← 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 Philip Sousa13 decades - 2
Ignacy Jan Paderewski0 decades - 3
Stephen Foster18 decades - 4
Solomon Northup3 decades - 5
Fanny Crosby4 decades - 6
Edward MacDowell11 decades - 7
Josiah Warren5 decades - 8
Louis Moreau Gottschalknot measured- - 9
Emma Smithnot measured- - 10
Victor Herbertnot measured- - 11
Alexander Silotinot measured- - 12
Alexander Gretchaninov0 decades - 13
James Pierpontnot measured- - 14
David Edward Hughes0 decades - 15
Phoebe Hearstnot measured- - 16
Francis James Childnot measured- - 17
Ernestine Schumann-Heinknot measured- - 18
Lowell Masonnot measured- - 19
Philip Blissnot measured- - 20
Horatio Parkernot measured- - 21
Ira D. Sankeynot measured- - 22
Ida Craddocknot measured- - 23
Moriz Rosenthalnot measured- - 24
George Whitefield Chadwicknot measured- - 25Mildred J. Hillnot measured-
- 26
Oscar Hammerstein Inot measured- - 27
Walter Damroschnot measured- - 28
Theodore Thomas0 decades - 29
John Knowles Painenot measured- - 30
George W. Johnsonnot measured- - 31
Elizabeth Sprague Coolidgenot measured- - 32
George Frederick Rootnot measured- - 33
Patrick Gilmorenot measured- - 34
William Sowden Simsnot measured- - 35
Charlotte Garriguenot measured- - 36
Arthur Footenot measured- - 37
Dan Emmettnot measured- - 38
Henry Clay Worknot measured- - 39
Eliza Roxcy Snownot measured- - 40
Paul Dressernot measured- - 41
William Batchelder Bradburynot measured- - 42
Charles Albert Tindleynot measured- - 43
Isaac Ricenot measured- - 44
Lillian Nordicanot measured- - 45
Charles Martin Loefflernot measured- - 46
William Dunlapnot measured- - 47
Frank Damroschnot measured- - 48
Lydia Moss Bradleynot measured- - 49
Robert Lowrynot measured- - 50
Jane Stanfordnot measured- - 51
Ethelbert Nevinnot measured- - 52
Sibyl Sandersonnot measured- - 53
Frank Van der Stuckennot measured- - 54
Clara Brownnot measured- - 55
Cornelia Connellynot measured- - 56
William Alcottnot measured- - 57
Jeannette Thurbernot measured- - 58
Samuel A. Wardnot measured- - 59
Charles H. Gabrielnot measured- - 60
George Frederick Bristownot measured- - 61
William Henry Frynot measured- - 62
Charles Crozat Conversenot measured- - 63
Septimus Winnernot measured- - 64
Elise Hallnot measured- - 65
Chauncey Olcottnot measured- - 66
Blind Tom Wigginsnot measured- - 67
William Masonnot measured- - 68
Carrie Jacobs-Bondnot measured- - 69
Isaac Leanot measured- - 70
Fannie Bloomfield Zeislernot measured- - 71
Tony Pastornot measured- - 72
Matthew Vassarnot measured- - 73F. W. Meachamnot measured-
- 74
Dudley Bucknot measured- - 75
George Bentnot measured- - 76
William Howard Doanenot measured- - 77
Morris Ketchum Jesupnot measured- - 78
Rafael Joseffynot measured- - 79
Josephine Shaw Lowellnot measured- - 80
Henry Marion Howenot measured- - 81
Amy Faynot measured- - 82
Joseph Brackettnot measured- - 83
Lydia Yeamans Titusnot measured- - 84
John William Boonenot measured- - 85
Anthony Philip Heinrichnot measured- - 86
Edmond Dédénot measured- - 87
Elizabeth Greenfieldnot measured- - 88
Edward Harrigannot measured- - 89
Carl Buschnot measured- - 90
Benjamin Carrnot measured- - 91
Reginald De Kovennot measured- - 92William Arms Fishernot measured-
- 93Joseph Lacallenot measured-
- 94
Phoebe Knappnot measured- - 95
Helen Hopekirknot measured- - 96Edwin Eugene Bagleynot measured-
- 97
Ureli Corelli Hillnot measured- - 98Theodore Bakernot measured-
- 99
Eleanor Everest Freernot measured- - 100
Annie Sherwood Hawksnot 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.