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
Selma Lagerlöf1858–1940 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers7 decades - 2
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August Strindberg1849–1912 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writers8 decades - 3
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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
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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
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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
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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
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C. V. A. Strandberg1818–1877 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 76
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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
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Johan Börjesson1790–1866 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 89
Elias Sehlstedt1808–1874 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Writersnot measured— - 90
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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
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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.