215,950 profiles ranked

← Fame through time2000-2009

The 2000s

Whose names filled the books of the 2000s - 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 French books during the 2000s, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Voltaire1694-1778 · 18th century · France · Writers23
  2. 2Louis XIV of France1638-1715 · 17th century · France · Historical Figures12
  3. 3Molière1622-1673 · 17th century · France · Writers8.7
  4. 4Stendhal1783-1842 · 19th century · France · Writers8.4
  5. 5Montesquieu1689-1755 · 18th century · France · Academics8.2
  6. 6Victor Hugo1802-1885 · 19th century · France · Writers7.7
  7. 7Jacques Chirac1932-2019 · 20th century · France · Politicians7.5
  8. 8François Mitterrand1916-1996 · 20th century · France · Politicians6.1
  9. 9Nicolas Sarkozyborn 1955 · 20th century · France · Politicians4.9
  10. 10Louis XVI of France1754-1793 · 18th century · France · Historical Figures4.8
  11. 11Louis XV of France1710-1774 · 18th century · France · Historical Figures4.6
  12. 12George Sand1804-1876 · 19th century · France · Writers4.4
  13. 13Napoleon III1808-1873 · 19th century · France · Politicians3.7
  14. 14Jules Verne1828-1905 · 19th century · France · Writers3.4
  15. 15Lionel Jospin1937-2026 · 20th century · France · Politicians3.3
  16. 16Georges Pompidou1911-1974 · 20th century · France · Politicians3.2
  17. 17Joan of Arc1412-1431 · 15th century · France3.1
  18. 18François Fénelon1651-1715 · 17th century · France · Religious Figures3.0
  19. 19Le Corbusier1887-1965 · 20th century · Switzerland · Architects2.9
  20. 20Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor1500-1558 · 16th century · Historical Figures2.9
  21. 21André Breton1896-1966 · 20th century · France · Writers2.8
  22. 22Michel Foucault1926-1984 · 20th century · France · Academics2.8
  23. 23Pierre Bourdieu1930-2002 · 20th century · France · Academics2.7
  24. 24Roland Barthes1915-1980 · 20th century · France · Academics2.7
  25. 25André Gide1869-1951 · 20th century · France · Writers2.7
  26. 26Marcel Proust1871-1922 · 20th century · France · Writers2.4
  27. 27Pierre de Marivaux1688-1763 · 18th century · France · Writers2.4
  28. 28Paul Valéry1871-1945 · 20th century · France · Writers2.3
  29. 29Simone de Beauvoir1908-1986 · 20th century · France · Academics2.2
  30. 30Charles de Gaulle1890-1970 · 20th century · France · Politicians2.1
  31. 31Marie Antoinette1755-1793 · 18th century · France · Historical Figures2.1
  32. 32Léon Blum1872-1950 · 20th century · France · Politicians2.1
  33. 33Jean Cocteau1889-1963 · 20th century · France · Writers2.1
  34. 34Jean-Jacques Rousseau1712-1778 · 18th century · Switzerland · Academics2.0
  35. 35Benjamin Constant1767-1830 · 19th century · Switzerland · Politicians2.0
  36. 36André Malraux1901-1976 · 20th century · France · Writers1.9
  37. 37Marguerite Duras1914-1996 · 20th century · France · Writers1.9
  38. 38Louis XVIII of France1755-1824 · 18th century · France · Politicians1.9
  39. 39Valéry Giscard d'Estaing1926-2020 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.8
  40. 40Paul Claudel1868-1955 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.7
  41. 41Ségolène Royalborn 1953 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.7
  42. 42Jules Ferry1832-1893 · 19th century · France · Politicians1.7
  43. 43Dominique de Villepinborn 1953 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.7
  44. 44Simone Weil1909-1943 · 20th century · France · Academics1.7
  45. 45Théophile Gautier1811-1872 · 19th century · France · Writers1.7
  46. 46Albert Camus1913-1960 · 20th century · France · Academics1.7
  47. 47Francis de Sales1567-1622 · 17th century · France · Religious Figures1.6
  48. 48François Mauriac1885-1970 · 20th century · France · Writers1.6
  49. 49Saint-John Perse1887-1975 · 20th century · France · Writers1.6
  50. 50Jacques Derrida1930-2004 · 20th century · France · Academics1.6
  51. 51Marguerite Yourcenar1903-1987 · 20th century · France · Writers1.6
  52. 52Marc Bloch1886-1944 · 20th century · France · Writers1.5
  53. 53Jean-Paul Sartre1905-1980 · 20th century · France · Academics1.5
  54. 54Auguste Comte1798-1857 · 19th century · France · Academics1.4
  55. 55Paul Ricœur1913-2005 · 20th century · France · Academics1.3
  56. 56Chrétien de Troyes1135-1181 · 12th century · France · Writers1.3
  57. 57Jean-Marie Le Pen1928-2025 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.3
  58. 58Jean Monnet1888-1979 · 20th century · France · Academics1.3
  59. 59Charles X of France1757-1836 · 18th century · France · Politicians1.3
  60. 60Raymond Aron1905-1983 · 20th century · France · Academics1.3
  61. 61Marcel Duchamp1887-1968 · 20th century · France · Artists1.3
  62. 62Louis XII of France1462-1515 · 15th century · France · Historical Figures1.3
  63. 63Gilles Deleuze1925-1995 · 20th century · France · Academics1.3
  64. 64Aimé Césaire1913-2008 · 20th century · France · Writers1.3
  65. 65Laurent Gbagboborn 1945 · 20th century · Ivory Coast · Politicians1.3
  66. 66Romain Rolland1866-1944 · 20th century · France · Writers1.2
  67. 67Hergé1907-1983 · 20th century · Belgium · Writers1.2
  68. 68Claude Simon1913-2005 · 20th century · France · Writers1.2
  69. 69Claude Lévi-Strauss1908-2009 · 20th century · France · Academics1.2
  70. 70Anatole France1844-1924 · 19th century · France · Writers1.1
  71. 71Claude Bernard1813-1878 · 19th century · France · Politicians1.1
  72. 72Marie de' Medici1575-1642 · 17th century · France · Politicians1.1
  73. 73Jacques Lacan1901-1981 · 20th century · France · Writers1.1
  74. 74Marcel Mauss1872-1950 · 20th century · France · Academics1.1
  75. 75Léopold Sédar Senghor1906-2001 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.1
  76. 76Laurent Fabiusborn 1946 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.1
  77. 77Robert Schuman1886-1963 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.0
  78. 78Jean Jaurès1859-1914 · 19th century · France · Politicians1.0
  79. 79Max Jacob1876-1944 · 20th century · France · Writers1.0
  80. 80Georges Bataille1897-1962 · 20th century · France · Writers0.99
  81. 81François Bayrouborn 1951 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.98
  82. 82Alain Juppéborn 1945 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.96
  83. 83Georges Perec1936-1982 · 20th century · France · Writers0.94
  84. 84Abdoulaye Wadeborn 1926 · 20th century · Senegal · Politicians0.93
  85. 85Charles Baudelaire1821-1867 · 19th century · France · Writers0.92
  86. 86Jacques Maritain1882-1973 · 20th century · France · Academics0.92
  87. 87Antonin Artaud1896-1948 · 20th century · France · Writers0.91
  88. 88Gustave Flaubert1821-1880 · 19th century · France · Writers0.91
  89. 89Gaston Paris1839-1903 · 19th century · France · Writers0.87
  90. 90François Hollandeborn 1954 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.87
  91. 91Raymond Queneau1903-1976 · 20th century · France · Writers0.85
  92. 92Vincent de Paul1581-1660 · 17th century · France · Religious Figures0.84
  93. 93Joseph de Maistre1753-1821 · 18th century · France · Academics0.84
  94. 94Paul Biyaborn 1933 · 20th century · Cameroon · Politicians0.82
  95. 95Omar Bongo1935-2009 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.82
  96. 96Octave Mirbeau1848-1917 · 19th century · France · Writers0.82
  97. 97Jacques Delors1925-2023 · 20th century · France · Academics0.82
  98. 98Michel de Montaigne1533-1592 · 16th century · France · Writers0.81
  99. 99Toussaint Louverture1743-1803 · 18th century · France · Politicians0.80
  100. 100Arthur Rimbaud1854-1891 · 19th century · France · Writers0.79

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 2000s, ranked where coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1Elon Muskborn 1971 · South Africa · Founders1 decades
  2. 2Leonardo DiCaprioborn 1974 · United States · Actors3 decades
  3. 3Justin Trudeauborn 1971 · Canada · Politicians1 decades
  4. 4Melania Trumpborn 1970 · Slovenia · Models1 decades
  5. 5Nicole Kidmanborn 1967 · Australia · Actors3 decades
  6. 6Eminemborn 1972 · United States · Musicians2 decades
  7. 7Zinedine Zidaneborn 1972 · France · Footballers3 decades
  8. 8Christopher Nolanborn 1970 · United Kingdom · Directors2 decades
  9. 9Matt Damonborn 1970 · United States · Actors3 decades
  10. 10Jennifer Lopezborn 1969 · United States · Musicians3 decades
  11. 11Dwayne Johnsonborn 1972 · Canada · Actors1 decades
  12. 12Michael Schumacherborn 1969 · Germany · Athletes3 decades
  13. 13Jennifer Anistonborn 1969 · United States · Actors2 decades
  14. 14Heath Ledger1979-2008 · Australia · Actors2 decades
  15. 15Pamela Andersonborn 1967 · Canada · Actors3 decades
  16. 16Ben Affleckborn 1972 · United States · Actors2 decades
  17. 17Julia Robertsborn 1967 · United States · Actors3 decades
  18. 18Cameron Diazborn 1972 · United States · Actors3 decades
  19. 19Gwyneth Paltrowborn 1972 · United States · Actors3 decades
  20. 20Will Smithborn 1968 · United States · Actors3 decades
  21. 21Jason Stathamborn 1967 · United Kingdom · Actors0 decades
  22. 22Mark Carneyborn 1965 · Canada · Politicians1 decades
  23. 23Celine Dionborn 1968 · Canada · Musicians1 decades
  24. 24Winona Ryderborn 1971 · United States · Actors3 decades
  25. 25Adam Sandlerborn 1966 · United States · Actors2 decades
Show 75 more

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.