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 Italian books during the 19th century — whenever they lived.
In books written inEnglish18,114German3,599French3,347Italian1,787Spanish1,162Russian325Hebrew105Chinese9
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Per million words
- 1
Giotto1267–1337 · 14th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists5.5 - 2
Antonio da Correggio1489–1534 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists5.0 - 3
Lorenzo de' Medici1449–1492 · 15th century · Politicians3.0 - 4
Dante Alighieri1265–1321 · 14th century · Writers2.9 - 5
Pietro Perugino1448–1523 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists2.9 - 6
Donato Bramante1444–1514 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects2.6 - 7
Torquato Tasso1544–1595 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers2.6 - 8
Caravaggio1571–1610 · 17th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists2.1 - 9
Apostolo Zeno1668–1750 · 18th century · Writers2.1 - 10
Cimabue1240–1302 · 13th century · Artists2.1 - 11
Tintoretto1519–1594 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.9 - 12
Charles Borromeo1538–1584 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures1.8 - 13
Donatello1386–1466 · 15th century · Artists1.8 - 14
Paul the Deacon720–799 · 8th century · Writers1.8 - 15
Leonardo da Vinci1452–1519 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.7 - 16
Philip Neri1515–1595 · 16th century · Religious Figures1.7 - 17
Marco Polo1254–1324 · 13th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians1.7 - 18
Cosimo de' Medici1389–1464 · 15th century · Politicians1.7 - 19
Galileo Galilei1564–1642 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Scientists1.7 - 20
Andrea Doria1466–1560 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians1.6 - 21
Giulio Romano1499–1546 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.6 - 22
Guercino1591–1666 · 17th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.5 - 23
Domenichino1581–1641 · 17th century · Artists1.5 - 24
Ugo Foscolo1778–1827 · 19th century · Writers1.4 - 25
Petrarch1304–1374 · 14th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics1.4 - 26
Andrea del Sarto1486–1530 · 16th century · Artists1.2 - 27
Pietro Aretino1492–1556 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers1.2 - 28
Alessandro Manzoni1785–1873 · 19th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers1.2 - 29
Giorgio Vasari1511–1574 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.2 - 30
Masaccio1401–1428 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.1 - 31
Baldassare Franceschini1611–1690 · 17th century · Artists1.1 - 32
Francis of Assisi1182–1226 · 13th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers1.1 - 33
Cesare Borgia1475–1507 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures1.1 - 34
Paolo Veronese1528–1588 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.1 - 35
Guido Reni1575–1642 · 17th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists1.0 - 36
Dino Compagni1255–1324 · 13th century · Writers1.0 - 37
Pietro Bembo1470–1547 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures1.00 - 38
Guido Cavalcanti1258–1300 · 13th century · Writers0.99 - 39
Niccolò Machiavelli1469–1527 · 16th century · Politicians0.99 - 40
Filippo Maria Visconti1392–1447 · 15th century · Politicians0.97 - 41
Cesare Balbo1789–1853 · 19th century · Politicians0.97 - 42
Giuseppe Mazzini1805–1872 · 19th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Activists0.93 - 43
Prospero Colonna1452–1523 · 15th century0.90 - 44
Benvenuto Cellini1500–1571 · 16th century · Artists0.90 - 45
Benedetto Varchi1503–1565 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.88 - 46
Francesco Guicciardini1483–1540 · 16th century · Writers0.88 - 47
Aloysius Gonzaga1568–1591 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0.88 - 48
Vittorio Alfieri1749–1803 · 18th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures0.87 - 49
Silvio Pellico1789–1854 · 19th century · Writers0.87 - 50
Cesare Cantù1804–1895 · 19th century · Writers0.87 - 51
Giacomo Leopardi1798–1837 · 19th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.85 - 52
Vincenzo Gioberti1801–1852 · 19th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics0.85 - 53
Giovanni Boccaccio1313–1375 · 14th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.85 - 54
Francesco Redi1626–1697 · 17th century · Doctors0.85 - 55
Francesco Gonzaga1444–1483 · 15th century0.84 - 56
Franco Sacchetti1332–1400 · 14th century · Writers0.82 - 57
Teodato Ipato750–800 · 8th century · Politicians0.80 - 58
Salvator Rosa1615–1673 · 17th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.76 - 59
Giordano Bruno1548–1600 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics0.75 - 60
Girolamo Savonarola1452–1498 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0.74 - 61
Domenico Passignano1559–1638 · 16th century · Artists0.74 - 62
Paolo Sarpi1552–1623 · 16th century · Academics0.73 - 63
Parmigianino1503–1540 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.72 - 64
Paolo Giovio1483–1552 · 16th century · Writers0.71 - 65
Massimo d'Azeglio1798–1866 · 19th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0.71 - 66
Aldus Manutius1449–1515 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy0.71 - 67AMAldus Manutius the Younger1547–1597 · 16th century0.71
- 68
Bernardo Tasso1493–1569 · 16th century · Writers0.71 - 69
Lucrezia Borgia1480–1519 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures0.69 - 70
Pietro da Cortona1596–1669 · 17th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.69
- 71MVMatteo Villani1283–1363 · 14th century · Writers0.68
- 72
Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei1675–1755 · 18th century · Writers0.66 - 73
Luigi Alamanni1495–1556 · 16th century · Writers0.65 - 74
Vittoria Colonna1492–1547 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.64 - 75
Pietro Verri1728–1797 · 18th century · Academics0.64 - 76
Pinturicchio1454–1513 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.64 - 77
Giuliano de' Medici1453–1478 · 15th century · Politicians0.62 - 78
Marsilio Ficino1433–1499 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics0.62 - 79
Filippo Villani1325–1407 · 14th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.62 - 80
Paulus Manutius1512–1574 · 16th century · Writers0.61 - 81
Catherine de' Medici1519–1589 · 16th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures0.60 - 82
Scipione Ammirato1531–1601 · 16th century · Writers0.58 - 83
Bernardino of Siena1380–1444 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Academics0.58 - 84
Francesco Filelfo1398–1481 · 15th century · Academics0.56 - 85
Andrea Gritti1455–1538 · 15th century · Politicians0.56 - 86
Pontormo1494–1556 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.52 - 87
Antonio Rosmini1797–1855 · 19th century · Academics0.51 - 88
Leon Battista Alberti1404–1472 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Architects0.49 - 89
Francesco Foscari1373–1457 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0.47 - 90
Giosuè Carducci1835–1907 · 19th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.47 - 91
Andrea Dandolo1306–1354 · 14th century · Politicians0.45 - 92
Alessandro Cagliostro1743–1795 · 18th century · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0.45 - 93
Francesco Vettori1474–1540 · 16th century · Writers0.45 - 94
Leandro Alberti1479–1552 · 16th century · Writers0.45 - 95
Amerigo Vespucci1454–1512 · 15th century · Historical Figures0.44 - 96
Erasmo of Narni1370–1443 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy0.44 - 97
Anton Maria Salvini1653–1729 · 17th century · Writers0.43 - 98
Michelangelo1475–1564 · 16th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.43 - 99
Francesca da Rimini1259–1285 · 13th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.42 - 100
Antonio Canova1757–1822 · 18th century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Artists0.42
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
Selma Lagerlöf1858–1940 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers7 decades - 2
August Strindberg1849–1912 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers8 decades - 3
Ellen Key1849–1926 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers11 decades - 4
Fredrika Bremer1801–1865 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers16 decades - 5
Verner von Heidenstam1859–1940 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers1 decades - 6
Johan Ludvig Runeberg1804–1877 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers0 decades - 7
Erik Axel Karlfeldt1864–1931 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers0 decades - 8
Esaias Tegnér1782–1846 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers0 decades - 9
Gustaf Fröding1860–1911 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers0 decades - 10
Carl Jonas Love Almqvist1793–1866 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers0 decades - 11
Victoria Benedictsson1850–1888 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers0 decades - 12
Viktor Rydberg1828–1895 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers0 decades - 13
Pehr Henrik Ling1776–1839 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers0 decades - 14
Erik Gustaf Geijer1783–1847 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers0 decades
- 15
Lina Sandell1832–1903 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 16
Erik Johan Stagnelius1793–1823 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers0 decades - 17
Gillis Bildt1820–1894 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 18
Ola Hansson1860–1925 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 19
Richard Dybeck1811–1877 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 20
Anne Charlotte Leffler1849–1892 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 21
Gunnar Wennerberg1817–1901 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 22
Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom1790–1855 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers0 decades - 23
Sophie Elkan1853–1921 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured—
- 24
Frans Michael Franzén1772–1847 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 25
Carl Snoilsky1841–1903 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 26
Johan Olof Wallin1779–1839 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 27
Oscar Levertin1862–1906 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 28
Gustaf af Geijerstam1858–1909 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 29
August Blanche1811–1868 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 30
Kata Dalström1858–1923 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured—
- 31
Abraham Constantin Mouradgea d’Ohsson1779–1851 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 32
Carl David af Wirsén1842–1912 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 33
Ann-Margret Holmgren1850–1940 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 34
Eric Stenbock1860–1895 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 35
Alfhild Agrell1849–1923 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 36
Arvid August Afzelius1785–1871 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 37
Carl Boberg1859–1940 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured—
- 38
Helena Nyblom1843–1926 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 39
Anders Fryxell1795–1881 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 40
Henrik Schück1855–1947 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 41
Louis Sparre1863–1964 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 42
Carl Stål1833–1878 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 43
Julia Nyberg1785–1854 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 44
Adolf Noreen1854–1925 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 45
Lotten von Kræmer1828–1912 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 46
Sophie Sager1825–1902 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 47
Lasse-Maja1785–1845 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 48
Sixten Sparre1854–1889 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 49
Ellen Fries1855–1900 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 50
Anders Fjellner1795–1876 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 51
Thekla Knös1815–1880 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 52
Gustaf Löwenhielm1771–1856 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 53
Mathilda d'Orozco1796–1863 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 54
Magnus Jacob Crusenstolpe1795–1865 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 55
Karl August Nicander1799–1839 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 56
Anna Maria Roos1862–1938 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 57
Laura Fitinghoff1848–1908 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 58
Anna Wahlenberg1858–1933 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 59
Pelle Molin1864–1896 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 60
Bernhard von Beskow1796–1868 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 61
Rosalie Roos1823–1898 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 62
Herman Sätherberg1812–1897 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 63
Amanda Kerfstedt1835–1920 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 64
Gunnar Olof Hyltén-Cavallius1818–1889 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 65
Esaias Tegnér the Younger1843–1928 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 66
Harald Hjärne1848–1922 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 67
Tor Harald Hedberg1862–1931 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured—
- 68
Hans Larsson1862–1944 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 69
Sophie von Knorring1797–1848 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 70
Oscar Alin1846–1900 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 71
Carl Wilhelm Böttiger1807–1878 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 72
Henning Hamilton1814–1886 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 73
Marie Sophie Schwartz1819–1894 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 74
Clas Theodor Odhner1836–1904 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured—
- 75
C. V. A. Strandberg1818–1877 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 76
Erik Sjöberg1794–1828 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 77
Cecilia Bååth-Holmberg1857–1920 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 78
Friedrich Rühs1781–1820 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 79
Carl Wickland1861–1945 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 80
Mathilda Malling1864–1942 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 81
Hilma Angered Strandberg1855–1927 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 82
Frans Hedberg1828–1908 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 83
Claes Adelsköld1824–1907 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 84
Lorenzo Hammarsköld1785–1827 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 85
Fredrik August Dahlgren1816–1895 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 86
Wilhelmina Stålberg1803–1872 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 87
Betty Ehrenborg1818–1880 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 88
Johan Börjesson1790–1866 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 89
Elias Sehlstedt1808–1874 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 90
Carl Arvid Klingspor1829–1903 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 91
Mathilda Roos1852–1908 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 92
Eric Hermelin1860–1944 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 93
Oscar Patric Sturzen-Becker1811–1869 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 94
Ludvig Josephson1832–1899 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 95
Eva Wigström1832–1901 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 96
Andreas Bruce1808–1885 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 97
Hilda Sachs1857–1935 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 98
Leonard Fredrik Rääf1786–1872 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured—
- 99
Sigrid Elmblad1860–1926 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 100
Anders Abraham Grafström1790–1870 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot 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.