← 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
George Armstrong Custer7 decades - 2
Liliʻuokalaninot measured- - 3
Sacagawea9 decades - 4
Kamehameha I13 decades - 5
Robert Peary3 decades - 6
Meriwether Lewis19 decades - 7
Kit Carson18 decades - 8
Kalākaua1 decades - 9
William Clark22 decades - 10
Hugh Glass5 decades - 11
John Sutter9 decades - 12
Zebulon Pike12 decades - 13
George W. De Long1 decades - 14
Jedediah Smithnot measured- - 15
Thomas Moran15 decades - 16
Jim Bridgernot measured- - 17
John Colternot measured- - 18
John Lloyd Stephens4 decades - 19
Josephine Diebitsch Pearynot measured- - 20
James W. Marshallnot measured- - 21
James Beckwourthnot measured- - 22
Adolphus Greelynot measured- - 23
Liver-Eating Johnsonnot measured- - 24
Ezra Meekernot measured- - 25
Nathaniel Palmer2 decades - 26
George Kennannot measured- - 27
Benjamin Bonnevillenot measured- - 28
Isaac Israel Hayesnot measured- - 29
Olive Oatmannot measured- - 30
Stephen Harriman Longnot measured- - 31
Elisha Kent Kanenot measured- - 32
William Healey Dallnot measured- - 33
Benjamin Morrell1 decades - 34
William Temple Hornadaynot measured- - 35
Titian Pealenot measured- - 36Andrew Henrynot measured-
- 37
James "Grizzly" Adamsnot measured- - 38
Manuel Lisanot measured- - 39
Edward Herbert Thompsonnot measured- - 40
Jean Baptiste Charbonneaunot measured- - 41
Ranald MacDonaldnot measured- - 42
Nathaniel Jarvis Wyethnot measured- - 43
Consuelo Yznaga, Duchess of Manchesternot measured- - 44
Jay Cookenot measured- - 45
George Carmacknot measured- - 46
Thomas Fitzpatricknot measured- - 47
Walter Wellmannot measured- - 48
William Woodville Rockhillnot measured- - 49
John Augustine Zahmnot measured- - 50
May French Sheldonnot measured- - 51
John Lawson Stoddardnot measured- - 52
John Bozemannot measured- - 53
Mercator Coopernot measured- - 54
John W. Mackaynot measured- - 55
William Sublettenot measured- - 56
John Russell Bartlettnot measured- - 57
Seth Kinmannot measured- - 58
John Williams Gunnisonnot measured- - 59
William Leonard Huntnot measured- - 60
Charles Chaillé-Longnot measured- - 61
Matilda Coxe Stevensonnot measured- - 62
Wilson Price Huntnot measured- - 63
Henry Tureman Allennot measured- - 64Jeremiah N. Reynoldsnot measured-
- 65
Edward Fitzgerald Bealenot measured- - 66
William Austin Burtnot measured- - 67
George Drouillardnot measured- - 68
Henry Grinnellnot measured- - 69
William F. Raynoldsnot measured- - 70William Louis Abbottnot measured-
- 71
Joseph R. Walkernot measured- - 72
Lafayette Bunnellnot measured- - 73
David L. Brainardnot measured- - 74
Harry Yountnot measured- - 75
Henry Wetherbee Henshawnot measured- - 76
Nathaniel P. Langfordnot measured- - 77
Uriel Sebreenot measured- - 78
Charlie Utternot measured- - 79
Frank G. Carpenternot measured- - 80
Lansford Hastingsnot measured- - 81
Ed Schieffelinnot measured- - 82
William S. Williamsnot measured- - 83
Alfred Thomas Agatenot measured- - 84
Richard Mohunnot measured- - 85
Jack Swillingnot measured- - 86
Stephen Meeknot measured- - 87
James B. Lockwoodnot measured- - 88
Gustavus Cheyney Doanenot measured- - 89
Thomas S. Hindenot measured- - 90David Edward Jacksonnot measured-
- 91
William Ludlownot measured- - 92
Truman C. Evertsnot measured- - 93
Lily Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlboroughnot measured-
- 94Edwin De Havennot measured-
- 95
John W. Barlownot measured- - 96Ewing Youngnot measured-
- 97
William Cornell Greenenot measured- - 98
George Comernot measured- - 99
Caspar Whitneynot measured- - 100
Joseph Laduenot 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.