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 English books during the 19th century — whenever they lived.
In books written inEnglish18,114German3,599French3,347Italian1,787Spanish1,162Russian325Hebrew105Chinese9
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Per million words
- 1
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Jesus5 BC–30 · 1st century · Religious Figures94 - 2
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Homer900 BC–800 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers15 - 3
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Cicero106 BC–43 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians13 - 4
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Augustus63 BC–14 · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians13 - 5
Plato428 BC–348 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics10 - 6
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Virgil70 BC–19 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers9.6 - 7
Aristotle384 BC–322 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics9.4 - 8
Socrates470 BC–399 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇧🇷 Brazil · Academics6.4 - 9
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Herodotus484 BC–425 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers6.2 - 10
Charles II, Duke of Savoy1489–1496 · 15th century · Historical Figures5.9 - 11
Charles II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels1545–1617 · 16th century · Historical Figures5.9 - 12
Charles II, Lord of Monaco1555–1589 · 16th century · Politicians5.9 - 13
Plutarch40–120 · 1st century · Academics5.6 - 14
Ovid43 BC–17 · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers4.2 - 15
Strabo63 BC–23 · 1st millennium BC · Academics4.1 - 16
Charlemagne748–814 · 8th century · Historical Figures3.9 - 17
Demosthenes384 BC–322 BC · 1st millennium BC · Politicians3.8 - 18
Lord Byron1788–1824 · 19th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers3.6 - 19
Henry IV, Duke of Limburg1195–1247 · 13th century · Historical Figures3.5 - 20HIHenry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1463–1514 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany3.5
- 21
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor1050–1106 · 11th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures3.5 - 22
Henry IV, Count of Luxembourg1113–1196 · 12th century · Politicians3.5 - 23
Henry IV, Duke of Brabant1251–1272 · 13th century3.5 - 24HIHenry IV, Count of Waldeck1300–1348 · 14th century3.5
- 25
Livy59 BC–17 · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers3.4 - 26
Origen185–254 · 3rd century · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Academics3.1 - 27
Cleopatra69 BC–30 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures3.0 - 28
Xenophon430 BC–354 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics3.0 - 29
Walter Scott1771–1832 · 19th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers3.0 - 30
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Henry III, Duke of Głogów1251–1309 · 13th century · Politicians2.8 - 31
Henry III, Count of Gorizia1263–1323 · 13th century2.8 - 32
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Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor1016–1056 · 11th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.8 - 33
Henry III, Count of Schauenburg-Holstein1370–1421 · 15th century2.8 - 34
Henry III, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels1542–1587 · 16th century2.8 - 35
Henry III, Margrave of Baden-Hachberg1300–1330 · 14th century · Models2.8 - 36
Henry III, Count of Louvain1060–1095 · 11th century · Politicians2.8 - 37HIHenry III, Count of Luxembourg1070–1096 · 11th century · Historical Figures2.8
- 38
Tertullian160–240 · 2nd century · Academics2.7 - 39
James II, Count of Urgell1388–1433 · 15th century2.6 - 40
Robert Peel1788–1850 · 19th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Politicians2.6 - 41
Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor1275–1313 · 14th century · 🇫🇷 France2.6 - 42
Pericles494 BC–429 BC · 1st millennium BC · Politicians2.5 - 43
Henry VI1376–1454 · 15th century2.5 - 44
Henry VI, Count of Luxembourg1240–1288 · 13th century · Politicians2.5 - 45HVHenry VI, Count of Waldeck1340–1397 · 14th century2.5
- 46
John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford1485–1555 · 16th century · Politicians2.4 - 47
Euclid333 BC–285 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics2.4 - 48
John the Baptist6 BC–30 · 1st century · 🇮🇱 Israel · Religious Figures2.4 - 49
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor973–1024 · 11th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.3 - 50
Henry II1207–1248 · 13th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians2.3 - 51Henry II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels1507–1548 · 16th century2.3
- 52
Henry II, Duke of Ziębice1396–1420 · 15th century2.3 - 53
Henry II, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen1289–1351 · 14th century · Historical Figures2.3 - 54
Henry II, Count of Champagne1166–1197 · 12th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures2.3 - 55
Henry II, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben1215–1266 · 13th century · Historical Figures2.3 - 56
Henry II, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg1317–1390 · 14th century2.3 - 57
Henry II , Duke of Lower Lorraine1059–1119 · 11th century2.3 - 58
Henry II, Duke of Świdnica1312–1345 · 14th century2.3 - 59HIHenry II, Margrave of the Nordmark1102–1128 · 12th century2.3
- 60
Henry II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal1308–1320 · 14th century · Models2.3 - 61
Otho32–69 · 1st century · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians2.3 - 62
Trajan53–117 · 1st century · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians2.3 - 63
Bede672–735 · 8th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers2.3 - 64
Solon630 BC–560 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers2.2 - 65
Euripides480 BC–406 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers2.2 - 66
Thucydides460 BC–395 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers2.1 - 67
Pythagoras582 BC–490 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics2.1 - 68
Pindar517 BC–437 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers2.0 - 69
Richard II963–1026 · 10th century · 🇫🇷 France1.9 - 70
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Julius Caesar100 BC–44 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians1.9 - 71
Sophocles496 BC–406 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers1.9 - 72
John Smith1580–1631 · 17th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Historical Figures1.8 - 73
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Vespasian9–79 · 1st century · Politicians1.8 - 74
Aristophanes445 BC–385 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers1.8 - 75
William Henry1774–1836 · 19th century · Scientists1.7 - 76
Ben Jonson1572–1637 · 17th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers1.7 - 77
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Alexander the Great356 BC–323 BC · 1st millennium BC · Historical Figures1.7 - 78
Hippocrates460 BC–370 BC · 1st millennium BC · Doctors1.7 - 79
Alcibiades450 BC–404 BC · 1st millennium BC · Politicians1.6 - 80
Ahab918 BC–852 BC · 1st millennium BC · Models1.6 - 81
Isaac Newton1642–1727 · 17th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics1.6 - 82WIWilliam III, Duke of Aquitaine910–963 · 10th century1.6
- 83WIWilliam III, Marquess of Montferrat970–1042 · 11th century · Historical Figures1.6
- 84WIWilliam III, Count of Burgundy1110–1127 · 12th century · Historical Figures1.6
- 85
William III, Duke of Bavaria1375–1435 · 15th century · Historical Figures1.6 - 86
William III, Count of Toulouse975–1037 · 11th century · Historical Figures1.6 - 87WIWilliam III, Count of Jülich1150–1218 · 12th century · Historical Figures1.6
- 88WIWilliam III, Count of Genevaborn 1280 · 14th century1.6
- 89
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John Bull1562–1628 · 16th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Musicians1.6 - 90
George II, Duke of Württemberg-Montbéliard1626–1699 · 17th century1.6 - 91
George II, Duke of Brieg1523–1586 · 16th century1.6 - 92
George II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels1512–1553 · 16th century1.6 - 93
Polybius200 BC–120 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers1.5 - 94
Galen129–300 · 2nd century · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Doctors1.5 - 95
Hadrian76–138 · 2nd century · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures1.5 - 96
Lucretius94 BC–55 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers1.5 - 97
Lucan39–65 · 1st century · Writers1.4 - 98
William Jones1746–1794 · 18th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics1.4 - 99
William the Conqueror1028–1087 · 11th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures1.4
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
Frédéric Chopin1810–1849 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians16 decades - 2
Claude Debussy1862–1918 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians12 decades - 3
Hector Berlioz1803–1869 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians19 decades - 4
Georges Bizet1838–1875 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians15 decades - 5
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Jacques Offenbach1819–1880 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians16 decades - 6
Camille Saint-Saëns1835–1921 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians15 decades - 7
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Charles Gounod1818–1893 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians17 decades - 8
Gabriel Fauré1845–1924 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians14 decades - 9
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Jules Massenet1842–1912 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians14 decades - 10
Léo Delibes1836–1891 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians16 decades - 11
Hortense de Beauharnais1783–1837 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians20 decades - 12
Charles-Valentin Alkan1813–1888 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades - 13
Adolphe Adam1803–1856 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians19 decades - 14
Pauline Viardot1821–1910 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians18 decades - 15
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Charles-Marie Widor1844–1937 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians8 decades - 16
Ernest Chausson1855–1899 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians13 decades - 17
Édouard Lalo1823–1892 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians1 decades - 18
Cécile Chaminade1857–1944 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians1 decades - 19
Emmanuel Chabrier1841–1894 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians14 decades - 20
Vincent d'Indy1851–1931 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians14 decades - 21
Daniel Auber1782–1871 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades - 22
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Maria Malibran1808–1836 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians7 decades - 23
Mélanie Bonis1858–1937 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians1 decades - 24
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Anton Reicha1770–1836 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades - 25
Aristide Bruant1851–1925 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians13 decades - 26
Émile Waldteufel1837–1915 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades - 27
Fromental Halévy1799–1862 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians4 decades - 28
Ambroise Thomas1811–1896 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians19 decades - 29
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Gaspare Spontini1774–1851 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians16 decades - 30
Louise Farrenc1804–1875 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 31
Friedrich Burgmüller1806–1874 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 32
François Adrien Boieldieu1775–1834 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades - 33
Rodolphe Kreutzer1766–1831 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians9 decades - 34
Augusta Holmès1847–1903 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 35
Henri Duparc1848–1933 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians12 decades - 36
Gabriel Pierné1863–1937 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians13 decades - 37
André Messager1853–1929 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians14 decades - 38
Théodore Dubois1837–1924 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians15 decades - 39
Alexandre Guilmant1837–1911 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians13 decades - 40
Gustave Charpentier1860–1956 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians13 decades - 41
Emma Calvé1858–1942 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians11 decades - 42
Léon Boëllmann1862–1897 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 43
François Sudre1787–1862 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 44
Benjamin Godard1849–1895 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 45
George Onslow1784–1853 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 46
Jules Perrot1810–1892 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians2 decades - 47
Suzanne Manet1829–1906 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 48
Ferdinand Hérold1791–1833 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 49
Célestine Galli-Marié1837–1905 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 50
Ernest Guiraud1837–1892 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians13 decades - 51
Henri Herz1802–1888 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 52
François Delsarte1811–1871 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 53
Charles Lecocq1832–1918 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 54
Guy Ropartz1864–1955 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 55
Charles-Louis Hanon1819–1900 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 56
Marie Jaëll1846–1925 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 57
Pierre Rode1774–1830 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 58
Henry Litolff1818–1891 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 59
Antoine-François Marmontel1816–1898 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians0 decades - 60
Alfred Lefébure-Wély1817–1869 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 61
Eugène Gigout1844–1925 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 62
Philipp von Ferrary1850–1917 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 63
Maurice Emmanuel1862–1938 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 64
Juliette Colbert de Barolo1785–1864 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 65
Marie Pleyel1811–1875 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 66
Charles Dancla1817–1907 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 67
Arthur Saint-Léon1821–1870 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 68
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Auguste Franchomme1808–1884 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 69
Louis Théodore Gouvy1819–1898 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 70
Nicolas-Charles Bochsa1789–1856 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 71
Paul Taffanel1844–1908 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 72
Jean-Baptiste Arban1825–1889 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 73
Napoléon Coste1805–1883 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 74
Hervé1825–1892 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 75
Clémence de Grandval1828–1907 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 76
Arnold Dolmetsch1858–1940 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 77
Robert Planquette1848–1903 · 🇫🇷 France · Musicians3 decades - 78
Adolphe Nourrit1802–1839 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 79
Félicien-César David1810–1876 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 80
Pierre Baillot1771–1842 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 81
André Gedalge1856–1926 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 82
Louis Diémer1843–1919 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 83
Gilbert Duprez1806–1896 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 84
Jean-Baptiste Faure1830–1914 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 85
Victor Massé1822–1884 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 86
Paul Vidal1863–1931 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 87
Camille Pleyel1788–1855 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 88
Cornélie Falcon1814–1897 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 89
Jean-Delphin Alard1815–1888 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 90
Ernest Reyer1823–1909 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 91
Victor Maurel1848–1923 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 92
Alfred Bruneau1857–1934 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 93
Marie Bigot1786–1820 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured—
- 94
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Raoul Pugno1852–1914 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 95
Jacques Féréol Mazas1782–1849 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 96
Ernest Goüin1815–1885 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 97
Isidor Philipp1863–1958 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 98
François Habeneck1781–1849 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 99
Nicolas Isouard1775–1818 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot measured— - 100
Albert Lavignac1846–1916 · 🇫🇷 France · Musiciansnot 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.