Claim profile
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
  1. 1Zhu XiZhu Xi1130–1200 · 12th century · 🇨🇳 China · Writers870
  2. 2Li HongzhangLi Hongzhang1823–1901 · 19th century · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians149
  3. 3Zhang ZhidongZhang Zhidong1837–1909 · 19th century · Politicians86
  4. 4Zuo ZongtangZuo Zongtang1812–1885 · 19th century · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians43
  5. 5Ban GuBan Gu32–92 · 1st century · Writers40
  6. 6Ge HongGe Hong284–364 · 4th century · Academics40
  7. 7CSChen Shou233–297 · 3rd century · Writers14
  8. 8Mao ZedongMao Zedong1893–1976 · 20th century · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians12
  9. 9Lu XunLu 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.

CountryAll🇺🇸 United States🇫🇷 France🇩🇪 Germany🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇮🇹 Italy🇪🇸 Spain🇯🇵 Japan🇦🇹 Austria🇹🇷 Turkey🇸🇪 Sweden
FieldAllPoliticiansWritersHistorical FiguresScientistsAcademicsArtistsMusiciansDoctorsFoundersJournalists
  1. 1Robert KochRobert Koch1843–1910 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors14 decades
  2. 2Ignaz SemmelweisIgnaz Semmelweis1818–1865 · Doctors6 decades
  3. 3L. L. ZamenhofL. L. Zamenhof1859–1917 · Doctorsnot measured—
  4. 4Paul EhrlichPaul Ehrlich1854–1915 · Doctors13 decades
  5. 5Rudolf VirchowRudolf Virchow1821–1902 · Doctors16 decades
  6. 6Cesare LombrosoCesare Lombroso1835–1909 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Doctors16 decades
  7. 7Jean-Martin CharcotJean-Martin Charcot1825–1893 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors4 decades
  8. 8Alois AlzheimerAlois Alzheimer1864–1915 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors3 decades
  9. 9Joseph ListerJoseph Lister1827–1912 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors18 decades
  10. 10Elizabeth BlackwellElizabeth Blackwell1821–1910 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors17 decades
  11. 11H. H. HolmesH. H. Holmes1861–1896 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors2 decades
  12. 12John SnowJohn Snow1813–1858 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors21 decades
  13. 13Vladimir BekhterevVladimir Bekhterev1857–1927 · Doctors5 decades
  14. 14Emil von BehringEmil von Behring1854–1917 · Doctors11 decades
  15. 15William OslerWilliam Osler1849–1919 · 🇨🇦 Canada · Doctors14 decades
  16. 16Doc HollidayDoc Holliday1851–1887 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors8 decades
  17. 17Axel MuntheAxel Munthe1857–1949 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Doctors2 decades
  18. 18John Langdon DownJohn Langdon Down1828–1896 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors0 decades
  19. 19Eugen BleulerEugen Bleuler1857–1939 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Doctors10 decades
  20. 20Havelock EllisHavelock Ellis1859–1939 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors14 decades
  21. 21John Harvey KelloggJohn Harvey Kellogg1852–1943 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors5 decades
  22. 22René LaennecRené Laennec1781–1826 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0 decades
  23. 23Camillo GolgiCamillo Golgi1843–1926 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Doctors15 decades
  24. 24Aletta JacobsAletta Jacobs1854–1929 · 🇳🇱 Netherlands · Doctors0 decades
  25. 25William WalkerWilliam Walker1824–1860 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors20 decades
  26. 26Alexandre YersinAlexandre Yersin1863–1943 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors5 decades
  27. 27Ronald RossRonald Ross1857–1932 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors13 decades
  28. 28James BarryJames Barry1789–1865 · Doctors22 decades
  29. 29Theodor SchwannTheodor Schwann1810–1882 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors16 decades
  30. 30Richard von Krafft-EbingRichard von Krafft-Ebing1840–1902 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors4 decades
  31. 31Mary Edwards WalkerMary Edwards Walker1832–1919 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors0 decades
  32. 32Max NordauMax Nordau1849–1923 · Doctors14 decades
  33. 33Elias LönnrotElias Lönnrot1802–1884 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Doctors0 decades
  34. 34Wong Fei-hungWong Fei-hung1847–1925 · 🇨🇳 China · Doctorsnot measured—
  35. 35Paul BrocaPaul Broca1824–1880 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors15 decades
  36. 36Josef BreuerJosef Breuer1842–1925 · Doctors12 decades
  37. 37Gerhard Armauer HansenGerhard Armauer Hansen1841–1912 · 🇳🇴 Norway · Doctors0 decades
  38. 38Elizabeth Garrett AndersonElizabeth Garrett Anderson1836–1917 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors7 decades
  39. 39James Curtis HepburnJames Curtis Hepburn1815–1911 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors0 decades
  40. 40Joseph BellJoseph Bell1837–1911 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors19 decades
  41. 41Leonard WoodLeonard Wood1860–1927 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors13 decades
  42. 42William T. G. MortonWilliam T. G. Morton1819–1868 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors2 decades
  43. 43Kadambini GangulyKadambini Ganguly1862–1923 · Doctors0 decades
  44. 44Kusumoto IneKusumoto Ine1827–1903 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Doctorsnot measured—
  45. 45Charles RichetCharles Richet1850–1935 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors15 decades
  46. 46Aimé BonplandAimé Bonpland1773–1858 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors13 decades
  47. 47Karl Theodor, Duke in BavariaKarl Theodor, Duke in Bavaria1839–1909 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors3 decades
  48. 48Waldemar HaffkineWaldemar Haffkine1856–1930 · Doctors0 decades
  49. 49Theodor BillrothTheodor Billroth1829–1894 · Doctors17 decades
  50. 50Niels Ryberg FinsenNiels Ryberg Finsen1860–1904 · Doctors0 decades
  51. 51Xavier BichatXavier Bichat1771–1802 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors15 decades
  52. 52Joseph BabinskiJoseph Babinski1857–1932 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0 decades
  53. 53Georges Gilles de la TouretteGeorges Gilles de la Tourette1857–1904 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0 decades
  54. 54Hudson TaylorHudson Taylor1832–1905 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors14 decades
  55. 55Henry GrayHenry Gray1827–1861 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors19 decades
  56. 56Dominique Jean LarreyDominique Jean Larrey1766–1842 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors0 decades
  57. 57Paul GachetPaul Gachet1828–1909 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors5 decades
  58. 58Julius Wagner-JaureggJulius Wagner-Jauregg1857–1940 · 🇦🇹 Austria · Doctors2 decades
  59. 59Emil Theodor KocherEmil Theodor Kocher1841–1917 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Doctors12 decades
  60. 60Franz OppenheimerFranz Oppenheimer1864–1943 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors13 decades
  61. 61Robert KnoxRobert Knox1791–1862 · Doctors22 decades
  62. 62William Stewart HalstedWilliam Stewart Halsted1852–1922 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctorsnot measured—
  63. 63Charles BellCharles Bell1774–1842 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors22 decades
  64. 64José Gregorio HernándezJosé Gregorio Hernández1864–1919 · Doctorsnot measured—
  65. 65Anandi Gopal JoshiAnandi Gopal Joshi1865–1887 · Doctorsnot measured—
  66. 66Anna KuliscioffAnna Kuliscioff1853–1925 · Doctors12 decades
  67. 67Albert CalmetteAlbert Calmette1863–1933 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors11 decades
  68. 68Frederick HopkinsFrederick Hopkins1861–1947 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors1 decades
  69. 69Carl WernickeCarl Wernicke1848–1905 · Doctors3 decades
  70. 70Charles Louis Alphonse LaveranCharles Louis Alphonse Laveran1845–1922 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors4 decades
  71. 71Sergey Petrovich BotkinSergey Petrovich Botkin1832–1889 · Doctorsnot measured—
  72. 72Christiaan EijkmanChristiaan Eijkman1858–1930 · 🇳🇱 Netherlands · Doctors0 decades
  73. 73Carlos Juan FinlayCarlos Juan Finlay1833–1915 · Doctors0 decades
  74. 74Thomas HodgkinThomas Hodgkin1798–1866 · Doctors18 decades
  75. 75Jean Marc Gaspard ItardJean Marc Gaspard Itard1774–1838 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors7 decades
  76. 76Leon PinskerLeon Pinsker1821–1891 · Doctors0 decades
  77. 77Eugène DuboisEugène Dubois1858–1940 · Doctors10 decades
  78. 78Auguste ForelAuguste Forel1848–1931 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Doctors11 decades
  79. 79Nikolay SklifosovskyNikolay Sklifosovsky1836–1904 · Doctorsnot measured—
  80. 80Robert ListonRobert Liston1794–1847 · Doctorsnot measured—
  81. 81RukhmabaiRukhmabai1864–1955 · 🇮🇳 India · Doctors1 decades
  82. 82Paul RéePaul Rée1849–1901 · Doctorsnot measured—
  83. 83James Young SimpsonJames Young Simpson1811–1870 · Doctors2 decades
  84. 84J. Marion SimsJ. Marion Sims1813–1883 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctorsnot measured—
  85. 85Ernst Heinrich WeberErnst Heinrich Weber1795–1878 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Doctors15 decades
  86. 86Paul LangerhansPaul Langerhans1847–1888 · Doctors2 decades
  87. 87Thomas AddisonThomas Addison1793–1860 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors12 decades
  88. 88Charles EastmanCharles Eastman1858–1939 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctorsnot measured—
  89. 89Guillaume DupuytrenGuillaume Dupuytren1777–1835 · 🇫🇷 France · Doctors1 decades
  90. 90Nikolay GamaleyaNikolay Gamaleya1859–1949 · Doctors2 decades
  91. 91Carl von RokitanskyCarl von Rokitansky1804–1878 · Doctors1 decades
  92. 92Emil du Bois-ReymondEmil du Bois-Reymond1818–1896 · Doctors16 decades
  93. 93Sir William Gull, 1st BaronetSir William Gull, 1st Baronet1816–1890 · Doctorsnot measured—
  94. 94Christian BohrChristian Bohr1855–1911 · Doctors0 decades
  95. 95Hawley Harvey CrippenHawley Harvey Crippen1862–1910 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctorsnot measured—
  96. 96Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of BavariaPrince Ludwig Ferdinand of Bavaria1859–1949 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Doctorsnot measured—
  97. 97Robert DarwinRobert Darwin1766–1848 · Doctorsnot measured—
  98. 98James BraidJames Braid1795–1860 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Doctors7 decades
  99. 99George HuntingtonGeorge Huntington1850–1916 · 🇺🇸 United States · Doctors9 decades
  100. 100Cecilia GriersonCecilia Grierson1859–1934 · 🇦🇷 Argentina · Doctorsnot 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.