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 Russian books during the 19th century — whenever they lived.
In books written inEnglish18,114German3,599French3,347Italian1,787Spanish1,162Russian325Hebrew105Chinese9
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Per million words
- 1
Patriarch Nikon of Moscow1605–1681 · 17th century · Religious Figures6.7 - 2
Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow1482–1563 · 16th century · Writers3.1 - 3
Nikolai Rezanov1764–1807 · 18th century · Historical Figures1.3 - 4
Boris Godunov1552–1605 · 16th century · Politicians0.99 - 5
Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia1859–1919 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.94 - 6
Patriarch Joachim1621–1690 · 17th century0.86 - 7
Vasili IV of Russia1552–1612 · 16th century · Historical Figures0.86 - 8
Nikolay Karamzin1766–1826 · 19th century · Writers0.85 - 9
Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsesarevich of Russia1843–1865 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.83 - 10
Anna of Russia1693–1740 · 18th century · Politicians0.82 - 11
Nikolay Semyonov1896–1986 · 20th century · Scientists0.75 - 12
Ivan I of Tver1357–1425 · 14th century · Historical Figures0.66 - 13
Avraamy Palitsyn1550–1626 · 16th century · Writers0.64 - 14
Ivan I Aleksandrovich, Prince of Smolenskdied 1359 · 14th century0.62 - 15
Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia1779–1831 · 19th century · Politicians0.62 - 16
Elizabeth of Russia1709–1761 · 18th century · Historical Figures0.58 - 17
Alexandra Velyaminova1301–1364 · 14th century0.57 - 18
Peter the Great1672–1725 · 18th century · Politicians0.53 - 19
Maximus the Greek1475–1556 · 16th century · Writers0.53 - 20
Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia1783–1801 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.43 - 21
Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia1864–1931 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.42 - 22
Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia1832–1909 · 19th century · Politicians0.42 - 23
Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia1895–1918 · 20th century · Historical Figures0.39 - 24
Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia1827–1892 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.39 - 25
Grigory Orlov1734–1783 · 18th century · Historical Figures0.38 - 26
Alexander I of Russia1777–1825 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.36 - 27
Leo Tolstoy1828–1910 · 19th century · Writers0.35 - 28
Alexander Bestuzhev1797–1837 · 19th century · Writers0.34 - 29
Ivan the Terrible1530–1584 · 16th century · Politicians0.33 - 30
Pyotr Panin1721–1789 · 18th century0.33 - 31
Ippolit Bogdanovich1743–1803 · 18th century · Writers0.33 - 32
Peter III of Russia1728–1762 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0.31
- 33
Stefan Yavorsky1658–1722 · 17th century · Academics0.30 - 34
Grigory Potemkin1739–1791 · 18th century · Politicians0.30 - 35
Boris of Tver1400–1461 · 15th century0.29 - 36
Ivan Mazepa1639–1709 · 17th century · Politicians0.29 - 37
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia1899–1918 · 20th century · Historical Figures0.29 - 38
Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia1850–1908 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.29 - 39
Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn1643–1714 · 17th century · Politicians0.28 - 40
Paul I of Russia1754–1801 · 18th century · Historical Figures0.28 - 41
Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia1860–1919 · 19th century · Politicians0.28 - 42
Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov1727–1797 · 18th century · Writers0.28 - 43
Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia1690–1718 · 18th century · Politicians0.27 - 44
Nicholas I of Russia1796–1855 · 19th century · Models0.26 - 45
Alexander Pushkin1799–1837 · 19th century · Writers0.26 - 46
Dimitry of Rostov1651–1709 · 17th century · Writers0.26 - 47
Alexander Griboyedov1795–1829 · 19th century · Politicians0.25 - 48
Alexander Herzen1812–1870 · 19th century · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers0.24 - 49
Vissarion Belinsky1811–1848 · 19th century · Academics0.23 - 50
Konstantin Aksakov1817–1860 · 19th century · Writers0.23 - 51
Nikita Panin1718–1783 · 18th century · Politicians0.22
- 52
Symeon of Polotsk1629–1680 · 17th century · Writers0.21 - 53
Aleksei Musin-Pushkin1744–1817 · 18th century · Writers0.21 - 54
Alexis of Russia1629–1676 · 17th century · Historical Figures0.21 - 55
Xenia Shestova1560–1631 · 16th century0.20 - 56
Mikhail Lermontov1814–1841 · 19th century · Writers0.19 - 57
Olga Nikolaevna of Russia1822–1892 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.19 - 58
Pavel Fedotov1815–1852 · 19th century · Artists0.19 - 59
Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia1858–1915 · 19th century · Writers0.19 - 60
Dmitry Shuisky1560–1612 · 16th century0.19 - 61
Alexey Venetsianov1780–1847 · 19th century · Artists0.18 - 62
Nikolay Alexandrovich Lvov1753–1803 · 18th century · Academics0.18 - 63
Catherine Pavlovna of Russia1788–1819 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.18 - 64
Fyodor Alekseyev1755–1824 · 18th century · Artists0.18 - 65
Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia1825–1844 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.17 - 66
Konstantin Batyushkov1787–1855 · 19th century · Writers0.15 - 67
Mykhailo Maksymovych1804–1873 · 19th century · Writers0.15 - 68
Nicholas Repnin1734–1801 · 18th century · Writers0.15 - 69
Kirill Razumovsky1728–1803 · 18th century · Politicians0.14 - 70
Grand Duchess Natalya Alexeyevna of Russia1714–1728 · 18th century0.14 - 71
Natalya Alexeevna of Russia1673–1716 · 18th century · Writers0.14 - 72
Nikolai Leskov1831–1895 · 19th century · Writers0.13 - 73
Aleksei Fedorovich Adashev1510–1561 · 16th century · Politicians0.13 - 74
Alexander Shishkov1754–1841 · 18th century · Writers0.13 - 75
Joseph Volotsky1440–1515 · 15th century · Writers0.12 - 76
Alexander Menshikov1673–1729 · 18th century · Politicians0.12 - 77
Nikolay Dobrolyubov1836–1861 · 19th century · Academics0.11 - 78
Ivan the Young1458–1490 · 15th century · Historical Figures0.11 - 79
Konstantin of Uglich1389–1434 · 15th century0.11 - 80
Dmitry Pozharsky1577–1642 · 17th century · Politicians0.11 - 81
Gleb Uspensky1843–1902 · 19th century · Writers0.10
- 82
Pyotr Andreyevich Tolstoy1645–1729 · 17th century · Writers0.10 - 83
Alexander Suvorov1730–1800 · 18th century0.10
- 84
Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia1871–1899 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.10 - 85
Alexander Ivanov1806–1858 · 19th century · Artists0.10 - 86
Ivan Krylov1769–1844 · 19th century · Writers0.09 - 87
Ivan Dmitriev1760–1837 · 18th century · Writers0.09 - 88
Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov1787–1869 · 19th century · Politicians0.09 - 89
Mikhail of Tver1271–1318 · 14th century · Politicians0.08 - 90
Peter Ivanovich Shuvalov1711–1762 · 18th century · Politicians0.08 - 91
Maxim Gorky1868–1936 · 20th century · Writers0.08 - 92
Vladimir Odoevsky1803–1869 · 19th century · Writers0.08 - 93
Oleg I of Chernigov1052–1115 · 11th century · Historical Figures0.08 - 94
Mikhail Vorontsov1782–1856 · 19th century · Politicians0.08 - 95
Faddey Bulgarin1789–1859 · 19th century · Writers0.08 - 96
Tikhon of Zadonsk1724–1783 · 18th century · Religious Figures0.08
- 97
Konstantin of Rostov1185–1218 · 13th century · Politicians0.08 - 98
Peter II of Russia1715–1730 · 18th century · Politicians0.08 - 99
Kirill II of Kyiv1250–1280 · 13th century0.08 - 100
Alexander II of Russia1818–1881 · 19th century · Historical Figures0.08
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
Heinrich Heine1797–1856 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers21 decades
- 2
Carl von Clausewitz1780–1831 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers12 decades - 3
E. T. A. Hoffmann1776–1822 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers21 decades - 4
Novalis1772–1801 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades - 5
Heinrich von Kleist1777–1811 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades - 6
Friedrich Hölderlin1770–1843 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers18 decades - 7
Theodor Fontane1819–1898 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers17 decades - 8
Karl May1842–1912 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers14 decades - 9
Georg Büchner1813–1837 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers17 decades - 10
Helmuth von Moltke the Elder1800–1891 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers13 decades - 11
Theodor Storm1817–1888 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers17 decades - 12
Wilhelm Hauff1802–1827 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers20 decades - 13
Leopold von Ranke1795–1886 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers16 decades - 14
Wilhelm Grimm1786–1859 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades - 15
Wilhelm Dilthey1833–1911 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers14 decades - 16
Multatuli1820–1887 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers9 decades - 17
Frank Wedekind1864–1918 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers12 decades - 18
Friedrich Schlegel1772–1829 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades - 19
Clemens Brentano1778–1842 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades - 20
Bettina von Arnim1785–1859 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers18 decades - 21
Anne Catherine Emmerich1774–1824 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers8 decades - 22
Elisabeth of Wied1843–1916 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers0 decades - 23
Philipp Mainländer1841–1876 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers2 decades - 24
Ernst Moritz Arndt1769–1860 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades - 25
Eduard Mörike1804–1875 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers18 decades - 26
Friedrich Rückert1788–1866 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades - 27
Karl Heinrich Ulrichs1825–1895 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers3 decades - 28
Ricarda Huch1864–1947 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers13 decades - 29
August Wilhelm Schlegel1767–1845 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades - 30
Friedrich Hebbel1813–1863 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers18 decades - 31
Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria1808–1888 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers0 decades - 32
Ludwig Achim von Arnim1781–1831 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers22 decades - 33
Siegbert Tarrasch1862–1934 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers0 decades - 34
Heinrich von Treitschke1834–1896 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers16 decades - 35
Franz Mehring1846–1919 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers15 decades - 36
Wilhelm Raabe1831–1910 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers16 decades - 37
Richard Dehmel1863–1920 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers13 decades - 38
Hedwig Dohm1831–1919 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers11 decades - 39
Johann Peter Eckermann1792–1854 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers12 decades - 40
Emanuel Geibel1815–1884 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers18 decades - 41
Philip, Prince of Eulenburg1847–1921 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 42
Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg1772–1822 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 43
Karoline von Günderrode1780–1806 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers8 decades - 44
Gustav Schwab1792–1850 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers21 decades - 45
Constantin von Tischendorf1815–1874 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers0 decades - 46
Hermann von François1856–1933 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers0 decades - 47
Hermann Sudermann1857–1928 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers13 decades - 48
Friedrich Meinecke1862–1954 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers13 decades - 49
Arno Holz1863–1929 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers15 decades - 50
John Henry Mackay1864–1933 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers13 decades - 51
Malwida Freiin von Meysenbug1816–1903 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers12 decades - 52
Wilhelm Heinrich Solf1862–1936 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 53
Christian Dietrich Grabbe1801–1836 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers12 decades - 54
Emily Ruete1844–1924 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 55
Princess Marie of Battenberg1852–1923 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 56
Heinrich Graetz1817–1891 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 57
Aleksander Brückner1856–1939 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers3 decades - 58
Paul Deussen1845–1919 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers13 decades - 59
Ludwig von Pastor1854–1928 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers10 decades
- 60
Friedrich Carl Andreas1846–1930 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 61
Oskar Panizza1853–1921 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 62
Adolf Erman1854–1937 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers15 decades - 63
Karl Max, Prince Lichnowsky1860–1928 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 64
Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach1854–1908 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 65
Sophie Mereau1770–1806 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 66
Karl Brugmann1849–1919 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers13 decades - 67
Josef Markwart1864–1930 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 68
Clara Viebig1860–1952 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 69
August Leskien1840–1916 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers13 decades - 70
Karl Joseph Simrock1802–1876 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 71
Júlia da Silva Bruhns1851–1923 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 72
Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen1862–1953 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 73
Karl Julius Beloch1854–1929 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 74
Heinrich Seidel1842–1906 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 75
Julius Mosen1803–1867 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 76
Friedrich Kluge1856–1926 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 77
Aaron Bernstein1812–1884 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 78
Friedrich Spielhagen1829–1911 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 79
Johannes Daniel Falk1768–1826 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 80
Hermann von Kuhl1856–1958 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 81
Otto Seeck1850–1921 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 82
Wilhelm Scherer1841–1886 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 83
Emil Schürer1844–1910 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 84
Max Maria von Weber1822–1881 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 85
Ernst von Hoeppner1860–1922 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 86
Gustav Frenssen1863–1945 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 87
Eduard Sievers1850–1932 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 88
Friedrich von Pourtalès1853–1928 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured—
- 89
Otto Erich Hartleben1864–1905 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 90
Max Eyth1836–1906 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 91
Ernst von Wolzogen1855–1934 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 92
Friedrich Wilhelm Weber1813–1894 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 93
Arnošt Muka1854–1932 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 94
Henriette Goldschmidt1825–1920 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 95
Wilhelm Waiblinger1804–1830 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 96
Hermann Allmers1821–1902 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured—
- 97
Konrad von Maurer1823–1902 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 98
Peter Hille1854–1904 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 99
Josef Kohler1849–1919 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writersnot measured— - 100EOErnst Ortlepp1800–1864 · 🇩🇪 Germany · 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.