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 - 66AMAldus Manutius the Younger1547–1597 · 16th century0.71
- 67
Aldus Manutius1449–1515 · 15th century · 🇮🇹 Italy0.71 - 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
Henry Ford1863–1947 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders16 decades - 2
John D. Rockefeller1839–1937 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders14 decades - 3
Henry Dunant1828–1910 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Founders13 decades - 4
J. P. Morgan1837–1913 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders16 decades - 5
John Brown1800–1859 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders22 decades - 6
Levi Strauss1829–1902 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders11 decades - 7
Robert Owen1771–1858 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Founders22 decades - 8
Cornelius Vanderbilt1794–1877 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders18 decades - 9
Jamsetji Tata1839–1904 · 🇮🇳 India · Founders0 decades - 10
J. Bruce Ismay1862–1937 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Founders1 decades - 11
King C. Gillette1855–1932 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders0 decades - 12
Henri Nestlé1814–1890 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Founders0 decades - 13
Iwasaki Yatarō1835–1885 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Founders0 decades - 14
Thomas Cook1808–1892 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Founders22 decades - 15
Elisha Otis1811–1861 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders0 decades - 16
James Buchanan Duke1856–1925 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders0 decades - 17
Pavel Tretyakov1832–1898 · Founders9 decades - 18
Henry J. Heinz1844–1919 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders0 decades - 19
Paul Reuter1816–1899 · Founders0 decades - 20
Adam Opel1837–1895 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Founders12 decades - 21
Johns Hopkins1795–1873 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders21 decades - 22FYFusajirō Yamauchi1859–1940 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Foundersnot measured—
- 23
Jay Gould1836–1892 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders17 decades - 24
Jean Lafitte1776–1826 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders12 decades
- 25
William Crapo Durant1861–1947 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders0 decades - 26
Solomon R. Guggenheim1861–1948 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders8 decades - 27
Milton S. Hershey1857–1945 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders6 decades - 28
Émile Gallé1846–1904 · 🇫🇷 France · Founders7 decades - 29
Cäsar Johann Ritz1850–1918 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Founders2 decades - 30
Charles Boycott1832–1897 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Founders0 decades - 31
Alfred Krupp1812–1887 · Founders15 decades - 32
Shibusawa Eiichi1840–1931 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Foundersnot measured— - 33
Margarete Steiff1847–1909 · Foundersnot measured— - 34
Basil Zaharoff1849–1936 · 🇫🇷 France · Founders7 decades - 35
Emil Jellinek1853–1918 · Founders1 decades - 36
Will Keith Kellogg1860–1951 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 37
George Peabody1795–1869 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders19 decades - 38
Eusebio Güell1846–1918 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Foundersnot measured— - 39
Ransom E. Olds1864–1950 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders0 decades - 40
Henry Clay Frick1849–1919 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 41
Torakusu Yamaha1851–1916 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Founders0 decades - 42
Marcus Goldman1821–1904 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 43
Armand Peugeot1849–1915 · 🇫🇷 France · Foundersnot measured— - 44
Michael Thonet1796–1871 · Founders0 decades - 45
Maurice de Hirsch1831–1896 · 🇫🇷 France · Founders3 decades - 46
William Henry Vanderbilt1821–1885 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 47
Emil Škoda1839–1900 · Founders0 decades - 48
August Oetker1862–1918 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Foundersnot measured— - 49
Savva Mamontov1841–1918 · Foundersnot measured— - 50
Harry Gordon Selfridge1858–1947 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 51
Peter Cooper1791–1883 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders20 decades - 52
Madame Clicquot Ponsardin1777–1866 · 🇫🇷 France · Foundersnot measured— - 53
Mikimoto Kōkichi1858–1954 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Foundersnot measured— - 54
Henry E. Steinway1797–1871 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Foundersnot measured— - 55
Friedrich Krupp1787–1826 · Foundersnot measured— - 56
Friedrich Alfred Krupp1854–1902 · Foundersnot measured— - 57
Fredrik Idestam1838–1916 · Foundersnot measured— - 58
Charles Yerkes1837–1905 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 59
Antoine Patek1812–1877 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Foundersnot measured— - 60
Samuel P. Bush1863–1948 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 61
John Philip Holland1840–1914 · Foundersnot measured— - 62
Cyrus West Field1819–1892 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders0 decades - 63
Lucas Alamán1792–1853 · 🇲🇽 Mexico · Foundersnot measured— - 64
Dwarkanath Tagore1794–1846 · Foundersnot measured— - 65
Samuel Cunard1787–1865 · Foundersnot measured— - 66
Julius Maggi1846–1912 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Foundersnot measured— - 67
Albert Ballin1857–1918 · Foundersnot measured— - 68
John Francis Dodge1864–1920 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 69
David Sassoon1792–1864 · Foundersnot measured— - 70
Henry Cole1808–1882 · Foundersnot measured— - 71
Friedrich Bayer1825–1880 · Foundersnot measured— - 72
Robert Nobel1829–1896 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Foundersnot measured— - 73
William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie1847–1924 · Foundersnot measured— - 74
Sergei Shchukin1854–1936 · Foundersnot measured— - 75
Daniel Peter1836–1919 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Foundersnot measured— - 76
Georgios Averoff1815–1899 · Founders0 decades - 77
Rodolphe Lindt1855–1909 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Foundersnot measured— - 78
Haji Zeynal Abdin Taghiyev1838–1924 · Foundersnot measured— - 79
William Wrigley1861–1932 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 80
Paul Mauser1838–1914 · Foundersnot measured— - 81
Samuel Insull1859–1938 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Foundersnot measured— - 82
Emil Rathenau1838–1915 · Foundersnot measured— - 83
J. C. Jacobsen1811–1887 · Foundersnot measured— - 84
Julius Rosenwald1862–1932 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 85
Karl Wittgenstein1847–1913 · Foundersnot measured— - 86
Joseph Aspdin1778–1855 · Founders1 decades - 87
Charles Lewis Tiffany1812–1902 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 88
Eliphalet Remington1793–1861 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 89
William Colgate1783–1857 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 90
Savva Timofeyevich Morozov1862–1905 · Foundersnot measured— - 91
Charles Francis Brush1849–1929 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 92
August Borsig1804–1854 · Foundersnot measured— - 93
Gerard Adriaan Heineken1841–1893 · 🇳🇱 Netherlands · Foundersnot measured— - 94
Johann Georg Halske1814–1890 · Foundersnot measured— - 95
Sir Henry Tate1819–1899 · Foundersnot measured— - 96
François Hennebique1842–1921 · 🇫🇷 France · Foundersnot measured— - 97
Thomas Burberry1835–1926 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Foundersnot measured— - 98
John Cadbury1801–1889 · Foundersnot measured— - 99
William Fargo1818–1881 · 🇺🇸 United States · Foundersnot measured— - 100
John Cockerill1790–1840 · Foundersnot 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.