← 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
Elizabeth Blackwell17 decades - 2
Doc Holliday8 decades - 3
John Harvey Kellogg5 decades - 4
William Walkernot measured- - 5
Mary Edwards Walker0 decades - 6
William T. G. Morton2 decades - 7
Leonard Wood13 decades - 8
James Curtis Hepburn0 decades - 9
William Stewart Halstednot measured- - 10
Charles Eastmannot measured- - 11
J. Marion Simsnot measured- - 12
Hawley Harvey Crippennot measured- - 13
Crawford Williamson Long0 decades - 14
Emily Blackwellnot measured- - 15
George Huntington9 decades - 16
Andrew Taylor Stillnot measured- - 17
Ramón Emeterio Betancesnot measured- - 18
William Beaumontnot measured- - 19
Samuel Muddnot measured- - 20
Joel Roberts Poinsettnot measured- - 21
Rebecca Lee Crumpler0 decades - 22
Samuel Gridley Howenot measured- - 23
William Batesnot measured- - 24
William Crawford Gorgas4 decades - 25
Henry Draper16 decades - 26
John Gorrienot measured- - 27
William James Mayonot measured- - 28
Mary Corinna Putnam Jacobinot measured- - 29
Howard Atwood Kellynot measured- - 30
Henry Solomon Wellcomenot measured- - 31
William Henry Welchnot measured- - 32
Albert Mackeynot measured- - 33
Simon Flexnernot measured- - 34
Greene Vardiman Blacknot measured- - 35
Ephraim McDowellnot measured- - 36
Harriot Kezia Huntnot measured- - 37
John Lawrence LeContenot measured- - 38
John Jacob Abel0 decades - 39
Marcus Whitmannot measured- - 40
John Evansnot measured- - 41
William Coleynot measured- - 42
James McCune Smithnot measured- - 43
George Washington Crilenot measured- - 44
Robert Wilson Shufeldtnot measured- - 45
Marie Zakrzewskanot measured- - 46
James Tyler Kentnot measured- - 47
Bernard Sachsnot measured- - 48
Thomas C. Durantnot measured- - 49
Rosa Welt-Strausnot measured- - 50
William Williams Keennot measured- - 51
Samuel A. Cartwrightnot measured- - 52
John Collins Warrennot measured- - 53
Hans Kudlichnot measured- - 54
Cyrus Teednot measured- - 55
David Hosacknot measured- - 56
Samuel W. Crawford, Jr.not measured- - 57
Daniel Hale Williamsnot measured- - 58Stubbins Ffirthnot measured-
- 59
Albert Abramsnot measured- - 60
Solon Borlandnot measured- - 61
Mary Ann Bickerdykenot measured- - 62
John Shaw Billingsnot measured- - 63
Charles Lealenot measured- - 64
Augustus Addison Gouldnot measured- - 65
Samuel David Grossnot measured- - 66
John Benjamin Murphynot measured- - 67
John Edwards Holbrooknot measured- - 68
Ann Prestonnot measured- - 69
James Ellsworth De Kaynot measured- - 70
Henry Jacob Bigelownot measured- - 71
George Miller Sternbergnot measured- - 72
Doc Adamsnot measured- - 73
George Vaseynot measured- - 74
John Addison Fordycenot measured- - 75
William Henry Howellnot measured- - 76
Caroline Still Andersonnot measured- - 77
Albert James Myernot measured- - 78
Edward Livingston Trudeaunot measured- - 79
Henry Bryantnot measured- - 80
Susan McKinney Stewardnot measured- - 81
Mary E. Brittonnot measured- - 82
William Peppernot measured- - 83
Samuel Washington Woodhousenot measured- - 84Edward Hallowellnot measured-
- 85
Eliza Ann Griernot measured- - 86
James G. Bluntnot measured- - 87
Anita Newcomb McGeenot measured- - 88
William Harknessnot measured- - 89
Robert Abbenot measured- - 90
Rebecca Colenot measured- - 91
John Henry Tildennot measured- - 92
Jacob Mendes Da Costanot measured- - 93
Halle Tanner Dillon Johnsonnot measured- - 94William Orville Ayresnot measured-
- 95
William E. Upjohnnot measured- - 96
Walter M. Flemingnot measured- - 97
James B. Herricknot measured- - 98
Lydia Folger Fowlernot measured- - 99
Thaddeus William Harrisnot measured- - 100Catherine Brewer Bensonnot 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.