← 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
Ambrose Bierce13 decades - 2
Nellie Bly13 decades - 3
Ida B. Wells6 decades - 4
Henry Adams19 decades - 5
William Lloyd Garrison19 decades - 6
Frederick Law Olmsted16 decades - 7
Melvil Dewey15 decades - 8
Carrie Chapman Catt12 decades - 9
Ida Tarbell12 decades - 10
Lucy Stone17 decades - 11
Matilda Joslyn Gage5 decades - 12
Benjamin Tuckernot measured- - 13
Charles Dow0 decades - 14
Lucy Parsons2 decades - 15
Lysander Spooner2 decades - 16
Soh Jaipilnot measured- - 17
Amelia Bloomer6 decades - 18
Joel Chandler Harris14 decades - 19
Simon Bolivar Buckner1 decades - 20
Rufus Wilmot Griswold0 decades - 21
Daniel De Leon8 decades - 22
Helen Churchill Candeenot measured- - 23
Gideon Wellesnot measured- - 24
August Vincent Theodore Spiesnot measured- - 25
Nathaniel Parker Willisnot measured- - 26
Helen Hunt Jackson14 decades - 27
Albert Parsonsnot measured- - 28
Henry Jarvis Raymondnot measured- - 29
Alice Stone Blackwell7 decades - 30
Adolph Ochsnot measured- - 31
Bat Mastersonnot measured- - 32
Frances Benjamin Johnstonnot measured- - 33
James Gordon Bennett Jr.not measured- - 34
Charles Godfrey Lelandnot measured- - 35
Richard Harding Davisnot measured- - 36
Richard H. Andersonnot measured- - 37
Francis Preston Blairnot measured- - 38
James Gordon Bennett Sr.not measured- - 39
John L. O'Sullivannot measured- - 40
Andrew Jackson Downingnot measured- - 41
Elijah Parish Lovejoynot measured- - 42
Joseph Weydemeyernot measured- - 43
Gustav Struvenot measured- - 44
Lorrin A. Thurstonnot measured- - 45
Ellen Browning Scrippsnot measured- - 46
Mary Livermorenot measured- - 47
Mordecai Manuel Noahnot measured- - 48
Patrick Edward Connornot measured- - 49
Edward Boknot measured- - 50
Josephine St. Pierre Ruffinnot measured- - 51
Dorothy Dixnot measured- - 52
Julian Hawthornenot measured- - 53
Charles Warren Stoddardnot measured- - 54
Henry Chadwicknot measured- - 55
Elizabeth Bacon Custernot measured- - 56
Rebecca Harding Davisnot measured- - 57
Ainsworth Rand Spoffordnot measured- - 58
Richard Hildrethnot measured- - 59
Oscar Dunnnot measured- - 60
Fanny Fernnot measured- - 61
Thurlow Weednot measured- - 62
Mathilde Franziska Annekenot measured- - 63
Arthur Brisbanenot measured- - 64
Elliott Fitch Shepardnot measured- - 65
James Gibbons Hunekernot measured- - 66
Jane Cunningham Crolynot measured- - 67
James Thomas Fieldsnot measured- - 68
Edgar Wilson Nyenot measured- - 69
Januarius MacGahannot measured- - 70
Oscar Neebenot measured- - 71
John Russell Youngnot measured- - 72
Pauline Hopkinsnot measured- - 73
Francis Pharcellus Churchnot measured- - 74
Robert Underwood Johnsonnot measured- - 75Frederick Aikennot measured-
- 76
George Henry Mackenzienot measured- - 77
Mary Louise Boothnot measured- - 78
George Lippardnot measured- - 79
Mark Kelloggnot measured- - 80
Ida Husted Harpernot measured- - 81
Helen Pitts Douglassnot measured- - 82
Robert Sterling Yardnot measured- - 83
Charles Johnson Maynardnot measured- - 84
James Ryder Randallnot measured- - 85
Kate Austinnot measured- - 86
Frank Arthur Vanderlipnot measured- - 87
John Ross Brownenot measured- - 88
Ban Johnsonnot measured- - 89
Willard Richardsnot measured- - 90
Gustav Kobbénot measured- - 91
William Boerickenot measured- - 92
George William Footenot measured- - 93
Harold Fredericnot measured- - 94
Irving Bachellernot measured- - 95
William S. Fultonnot measured- - 96
Samuel Cornishnot measured- - 97
Franklin Benjamin Sanbornnot measured- - 98
Clara Bewick Colbynot measured- - 99
Stilson Hutchinsnot measured- - 100
Augustus Baldwin Longstreetnot 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.