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
José Martí1853–1895 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers16 decades - 2
Miguel de Unamuno1864–1936 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers14 decades - 3
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Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer1836–1870 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers13 decades - 4
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Benito Pérez Galdós1843–1920 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers14 decades - 5
Rosalía de Castro1837–1885 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers13 decades - 6
Emilia Pardo Bazán1851–1921 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers14 decades - 7
José Echegaray1832–1916 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers19 decades - 8
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José de Espronceda1808–1842 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers19 decades - 9
Leopoldo Alas1852–1901 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers4 decades - 10
Mariano José de Larra1809–1837 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers19 decades - 11
José Zorrilla1817–1893 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers21 decades - 12
Santiago Rusiñol i Prats1861–1931 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers13 decades - 13
Juan Donoso Cortés1809–1853 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers19 decades - 14
Jacint Verdaguer1845–1902 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers15 decades - 15
Concepción Arenal Ponte1820–1893 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers16 decades - 16
Álvaro de Figueroa, 1st Count of Romanones1863–1950 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers0 decades - 17
Infanta Eulalia, Duchess of Galliera1864–1958 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers9 decades - 18
Fernán Caballero1796–1877 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers18 decades - 19
Pedro Antonio de Alarcón1833–1891 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers14 decades - 20
Juan Valera1824–1905 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers1 decades - 21
Ramón María Narváez, 1st Duke of Valencia1800–1868 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers14 decades - 22
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Ángel de Saavedra, 3rd Duke of Rivas1791–1865 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers22 decades - 23
Francisco de Paula Martínez de la Rosa y Berdejo1787–1862 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers21 decades - 24
Àngel Guimerà1845–1924 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers9 decades - 25
Joan Maragall1860–1911 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers8 decades - 26
Ramón de Campoamor1817–1901 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers17 decades - 27
Nicholas Patrick Stephen Wiseman1802–1865 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers0 decades - 28
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Segismundo Moret1836–1913 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 29
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Ángel Ganivet1865–1898 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 30
Joan Alcover Masponcio1854–1926 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 31
Eduardo Pondal1835–1917 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 32
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Francisco Giner de los Ríos1839–1915 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 33
Joseph Blanco White1775–1841 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 34
Armando Palacio Valdés1853–1938 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 35
Anselmo Lorenzo1841–1914 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 36
Salustiano de Olózaga y Almandoz1805–1873 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 37
Antonio García Gutiérrez1813–1884 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 38
Narcís Oller1846–1930 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 39
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Javier de Burgos1778–1848 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 40
Manuel José Quintana1772–1857 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers21 decades - 41
Ramón de Mesonero Romanos1803–1882 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 42
Mariano Enrique Calvo Cuellar1782–1842 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 43
Gaspar Núñez de Arce1832–1903 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 44
José María Calatrava y Peinado1781–1847 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 45
Manuel Murguía1833–1923 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 46
Resurrección María de Azkue1864–1951 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 47
José Agripino Barnet1864–1945 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 48
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Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch1806–1880 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 49
Dolors Monserdà i Vidal1845–1919 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 50
Antoni Maria Alcover i Sureda1862–1932 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers0 decades - 51
Francisco Javier de Istúriz y Montero1790–1871 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 52
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Antonio Alcalá Galiano1789–1865 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 53
Josep Manyanet i Vives1833–1901 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 54
José Amador de los Ríos1818–1878 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 55
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Mariano Luis de Urquijo1769–1817 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 56
Enrique Gaspar1842–1902 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 57
Miquel Costa y Llobera1854–1922 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 58
Rosario de Acuña1850–1923 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 59
Luis Coloma1851–1915 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 60
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Adelardo López de Ayala y Herrera1828–1879 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 61
Juan de Zavala, 1st Marquis of Sierra Bullones1804–1879 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 62
Antonio González de Aguilar, 8th Marquis of la Vega de Armijo1824–1908 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 63
Antonio de Trueba1819–1889 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 64
Zeferino González y Díaz Tuñón1831–1894 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 65
Bernardino Fernández de Velasco, 14th Duke of Frías1783–1851 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 66
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Joaquín Francisco Pacheco y Gutiérrez-Calderón1808–1865 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 67
Eusebio Bardají y Azara1776–1842 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 68
Carlos María Fitz-James Stuart, 16th Duke of Alba1849–1901 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 69
Evaristo Fernández de San Miguel1785–1862 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 70
Amalia Domingo Soler1835–1909 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 71
Josep Torras i Bages1846–1916 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 72
Felipe Trigo1864–1916 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 73
Gumersindo de Azcárate1840–1917 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 74
Manuel Milà i Fontanals1818–1884 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 75
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Martín Fernández de Navarrete1765–1844 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 76
Apel·les Mestres i Oñós1854–1936 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 77
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Serafín Estébanez Calderón1799–1867 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 78
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Manuel Tamayo y Baus1829–1898 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 79
Teodoro Llorente Olivares1836–1911 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 80
Alejandro Mon y Menéndez1801–1882 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 81
Manuel Fernández Juncos1846–1928 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 82JMJosé Marchena Ruiz de Cueto1768–1821 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 83
Felix Sardà i Salvany1841–1916 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 84
Eugenio de Ochoa1815–1872 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 85
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Salvador Rueda1857–1933 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 86
Manuel de Pando, 2nd Marquis of Miraflores1792–1872 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 87
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Amalia de Llano1822–1874 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 88CMCarlos Martínez de Irujo, Duke of Sotomayor1802–1855 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured—
- 89
Joan Montseny1864–1942 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 90
Luis Fernández de Córdova1798–1840 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 91
Agustín Durán1789–1862 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 92
José Malcampo, 3rd Marquis of San Rafael1828–1880 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 93
José Miguel de Carvajal-Vargas, 2nd Duke of San Carlos1771–1828 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 94
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Francisco Navarro Villoslada1818–1895 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 95
Juan González de la Pezuela y Ceballos1809–1906 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 96
Joaquín Milans del Bosch1853–1936 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 97
Joaquín María de Ferrer y Cafranga1777–1861 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 98
Pascual de Gayangos y Arce1809–1897 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 99
Blanca de los Ríos1859–1956 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writersnot measured— - 100
Cristino Martos y Balbí1830–1893 · 🇪🇸 Spain · 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.