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 Chinese books during the 19th century — whenever they lived.
In books written inEnglish18,114German3,599French3,347Italian1,787Spanish1,162Russian325Hebrew105Chinese9
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Per million words
- 1
Zhu Xi1130–1200 · 12th century · 🇨🇳 China · Writers870 - 2
Li Hongzhang1823–1901 · 19th century · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians149 - 3
Zhang Zhidong1837–1909 · 19th century · Politicians86 - 4
Zuo Zongtang1812–1885 · 19th century · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians43 - 5
Ban Gu32–92 · 1st century · Writers40 - 6
Ge Hong284–364 · 4th century · Academics40 - 7CSChen Shou233–297 · 3rd century · Writers14
- 8
Mao Zedong1893–1976 · 20th century · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians12 - 9
Lu Xun1881–1936 · 20th century · 🇨🇳 China · Writers11
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
Wilhelm II, German Emperor1859–1941 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures17 decades - 2
Empress Elisabeth of Austria1837–1898 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 3
William I, German Emperor1797–1888 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures22 decades - 4
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Ludwig II of Bavaria1845–1886 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures18 decades - 5
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Albert, Prince Consort1819–1861 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 6
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Leopold I of Belgium1790–1865 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures22 decades - 7
Frederick William III of Prussia1770–1840 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures22 decades - 8
Christian IX of Denmark1818–1906 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures16 decades - 9
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz1776–1810 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 10
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August von Mackensen1849–1945 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2 decades - 11
Carol I of Romania1839–1914 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures19 decades - 12
Helmuth von Moltke the Younger1848–1916 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 13
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Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld1786–1861 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 14
Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine1863–1950 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 15
Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine1864–1918 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 16
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Maria Alexandrovna1824–1880 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 17
Victoria of Baden1862–1930 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 18
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Louise of Hesse-Kassel1817–1898 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 19
Elizabeth Alexeievna1779–1826 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 20
Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg1817–1905 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures3 decades - 21
Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria1821–1912 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures19 decades - 22
Prince Louis of Battenberg1854–1921 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 23
Sophia of Nassau1836–1913 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 24
Maria Sophie of Bavaria1841–1925 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 25
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Princess Ludovika of Bavaria1808–1892 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 26
Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge1833–1897 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 27
Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach1811–1890 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 28
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Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha1818–1893 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures21 decades - 29
Princess Charlotte of Prussia1860–1919 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures15 decades - 30
Friedrich August II of Saxony1797–1854 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures21 decades - 31
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Wilhelm II of Württemberg1848–1921 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures18 decades - 32
Feodora of Leiningen1807–1872 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 33
Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover1845–1923 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures14 decades - 34
Caroline of Baden1776–1841 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 35
Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg1830–1911 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 36
Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin1854–1920 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 37
Caroline Augusta of Bavaria1792–1873 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 38
Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany1861–1922 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 39
Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn1860–1917 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 40
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Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg1800–1831 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 41
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Duchess Sophie Charlotte in Bavaria1847–1897 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 42
Duchess Helene in Bavaria1834–1890 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 43
Wilhelmine of Prussia, Queen of the Netherlands1774–1837 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 44
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Carl Ritter1779–1859 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures22 decades - 45
Amalia of Oldenburg1818–1875 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 46
Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha1781–1860 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 47
Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal1855–1944 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 48
Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse1806–1877 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures22 decades - 49
Queen Maria Theresa of Bavaria1849–1919 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 50
Duchess Mathilde Ludovika in Bavaria1843–1925 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 51
Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg1852–1931 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures17 decades - 52
Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha1874–1899 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 53
Carl Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach1783–1853 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures22 decades - 54
Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Carignano1770–1800 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 55
Prince Aribert of Anhalt1864–1933 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 56
Princess Hilda of Nassau1864–1952 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 57
Duchess Louise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin1779–1801 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 58
Queen Charlotte of Württemberg1864–1946 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 59
Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin1857–1920 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 60
Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt1857–1933 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 61
Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg1852–1925 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 62
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Princess Marie of Baden1782–1808 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0 decades - 63
Duchess Helene of Mecklenburg-Strelitz1857–1936 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 64
Albert von Le Coq1860–1930 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 65
Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg1858–1936 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 66
Duchess Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin1824–1859 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 67
Karl von den Steinen1855–1929 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 68
Duke Adam of Württemberg1792–1847 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 69PAPrince Albrecht of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg1863–1948 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured—
- 70
Kurt von Morgen1858–1928 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 71
Albert Grünwedel1856–1935 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 72
Emil Körner1846–1920 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 73
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Ernst Oppert1832–1903 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 74FHFriedrich Hornemann1772–1801 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured—
- 75
Wilhelm von Hohenau1854–1930 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 76
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Paul Güssfeldt1840–1920 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 77
Joachim von Pfeil1857–1924 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 78
Princess Mathilde of Schaumburg-Lippe1818–1891 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 79
Carl Hugo Hahn1818–1895 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 80
Hugo Zöller1852–1933 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 81
Albrecht Roscher1836–1860 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured— - 82RBRichard Brenner1833–1874 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot measured—
- 83
Eduard Dämel1821–1900 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figuresnot 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.