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 of Lorraine1567–1607 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France0.94 - 32
Charles de Lorraine de Vaudémont1561–1587 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0.94
- 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, Count of Soissons1604–1641 · 17th century · 🇫🇷 France0.62 - 52
Louis, Count of Vermandois1667–1683 · 17th century0.62 - 53
Louis de Bourbon, Count of Clermont1709–1771 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France0.62 - 54
Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre1725–1793 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.62 - 55
Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of Liège1438–1482 · 15th 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
Ralph Waldo Emerson1803–1882 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics19 decades - 2
Andrew Carnegie1835–1919 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics14 decades - 3
John Dewey1859–1952 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics14 decades
- 4
William James1842–1910 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics18 decades - 5
Brigham Young1801–1877 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics19 decades - 6
Charles Sanders Peirce1839–1914 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics9 decades - 7
Jane Addams1860–1935 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics14 decades - 8
Franz Boas1858–1942 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics14 decades - 9
Thorstein Veblen1857–1929 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics11 decades - 10
Henry George1839–1897 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics19 decades - 11
Oliver Wendell Holmes1841–1935 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics18 decades - 12
George Herbert Mead1863–1931 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics7 decades - 13
Friedrich List1789–1846 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics18 decades - 14
Lewis H. Morgan1818–1881 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics15 decades - 15
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain1828–1914 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics0 decades - 16
William Miller1782–1849 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics22 decades - 17
Othniel Charles Marsh1831–1899 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics0 decades - 18
Dwight Lyman Moody1837–1899 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics0 decades - 19
G. Stanley Hall1844–1924 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics14 decades - 20
Nicholas Murray Butler1862–1947 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics14 decades - 21
Charles Cooley1864–1929 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics0 decades - 22
Hugo Münsterberg1863–1916 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics3 decades - 23
Josiah Royce1855–1916 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics14 decades - 24
Theodore Parker1810–1860 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics18 decades - 25
William Graham Sumner1840–1910 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics11 decades - 26
John William Draper1811–1882 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics7 decades - 27
Cyrus Ingerson Scofield1843–1921 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 28
Adoniram Judson1788–1850 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 29
Ernest Fenollosa1853–1908 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 30
James McKeen Cattell1860–1944 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics6 decades - 31
Robert Ezra Park1864–1944 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics0 decades - 32
Benjamin Peirce1809–1880 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics19 decades - 33
Charles William Eliot1834–1926 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 34
Mary Whiton Calkins1863–1930 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics2 decades - 35
John Bates Clark1847–1938 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics12 decades - 36
Daniel Harvey Hill1821–1889 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 37
Felix Adler1851–1933 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics15 decades - 38
Nathaniel Bowditch1773–1838 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 39
Florence Kelley1859–1932 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 40
Henry Schoolcraft1793–1864 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics1 decades - 41
Joseph Leidy1823–1891 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics13 decades - 42
Clement Clarke Moore1779–1863 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 43
Spencer Fullerton Baird1823–1887 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics3 decades - 44
Samuel George Morton1799–1851 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 45
William Walker Atkinson1862–1932 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 46
Alexander Emanuel Agassiz1835–1910 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics0 decades - 47
Henry Charles Carey1793–1879 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics0 decades - 48
Solomon Schechter1847–1915 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 49
Edward S. Morse1838–1925 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 50
Isaac Mayer Wise1819–1900 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 51
B. B. Warfield1851–1921 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 52
John R. Commons1862–1945 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 53
Charles Hodge1797–1878 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 54
James Mark Baldwin1861–1934 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics6 decades - 55
George Bird Grinnell1849–1938 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured—
- 56
Orison Swett Marden1848–1924 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 57
Francis Lieber1800–1872 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 58
Florence Bascom1862–1945 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics4 decades - 59
James Mooney1861–1921 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 60
Florian Cajori1859–1930 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics6 decades - 61
William Dwight Whitney1827–1894 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics7 decades - 62
James Clark McReynolds1862–1946 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 63
Edmund Beecher Wilson1856–1939 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 64
Orson Pratt1811–1881 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 65
Theodore M. Davis1838–1915 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 66
Christine Ladd-Franklin1847–1930 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 67
Abbott Lawrence Lowell1856–1943 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 68
Theobald Smith1859–1934 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 69
Richard T. Ely1854–1943 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 70
Joseph Jastrow1863–1944 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 71
Eliakim Hastings Moore1862–1932 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 72
Annie Smith Peck1850–1935 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 73
Francis Amasa Walker1840–1897 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 74
Alice Cunningham Fletcher1838–1923 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 75
Zelia Nuttall1857–1933 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 76
Frank Nelson Cole1861–1926 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 77
Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz1822–1907 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 78
Hubert Howe Bancroft1832–1918 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 79
William Henry Holmes1846–1933 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 80
Frank Fetter1863–1949 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 81
Ephraim George Squier1821–1888 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 82
Charles Conrad Abbott1843–1919 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics1 decades - 83
Luigi Palma di Cesnola1832–1904 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 84
John Burgess1844–1931 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 85
Arthur E. Kennelly1861–1939 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 86
Katharine Coman1857–1915 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured—
- 87
Albion Woodbury Small1854–1926 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 88
William Fogg Osgood1864–1943 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 89
Arnaud Henri Guyot1807–1884 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 90
Barton W. Stone1772–1844 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 91
Daniel Garrison Brinton1837–1899 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 92
Alice Freeman Palmer1855–1902 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 93
Josiah C. Nott1804–1873 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 94
Elias Loomis1811–1889 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 95
Adoniram Judson Gordon1836–1895 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 96
Edwin Smith1822–1906 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured—
- 97
Zerah Colburn1804–1840 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 98
Alexander P. Stewart1821–1908 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 99
Richard James Horatio Gottheil1862–1936 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot measured— - 100
Frank Hamilton Cushing1857–1900 · 🇺🇸 United States · Academicsnot 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.