1848–1925 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics9 decades - 55
Otto Lilienthal1848–1896 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists13 decades - 56
Werner von Siemens1816–1892 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists13 decades - 57
Wilhelm Wundt1832–1920 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics15 decades - 58
Karl Friedrich Schinkel1781–1841 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Architects16 decades - 59
Christian IX of Denmark1818–1906 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures16 decades - 60
Philipp Lenard1862–1947 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists11 decades - 61
Theodor Storm1817–1888 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers17 decades - 62
Max Liebermann1847–1935 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists13 decades - 63
Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg1856–1921 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians6 decades - 64
Alois Alzheimer1864–1915 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors3 decades - 65
Georgy Lvov1861–1925 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians2 decades - 66
Friedrich Fröbel1782–1852 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Educators18 decades - 67
Karl Weierstrass1815–1897 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics8 decades - 68
Wilhelm Hauff1802–1827 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers20 decades - 69
Leopold von Ranke1795–1886 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers16 decades - 70
Carl Zeiss1816–1888 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists13 decades - 71
Bernhard von Bülow1849–1929 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians12 decades - 72
Ferdinand von Zeppelin1838–1917 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists5 decades - 73
Wilhelm Grimm1786–1859 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades - 74
Eduard Bernstein1850–1932 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians13 decades - 75
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz1776–1810 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 76
August von Mackensen1849–1945 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2 decades - 77
Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet1805–1859 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics0 decades - 78
Carol I of Romania1839–1914 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures19 decades - 79
Maximilian II of Bavaria1811–1864 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians0 decades - 80
Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi1804–1851 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics1 decades - 81
Ludwig III of Bavaria1845–1921 · 🇩🇪 Germanynot measured— - 82
Helmuth von Moltke the Younger1848–1916 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 83
Felix Klein1849–1925 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics15 decades - 84
Robert Bosch1861–1942 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists13 decades - 85
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff1797–1848 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians14 decades - 86
Max Müller1823–1900 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics5 decades - 87
Wilhelm Dilthey1833–1911 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers14 decades - 88
Leo von Caprivi1831–1899 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians5 decades - 89
Wilhelm Marx1863–1946 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians10 decades - 90
Otto of Bavaria1848–1916 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured— - 91
Max Bruch1838–1920 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians17 decades - 92
Houston Stewart Chamberlain1855–1927 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics13 decades - 93
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld1786–1861 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 94
Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine1863–1950 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 95
Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine1864–1918 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 96
Princess Sophie of Bavaria1805–1872 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politiciansnot measured— - 97
Maria Alexandrovna1824–1880 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 98
Multatuli1820–1887 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers9 decades - 99
Victoria of Baden1862–1930 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 100
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen1792–1849 · 🇩🇪 Germany0 decades
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.