← Fame through time1800-1899
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.
- 1
Jesus94 - 2
Homer15 - 3
Cicero13 - 4
Augustus13 - 5
Plato10 - 6
Virgil9.6 - 7
Aristotle9.4 - 8
Socrates6.4 - 9
Herodotus6.2 - 10
Plutarch5.6 - 11
Ovid4.2 - 12
Strabo4.1 - 13
Charlemagne3.9 - 14
Demosthenes3.8 - 15
Lord Byron3.6 - 16
Livy3.4 - 17
Origen3.1 - 18
Cleopatra3.0 - 19
Xenophon3.0 - 20
Walter Scott3.0 - 21
Tertullian2.7 - 22
James II, Count of Urgell2.6 - 23
Robert Peel2.6 - 24
Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor2.6 - 25
Pericles2.5
Lived then
The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 19th century, ranked where coverage and readership agree.
- 1
John Singer Sargent11 decades - 2
Mary Cassatt12 decades - 3
John James Audubon19 decades - 4
Alfred Stieglitz13 decades - 5
Thomas Colenot measured- - 6
Winslow Homer15 decades - 7
Thomas Eakins12 decades - 8
Grandma Moses8 decades - 9
Albert Bierstadt6 decades - 10
Frederic Edwin Church3 decades - 11
James Abbott McNeill Whistler12 decades - 12
Jacob Riis13 decades - 13
Thomas Nast16 decades - 14
Mathew Benjamin Bradynot measured- - 15
George Catlin18 decades - 16
Frederic Remington13 decades - 17
Edmonia Lewis1 decades - 18
Howard Pyle14 decades - 19
Edwin Austin Abbey2 decades - 20
Daniel Chester French12 decades - 21
Emanuel Leutze0 decades - 22
Robert Cornelius2 decades - 23
Childe Hassam13 decades - 24
Sarah Goodridge0 decades - 25
Charles Marion Russellnot measured- - 26
Henry Ossawa Tannernot measured- - 27
George Inness14 decades - 28
Augustus Saint-Gaudensnot measured- - 29
William Merritt Chase6 decades - 30
Albert Pinkham Rydernot measured- - 31
Francis Davis Milletnot measured- - 32
Cassius Marcellus Coolidgenot measured- - 33
John Frederick Kensett0 decades - 34
Harriet Hosmernot measured- - 35
Asher Brown Durand0 decades - 36
Cecilia Beaux5 decades - 37
George Caleb Bingham7 decades - 38
John La Farge15 decades - 39
Edward Hicksnot measured- - 40
Rain-in-the-Facenot measured- - 41
Gertrude Käsebier0 decades - 42
Rembrandt Pealenot measured- - 43
Alexander Gardnernot measured- - 44
Anna Elizabeth Klumpkenot measured- - 45
Richard F. Outcault0 decades - 46
Elizabeth Jane Gardnernot measured- - 47
Jessie Willcox Smithnot measured- - 48
Martin Johnson Headenot measured- - 49
Lilla Cabot Perry0 decades - 50
Frank Weston Bensonnot measured- - 51
Thomas Sullynot measured- - 52
Thomas Dewingnot measured- - 53
Carl Akeleynot measured- - 54
Jean Leon Gerome Ferrisnot measured- - 55
Abbott Handerson Thayernot measured- - 56
Washington Allston20 decades - 57
Eastman Johnsonnot measured- - 58
Arthur Wesley Downot measured- - 59
Jasper Francis Cropseynot measured- - 60
Frederick Arthur Bridgmannot measured- - 61
Robert Seldon Duncansonnot measured- - 62
Maurice Prendergastnot measured- - 63
Harriet Powersnot measured- - 64
George Peter Alexander Healynot measured- - 65
Sanford Robinson Giffordnot measured- - 66
Edwin Lord Weeksnot measured- - 67
Alexander Skenenot measured- - 68
John Henry Twachtmannot measured- - 69
William Harnettnot measured- - 70
Abigail May Alcott Nierikernot measured- - 71
Theodore Robinsonnot measured- - 72
Jozef Murgašnot measured- - 73
Ralph Albert Blakelocknot measured- - 74
Anna Lea Merrittnot measured- - 75
Willard Metcalfnot measured- - 76
Edward Henry Potthastnot measured- - 77
George Brant Bridgmannot measured- - 78
William Henry Jacksonnot measured- - 79
Elihu Veddernot measured- - 80
Edward Mitchell Bannisternot measured- - 81
Lilly Martin Spencernot measured- - 82
Constantino Brumidinot measured- - 83
Elisabet Neynot measured- - 84
Colin Campbell Coopernot measured- - 85
Charles Courtney Currannot measured- - 86
Thomas Hillnot measured- - 87
James B. Longacrenot measured- - 88
Albert Henry Munsellnot measured- - 89
Samuel Wendell Willistonnot measured- - 90
William Morris Huntnot measured- - 91
Hiram Powersnot measured- - 92
William Wetmore Storynot measured- - 93
Samuel Colmannot measured- - 94
Edmund Charles Tarbellnot measured- - 95
Emma Lampert Coopernot measured- - 96
J. Alden Weirnot measured- - 97
Lorado Taftnot measured- - 98
Frank M. Chapman9 decades - 99
Edward Morannot measured- - 100
Cyrus Edwin Dallinnot measured-
How to read these rankings
- Attention, not reputation. A place on these lists reflects the attention a person still draws in the public record. It is not a judgement on the life.
- Fame in print. The curves show how often a name appeared in the books of each decade from 1800 to 2019, drawn from the Google Books Ngram corpus.
- Gaps are left as gaps. Where the record is too thin to be fair, we would rather show nothing than guess.