215,950 profiles ranked

← Fame through time2010-2019

The 2010s

Whose names filled the books of the 2010s - 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 2010s, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Jesus5 BC-30 · 1st century · Religious Figures123
  2. 2Aristotle384 BC-322 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics13
  3. 3Plato428 BC-348 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics11
  4. 4Socrates470 BC-399 BC · 1st millennium BC · Brazil · Academics6.6
  5. 5Homer900 BC-800 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers5.3
  6. 6Cicero106 BC-43 BC · 1st millennium BC · Italy · Politicians4.3
  7. 7Augustus63 BC-14 · 1st millennium BC · Italy · Politicians4.3
  8. 8Johns Hopkins1795-1873 · 19th century · United States · Founders3.6
  9. 9Virgil70 BC-19 BC · 1st millennium BC · Italy · Writers3.4
  10. 10George Washington1732-1799 · 18th century · United States · Politicians2.5
  11. 11Galen129-300 · 2nd century · Turkey · Doctors2.1
  12. 12Plutarch40-120 · 1st century · Academics2.1
  13. 13Ovid43 BC-17 · 1st millennium BC · Italy · Writers2.1
  14. 14Cleopatra69 BC-30 BC · 1st millennium BC · Egypt · Historical Figures1.9
  15. 15George W. Bushborn 1946 · 20th century · United States · Politicians1.9
  16. 16Barack Obamaborn 1961 · 20th century · United States · Politicians1.9
  17. 17Abraham Lincoln1809-1865 · 19th century · United States · Politicians1.7
  18. 18Thomas Jefferson1743-1826 · 18th century · United States · Politicians1.7
  19. 19Herodotus484 BC-425 BC · 1st millennium BC · Turkey · Writers1.7
  20. 20Ahab918 BC-852 BC · 1st millennium BC · Models1.7
  21. 21John the Baptist6 BC-30 · 1st century · Israel · Religious Figures1.7
  22. 22Origen185-254 · 3rd century · Egypt · Academics1.7
  23. 23Ronald Reagan1911-2004 · 20th century · United States · Politicians1.5
  24. 24Hoseaborn 784 BC · 1st millennium BC · Religious Figures1.5
  25. 25Adam Smith1723-1790 · 18th century · United Kingdom · Academics1.5
  26. 26Charlemagne748-814 · 8th century · Historical Figures1.4
  27. 27Mark Twain1835-1910 · 19th century · United States · Writers1.4
  28. 28Livy59 BC-17 · 1st millennium BC · Italy · Writers1.3
  29. 29Thucydides460 BC-395 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers1.3
  30. 30Euripides480 BC-406 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers1.3
  31. 31Hadrian76-138 · 2nd century · Spain · Historical Figures1.2
  32. 32John F. Kennedy1917-1963 · 20th century · United States · Politicians1.2
  33. 33Bill Clintonborn 1946 · 20th century · United States · Politicians1.2
  34. 34Saddam Hussein1937-2006 · 20th century · Iraq · Politicians1.2
  35. 35Winston Churchill1874-1965 · 20th century · United Kingdom · Politicians1.1
  36. 36Bede672-735 · 8th century · United Kingdom · Writers1.1
  37. 37Goliath1100 BC-1023 BC · 2nd millennium BC1.1
  38. 38Woodrow Wilson1856-1924 · 19th century · United States · Politicians1.1
  39. 39Thomas Aquinas1225-1274 · 13th century · Italy · Academics1.1
  40. 40Julius Caesar100 BC-44 BC · 1st millennium BC · Italy · Politicians1.0
  41. 41Donald Trumpborn 1946 · 20th century · United States · Politicians1.0
  42. 42Edward Elgar1857-1934 · 19th century · United Kingdom · Musicians1.0
  43. 43Sophocles496 BC-406 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers1.0
  44. 44Xenophon430 BC-354 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics0.98
  45. 45Rembrandt1606-1669 · 17th century · Netherlands · Artists0.98
  46. 46Jane Austen1775-1817 · 19th century · United Kingdom · Writers0.97
  47. 47Theodore Roosevelt1858-1919 · 19th century · United States · Politicians0.96
  48. 48Euclid333 BC-285 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics0.96
  49. 49Plotinus205-270 · 3rd century · Academics0.95
  50. 50Benjamin Franklin1706-1790 · 18th century · United States · Politicians0.94
  51. 51Pythagoras582 BC-490 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics0.94
  52. 52Pericles494 BC-429 BC · 1st millennium BC · Politicians0.93
  53. 53Alexander the Great356 BC-323 BC · 1st millennium BC · Historical Figures0.93
  54. 54Tertullian160-240 · 2nd century · Academics0.91
  55. 55Walt Disney1901-1966 · 20th century · United States · Directors0.90
  56. 56Richard Nixon1913-1994 · 20th century · United States · Politicians0.89
  57. 57Charles Dickens1812-1870 · 19th century · United Kingdom · Writers0.89
  58. 58Aristophanes445 BC-385 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers0.86
  59. 59Virginia Woolf1882-1941 · 20th century · United Kingdom · Writers0.86
  60. 60Charles Darwin1809-1882 · 19th century · United Kingdom · Scientists0.85
  61. 61Irenaeus130-202 · 2nd century · Turkey · Academics0.82
  62. 62John Adams1735-1826 · 18th century · United States · Politicians0.82
  63. 63Lucan39-65 · 1st century · Writers0.81
  64. 64Mary Magdalenedied 100 · 1st century · Israel · Academics0.80
  65. 65Hillary Clintonborn 1947 · 20th century · United States · Politicians0.80
  66. 66James Madison1751-1836 · 18th century · United States · Politicians0.79
  67. 67Henry James1843-1916 · 19th century · United States · Writers0.78
  68. 68William Shakespeare1564-1616 · 16th century · United Kingdom · Writers0.78
  69. 69Aeschylus525 BC-456 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers0.77
  70. 70John Knox1514-1572 · 16th century · United Kingdom · Writers0.76
  71. 71Hippocrates460 BC-370 BC · 1st millennium BC · Doctors0.75
  72. 72Hesiod776 BC-700 BC · 1st millennium BC · Turkey · Writers0.75
  73. 73Margaret Thatcher1925-2013 · 20th century · United Kingdom · Politicians0.74
  74. 74Oscar Wilde1854-1900 · 19th century · Ireland · Writers0.74
  75. 75Lucretius94 BC-55 BC · 1st millennium BC · Italy · Writers0.72
  76. 76Saladin1138-1193 · 12th century · Politicians0.71
  77. 77Ho Chi Minh1890-1969 · 20th century · Politicians0.71
  78. 78Demosthenes384 BC-322 BC · 1st millennium BC · Politicians0.71
  79. 79Trajan53-117 · 1st century · Spain · Politicians0.70
  80. 80Abababorn 200 · 3rd century0.69
  81. 81Jimmy Carter1924-2024 · 20th century · United States · Politicians0.69
  82. 82Strabo63 BC-23 · 1st millennium BC · Academics0.68
  83. 83John Locke1632-1704 · 17th century · United Kingdom · Academics0.68
  84. 84Archimedes287 BC-212 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics0.68
  85. 85Epicurus342 BC-270 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics0.68
  86. 86Martin Luther King Jr.1929-1968 · 20th century · United States · Activists0.68
  87. 87Solon630 BC-560 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers0.67
  88. 88George Eliot1819-1880 · 19th century · United Kingdom · Writers0.67
  89. 89Henry Ford1863-1947 · 19th century · United States · Founders0.65
  90. 90Frederick Douglass1818-1895 · 19th century · United States · Writers0.65
  91. 91John Wesley1703-1791 · 18th century · United Kingdom · Academics0.65
  92. 92Parmenides515 BC-470 BC · 1st millennium BC · Italy · Academics0.65
  93. 93Andrew Jackson1767-1845 · 19th century · United States · Politicians0.64
  94. 94John Stuart Mill1806-1873 · 19th century · United Kingdom · Academics0.64
  95. 95Boethius480-524 · 6th century · Italy · Politicians0.64
  96. 96Vespasian9-79 · 1st century · Politicians0.63
  97. 97Osama bin Laden1957-2011 · 20th century · Saudi Arabia · Historical Figures0.63
  98. 98Jehu876 BC-814 BC · 1st millennium BC · Historical Figures0.63
  99. 99Polybius200 BC-120 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers0.63
  100. 100Malcolm X1925-1965 · 20th century · United States · Activists0.63

Most read

Who people actually looked up in the 2010s, across every language edition we measure (2015-2019 only - readership is measured from July 2015).

  1. 1Donald Trumpborn 1946 · 20th century · United States · Politicians163.5M
  2. 2Elizabeth II1926-2022 · 20th century · United Kingdom · Historical Figures84.1M
  3. 3Cristiano Ronaldoborn 1985 · 21st century · Portugal · Footballers75M
  4. 4Freddie Mercury1946-1991 · 20th century · United Kingdom · Musicians69.5M
  5. 5Pablo Escobar1949-1993 · 20th century · Colombia · Politicians68.1M
  6. 6Lionel Messiborn 1987 · 21st century · Argentina · Footballers62.4M
  7. 7Elon Muskborn 1971 · 21st century · South Africa · Founders57M
  8. 8Stephen Hawking1942-2018 · 20th century · United Kingdom · Scientists54.9M
  9. 9Barack Obamaborn 1961 · 20th century · United States · Politicians54.9M
  10. 10Dwayne Johnsonborn 1972 · 21st century · Canada · Actors54.3M
  11. 11Adolf Hitler1889-1945 · 20th century · Austria · Politicians51M
  12. 12Queen Victoria1819-1901 · 19th century · United Kingdom · Historical Figuresnot measured48.6M
  13. 13Ted Bundy1946-1989 · 20th century · United States · Historical Figures47.4M
  14. 14Ariana Grandeborn 1993 · 21st century · United States · Musicians47M
  15. 15Melania Trumpborn 1970 · 21st century · Slovenia · Models45.3M
  16. 16Keanu Reevesborn 1964 · 20th century · Canada · Actors44.3M
  17. 17Michael Jackson1958-2009 · 20th century · United States · Musicians43.7M
  18. 18Leonardo DiCaprioborn 1974 · 21st century · United States · Actors42.8M
  19. 19Vladimir Putinborn 1952 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians42.4M
  20. 20LeBron Jamesborn 1984 · 21st century · United States · Basketball Players40.6M
  21. 21Eminemborn 1972 · 21st century · United States · Musicians40.5M
  22. 22Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh1921-2021 · 20th century · United Kingdom40.4M
  23. 23Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon1930-2002 · 20th century · United Kingdom · Historical Figures40M
  24. 24Jason Momoaborn 1979 · 21st century · United States · Actors39.8M
  25. 25O. J. Simpson1947-2024 · 20th century · United States · Athletes39.3M
Show 75 more

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 2010s, ranked where coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1Shakiraborn 1977 · Spain · Musicians3 decades
  2. 2Scarlett Johanssonborn 1984 · United States · Actors2 decades
  3. 3Emmanuel Macronborn 1977 · France · Politiciansnot measured-
  4. 4Angelina Jolieborn 1975 · United States · Actors2 decades
  5. 5Katy Perryborn 1984 · United States · Musicians1 decades
  6. 6LeBron Jamesborn 1984 · United States · Basketball Players2 decades
  7. 7Charlize Theronborn 1975 · South Africa · Actors2 decades
  8. 8David Beckhamborn 1975 · United Kingdom · Footballers2 decades
  9. 9Natalie Portmanborn 1981 · United States · Actors2 decades
  10. 10Kanye Westborn 1977 · United States · Musicians2 decades
  11. 11Beyoncéborn 1981 · United States · Musicians2 decades
  12. 12Chris Prattborn 1979 · United States · Actors0 decades
  13. 13Giorgia Meloniborn 1977 · Italy · Politicians2 decades
  14. 14Bradley Cooperborn 1975 · United States · Actors1 decades
  15. 15Zlatan Ibrahimovićborn 1981 · Sweden · Footballers0 decades
  16. 16Serena Williamsborn 1981 · United States · Tennis Players2 decades
  17. 17Kobe Bryant1978-2020 · United States · Basketball Players2 decades
  18. 18Kim Kardashianborn 1980 · United States · Actors1 decades
  19. 19Mark Zuckerbergborn 1984 · United States · Founders1 decades
  20. 20Ronaldinhoborn 1980 · Brazil · Footballers3 decades
  21. 21Amy Winehouse1983-2011 · United Kingdom · Musicians1 decades
  22. 22John Cenaborn 1977 · United States · Actors1 decades
  23. 23Kate Winsletborn 1975 · United Kingdom · Actors3 decades
  24. 24Andrew Garfieldborn 1983 · United Kingdom · Actors0 decades
  25. 25Britney Spearsborn 1981 · United States · Musicians2 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.