1900–1999
The 20th century
Whose names filled the books of the 20th 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 German books during the 20th century — whenever they lived.
In books written inEnglish28,219German4,127French3,913Italian2,072Spanish1,601Russian838Chinese282Hebrew149
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Per million words
- 1
Frederick William of Saxe-Meiningen1679–1746 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures8.0 - 2
Frederick William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt1700–1771 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany8.0 - 3
Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg1620–1688 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures8.0 - 4
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Frederick William, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen1663–1735 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures8.0 - 5
Thomas Mann1875–1955 · 20th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers6.1 - 6
Novalis1772–1801 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers5.5 - 7
Karl Marx1818–1883 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics4.7 - 8
Jean Paul1763–1825 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers4.3 - 9
Frederick II of Legnica1480–1547 · 16th century3.3 - 10
Friedrich II, Grand Duke of Baden1857–1928 · 19th century · Historical Figures3.3 - 11
Frederick II, Elector Palatine1482–1556 · 16th century3.3 - 12
Frederick II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1418–1478 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures3.3 - 13
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Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg1633–1708 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany3.3 - 14
Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg1676–1732 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians3.3 - 15
Johann Georg, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels1677–1712 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.9 - 16
John George, Elector of Brandenburg1525–1598 · 16th century · Religious Figures2.9 - 17
John Frederick, Count Palatine of Sulzbach-Hilpoltstein1587–1644 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany2.8 - 18
John Frederick, Duke of Pomerania1542–1600 · 16th century · Religious Figures2.8 - 19
John Frederick, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt1721–1767 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.8 - 20
John Frederick, Duke of Württemberg1582–1628 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.8 - 21
John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach1654–1686 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models2.8 - 22
John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1625–1679 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.8 - 23
Adolf Hitler1889–1945 · 20th century · 🇦🇹 Austria · Politicians2.6 - 24
William II, Duke of Bavaria1365–1417 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany2.6 - 25
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Wilhelm II of Württemberg1848–1921 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.6 - 26
William II of Hesse-Kassel1777–1847 · 19th century · Historical Figures2.6 - 27WIWilliam II of Jülich1200–1207 · 13th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.6
- 28WIWilliam II, Margrave of Meissen1371–1425 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.6
- 29WIWilliam II, Count of Weimar930–1003 · 10th century · 🇩🇪 Germany2.6
- 30
Wilhelm II, German Emperor1859–1941 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.6 - 31
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William II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1300–1369 · 14th century · Historical Figures2.6 - 32
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William II, Duke of Jülich1325–1393 · 14th century · Historical Figures2.6 - 33
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Maria Theresa1717–1780 · 18th century · 🇦🇹 Austria · Historical Figures2.5 - 34
Max Weber1864–1920 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics2.5 - 35
Paracelsus1493–1541 · 16th century · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Doctors2.5 - 36
Richard Wagner1813–1883 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians2.4 - 37
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Friedrich Engels1820–1895 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics2.3 - 38
William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen1487–1559 · 16th century2.0 - 39
William I, Elector of Hesse1743–1821 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.0 - 40
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William I1343–1407 · 14th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.0 - 41
William the Silent1533–1584 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians2.0 - 42
William, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg1648–1725 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany2.0 - 43
William I, German Emperor1797–1888 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures2.0 - 44WIWilliam I of Weimar900–963 · 10th century · 🇩🇪 Germany2.0
- 45
Wilhelm I of Württemberg1781–1864 · 19th century · Historical Figures2.0 - 46
William I, Duke of Bavaria1330–1389 · 14th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians2.0 - 47
Friedrich Schlegel1772–1829 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers1.8 - 48HIHenry IV, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg1397–1427 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.8
- 49
Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg1417–1477 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.8 - 50HIHenry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen1460–1526 · 15th century · Historical Figures1.8
- 51
Erich Honecker1912–1994 · 20th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians1.7 - 52
Heinrich Mann1871–1950 · 20th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers1.7 - 53
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Martin Luther1483–1546 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Religious Figures1.6 - 54
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Karl Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg1668–1721 · 18th century · Historical Figures1.6 - 55
Charles Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen1712–1743 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.6 - 56
Carl Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach1783–1853 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.6 - 57
Heinrich Heine1797–1856 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers1.6 - 58
Frederick III of Legnica1520–1570 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.5 - 59
Frederick III, Margrave of Baden1327–1353 · 14th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models1.5 - 60
Friedrich III, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth1711–1763 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models1.5 - 61
Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg1699–1772 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.5 - 62
Frederick III of the Palatinate1515–1576 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models1.5 - 63
Frederick III, Burgrave of Nuremberg1220–1297 · 13th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.5 - 64
Frederick III, Prince of Salm-Kyrburg1744–1794 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.5 - 65
Frederick III, German Emperor1831–1888 · 19th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians1.5 - 66
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Frederick III, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp1597–1659 · 17th century · Historical Figures1.5 - 67
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Frederick III, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg1673–1746 · 18th century · Politicians1.5 - 68
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Charles Augustus, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach1757–1828 · 18th century · Politicians1.5 - 69
Karl Kraus1874–1936 · 20th century · 🇦🇹 Austria · Writers1.5 - 70
Walter Ulbricht1893–1973 · 20th century · Politicians1.4 - 71
Hans Sachs1494–1576 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers1.4 - 72
William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel1532–1592 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists1.4 - 73
Gottfried Keller1819–1890 · 19th century · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Writers1.4 - 74
Rosa Luxemburg1871–1919 · 20th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Activists1.4 - 75
Gerhart Hauptmann1862–1946 · 19th century · Writers1.4 - 76
Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow1633–1695 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers1.3 - 77
Frederick I1425–1476 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians1.3 - 78
Frederick I of Prussia1657–1713 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians1.3 - 79
Frederick I, Count Palatine of Simmern1417–1480 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.3 - 80
Frederick I of Liegnitz1446–1488 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.3 - 81
Duke Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt1831–1904 · 19th century · Historical Figures1.3 - 82
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Frederick I of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg1646–1691 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.3 - 83
Frederick I, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg1585–1638 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.3 - 84
Frederick I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel1357–1400 · 14th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.3 - 85
Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg1371–1440 · 15th century1.3 - 86
Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden1826–1907 · 19th century · Historical Figures1.3 - 87
Tannhäuser1300–1300 · 14th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers1.3 - 88
Henry II, Landgrave of Hesse1299–1376 · 14th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.3 - 89HIHenry II, Margrave of Meissen1103–1123 · 12th century · Models1.3
- 90
Henry II, Duke of Bavaria951–995 · 10th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.3 - 91HIHenry II, Lord of Mecklenburg1262–1329 · 13th century · Historical Figures1.3
- 92HIHenry II of Augsburg1001–1063 · 11th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Religious Figures1.3
- 93HIHenry II, Count of Gorizia1150–1150 · 12th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.3
- 94
Henry II, Count of Reuss-Gera1572–1635 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.3 - 95
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Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1489–1568 · 16th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.3 - 96HIHenry II, Duke of Limburg1110–1167 · 12th century · Historical Figures1.3
- 97
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor1316–1378 · 14th century · Historical Figures1.3 - 98
Augustus William, Duke of Brunswick-Bevern1715–1781 · 18th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.2 - 99
Augustus William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1662–1731 · 17th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.2 - 100
William III1425–1482 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.2
Lived then
The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 20th century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Echoed
- 1
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Agatha Christie1890–1976 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers10 decades - 2
J. R. R. Tolkien1892–1973 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers7 decades - 3
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George Orwell1903–1950 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers9 decades - 4
Virginia Woolf1882–1941 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers10 decades - 5
Salman Rushdieborn 1947 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers4 decades - 6
Aldous Huxley1894–1963 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers10 decades - 7
Rudyard Kipling1865–1936 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers13 decades - 8
H. G. Wells1866–1946 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers16 decades - 9
C. S. Lewis1898–1963 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers10 decades - 10
Ian Fleming1908–1964 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers7 decades - 11
Terry Pratchett1948–2015 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers3 decades - 12
Douglas Adams1952–2001 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers4 decades - 13
Neil Gaimanborn 1960 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers2 decades - 14
Aleister Crowley1875–1947 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers7 decades - 15
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Kazuo Ishiguroborn 1954 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers3 decades - 16
G. K. Chesterton1874–1936 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers12 decades - 17
Arthur C. Clarke1917–2008 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers7 decades - 18
Bernard Montgomery1887–1976 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers5 decades - 19
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Doris Lessing1919–2013 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers7 decades - 20
Graham Greene1904–1991 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers9 decades - 21
Beatrix Potter1866–1943 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers10 decades - 22
W. Somerset Maugham1874–1965 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers0 decades - 23
John le Carré1931–2020 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers2 decades - 24
D. H. Lawrence1885–1930 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers11 decades - 25
Enid Blyton1897–1968 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers8 decades - 26
Daphne du Maurier1907–1989 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers9 decades - 27
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Alan Mooreborn 1953 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers4 decades - 28
Sarah Fergusonborn 1959 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers4 decades - 29
A. A. Milne1882–1956 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers10 decades - 30
Christopher Hitchens1949–2011 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers4 decades - 31
Dylan Thomas1914–1953 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers9 decades - 32
Noël Coward1899–1973 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers5 decades - 33
Ken Follettborn 1949 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers4 decades - 34
E. M. Forster1879–1970 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers10 decades - 35
Alexander Litvinenko1962–2006 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers2 decades - 36
Harold Pinter1930–2008 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers6 decades - 37
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Desmond Morris1928–2026 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers6 decades - 38
Ian McEwanborn 1948 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers4 decades - 39
P. G. Wodehouse1881–1975 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers11 decades - 40
Gertrude Bell1868–1926 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers10 decades - 41
Evelyn Waugh1903–1966 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers9 decades - 42
W. H. Auden1907–1973 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers9 decades - 43
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Alan Watts1915–1973 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers7 decades - 44
William Golding1911–1993 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers7 decades - 45
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Anthony Burgess1917–1993 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers6 decades - 46
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Clive Barkerborn 1952 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers4 decades - 47
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Robert Graves1895–1985 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers13 decades - 48
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Ted Hughes1930–1998 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers6 decades - 49
Oliver Sacks1933–2015 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers4 decades - 50
Tom Stoppard1937–2025 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers6 decades - 51
Philip Pullmanborn 1946 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers2 decades - 52
J. G. Ballard1930–2009 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers5 decades - 53
Steve Davisborn 1957 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 54
Iris Murdoch1919–1999 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers7 decades - 55
Nigella Lawsonborn 1960 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 56
David Irvingborn 1938 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers6 decades - 57
Elias Canetti1905–1994 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers4 decades - 58
Frederick Forsyth1938–2025 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers5 decades - 59
Anna Freud1895–1982 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers9 decades - 60
Marty Feldman1934–1982 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 61
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Julian Barnesborn 1946 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers4 decades - 62
Lee Childborn 1954 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 63
Irvine Welshborn 1958 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers3 decades - 64
Martin Amis1949–2023 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers4 decades - 65
Iain Banks1954–2013 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers0 decades - 66
Gerald Durrell1925–1995 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers5 decades - 67
Jeffrey Archerborn 1940 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 68
Edith Cavell1865–1915 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers11 decades - 69
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Seamus Heaney1939–2013 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers5 decades - 70
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Arthur Koestler1905–1983 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers8 decades - 71
Anthony Horowitzborn 1955 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 72
Barbara Cartland1901–2000 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers5 decades - 73
Michael Moorcockborn 1939 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 74
Jim Corbett1875–1955 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 75
Dorothy L. Sayers1893–1957 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers9 decades - 76
John Galsworthy1867–1933 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers12 decades - 77
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Niall Fergusonborn 1964 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 78
Vita Sackville-West1892–1962 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 79
Hilary Mantel1952–2022 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers1 decades - 80
Erika Mann1905–1969 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 81
Nancy Mitford1904–1973 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 82
Arnold J. Toynbee1889–1975 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers11 decades - 83
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Siegfried Sassoon1886–1967 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 84
P. D. James1920–2014 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 85
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Lawrence Durrell1912–1990 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers8 decades - 86
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Christopher Isherwood1904–1986 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 87
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Mike Leighborn 1943 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 88
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Nick Hornbyborn 1957 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 89
Robert Harrisborn 1957 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 90
Paul Greengrassborn 1955 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 91
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E. L. Jamesborn 1963 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 92
Diana Wynne Jones1934–2011 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 93
Steven Moffatborn 1961 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 94
Steven Knightborn 1959 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 95
Jackie Collins1937–2015 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 96
Noor Inayat Khan1914–1944 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 97
John Fowles1926–2005 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers6 decades - 98
Abdulrazak Gurnahborn 1948 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers0 decades - 99
Bernard Cornwellborn 1944 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured— - 100
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Graham Hancockborn 1950 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured—
How this is measured
- Placing people in time. Each person belongs to the century in which they were most active — around age 35, and never after their death.
- Who ranks highest. Within a century, people are ranked where two independent signals agree: how many of the world’s Wikipedia language editions cover them, and how many people actually read about them. Article counts alone can be lifted by a person’s own circle; readers cannot.
- Fame in print. The curves count how often a name appears in Google Books from 1800 to 2019, as a share of all the words printed each year, in the person’s own language wherever that corpus exists. Those decades are over, so each measurement is made once and kept.
- What is left out. A lifetime is measured only from 1820, when there is enough print to judge; the five years after a death are skipped as obituaries; and a name shared with someone equally notable is credited to neither.