215,950 profiles ranked

← Fame through time1900-1999

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.

  1. 1Thomas Mann1875-1955 · 20th century · United States · Writers6.1
  2. 2Novalis1772-1801 · 19th century · Germany · Writers5.5
  3. 3Karl Marx1818-1883 · 19th century · Germany · Academics4.7
  4. 4Jean Paul1763-1825 · 18th century · Germany · Writers4.3
  5. 5Adolf Hitler1889-1945 · 20th century · Austria · Politicians2.6
  6. 6Maria Theresa1717-1780 · 18th century · Austria · Historical Figures2.5
  7. 7Max Weber1864-1920 · 19th century · Germany · Academics2.5
  8. 8Paracelsus1493-1541 · 16th century · Switzerland · Doctors2.5
  9. 9Richard Wagner1813-1883 · 19th century · Germany · Musicians2.4
  10. 10Friedrich Engels1820-1895 · 19th century · United Kingdom · Academics2.3
  11. 11Friedrich Schlegel1772-1829 · 19th century · Germany · Writers1.8
  12. 12Erich Honecker1912-1994 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians1.7
  13. 13Heinrich Mann1871-1950 · 20th century · Germany · Writers1.7
  14. 14Martin Luther1483-1546 · 16th century · Germany · Religious Figures1.6
  15. 15Heinrich Heine1797-1856 · 19th century · France · Writers1.6
  16. 16Charles Augustus, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach1757-1828 · 18th century · Politicians1.5
  17. 17Karl Kraus1874-1936 · 20th century · Austria · Writers1.5
  18. 18Walter Ulbricht1893-1973 · 20th century · Politicians1.4
  19. 19Hans Sachs1494-1576 · 16th century · Germany · Writers1.4
  20. 20William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel1532-1592 · 16th century · Germany · Scientists1.4
  21. 21Gottfried Keller1819-1890 · 19th century · Switzerland · Writers1.4
  22. 22Rosa Luxemburg1871-1919 · 20th century · Germany · Activists1.4
  23. 23Gerhart Hauptmann1862-1946 · 19th century · Germany · Writers1.4
  24. 24Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow1633-1695 · 17th century · Germany · Writers1.3
  25. 25Tannhäuser1300-1300 · 14th century · Germany · Writers1.3
  26. 26Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor1316-1378 · 14th century · Historical Figures1.3
  27. 27Willy Brandt1913-1992 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians1.2
  28. 28Frederick William IV of Prussia1795-1861 · 19th century · Politicians1.2
  29. 29Helmut Kohl1930-2017 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians1.2
  30. 30Bertolt Brecht1898-1956 · 20th century · Austria · Writers1.2
  31. 31George Frederick of Waldeck-Eisenberg1620-1692 · 17th century · Models1.1
  32. 32Stefan George1868-1933 · 20th century · Germany · Writers1.1
  33. 33Frederick Charles, Duke of Württemberg-Winnental1652-1698 · 17th century · Politicians1.0
  34. 34Rudolf Steiner1861-1925 · 19th century · Switzerland · Writers1.00
  35. 35Anna Seghers1900-1983 · 20th century · Germany · Writers0.99
  36. 36Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor1741-1790 · 18th century · Austria · Historical Figures0.96
  37. 37Christa Wolf1929-2011 · 20th century · Germany · Writers0.96
  38. 38Hermann Hesse1877-1962 · 20th century · Switzerland · Writers0.94
  39. 39Helmut Schmidt1918-2015 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians0.90
  40. 40Wilhelm von Humboldt1767-1835 · 19th century · Germany · Academics0.89
  41. 41Konrad Adenauer1876-1967 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians0.89
  42. 42Friedrich Nietzsche1844-1900 · 19th century · Germany · Academics0.87
  43. 43Karl Liebknecht1871-1919 · 20th century · Politicians0.85
  44. 44Richard Strauss1864-1949 · 19th century · Germany · Musicians0.85
  45. 45Jacob Grimm1785-1863 · 19th century · Germany · Academics0.84
  46. 46Carl Schmitt1888-1985 · 20th century · Germany · Academics0.80
  47. 47Heinrich von Kleist1777-1811 · 19th century · Germany · Writers0.80
  48. 48Wilhelm Pieck1876-1960 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians0.79
  49. 49Hugo von Hofmannsthal1874-1929 · 20th century · Austria · Writers0.76
  50. 50Albrecht Dürer1471-1528 · 16th century · Germany · Artists0.75
  51. 51Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor1165-1197 · 12th century · Germany · Historical Figures0.75
  52. 52Günter Grass1927-2015 · 20th century · Germany · Writers0.74
  53. 53Walter Benjamin1892-1940 · 20th century · Academics0.74
  54. 54Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor1685-1740 · 18th century · Austria · Historical Figures0.73
  55. 55Adalbert Stifter1805-1868 · 19th century · Artists0.72
  56. 56Stefan Zweig1881-1942 · 20th century · Austria · Writers0.72
  57. 57Theodor Fontane1819-1898 · 19th century · Germany · Writers0.70
  58. 58Franz Kafka1883-1924 · 20th century · Czechia · Writers0.69
  59. 59Jacob Burckhardt1818-1897 · 19th century · Switzerland · Writers0.69
  60. 60Karl, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst1652-1718 · 17th century · Historical Figures0.67
  61. 61Karl Barth1886-1968 · 20th century · Switzerland · Academics0.67
  62. 62Robert Koch1843-1910 · 19th century · Germany · Doctors0.67
  63. 63Friedrich Schiller1759-1805 · 18th century · Germany · Writers0.66
  64. 64Walther von der Vogelweide1170-1230 · 13th century · Austria · Musicians0.66
  65. 65Sigmund Freud1856-1939 · 19th century · Austria · Doctors0.66
  66. 66Ernst Jünger1895-1998 · 20th century · Germany · Writers0.65
  67. 67Jürgen Habermas1929-2026 · 20th century · Germany · Academics0.63
  68. 68Max Frisch1911-1991 · 20th century · Switzerland · Writers0.63
  69. 69Karl May1842-1912 · 19th century · Germany · Writers0.62
  70. 70Ernst Thälmann1886-1944 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians0.62
  71. 71Clemens Brentano1778-1842 · 19th century · Germany · Writers0.62
  72. 72E. T. A. Hoffmann1776-1822 · 19th century · Germany · Writers0.61
  73. 73Ernst Bloch1885-1977 · 20th century · Germany · Academics0.61
  74. 74Ingeborg Bachmann1926-1973 · 20th century · Austria · Writers0.61
  75. 75Wilhelm Grimm1786-1859 · 19th century · Germany · Writers0.61
  76. 76Gottfried Benn1886-1956 · 20th century · Germany · Writers0.60
  77. 77Rainer Maria Rilke1875-1926 · 20th century · Germany · Writers0.60
  78. 78Immanuel Kant1724-1804 · 18th century · Academics0.59
  79. 79Johann Sebastian Bach1685-1750 · 18th century · Germany · Musicians0.59
  80. 80Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg1629-1698 · 17th century · Germany · Historical Figures0.58
  81. 81August Bebel1840-1913 · 19th century · Germany · Politicians0.56
  82. 82Karl Jaspers1883-1969 · 20th century · Germany · Doctors0.55
  83. 83Klaus Mann1906-1949 · 20th century · Germany · Writers0.55
  84. 84Frederick Henry, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt1709-1788 · 18th century · Germany · Models0.54
  85. 85Peter Handkeborn 1942 · 20th century · Austria · Writers0.53
  86. 86Thomas Bernhard1931-1989 · 20th century · Austria · Writers0.53
  87. 87Friedrich List1789-1846 · 19th century · United States · Academics0.52
  88. 88Ricarda Huch1864-1947 · 19th century · Germany · Writers0.52
  89. 89Georg Büchner1813-1837 · 19th century · Germany · Writers0.52
  90. 90Hermann Göring1893-1946 · 20th century · Germany · Politicians0.51
  91. 91Robert Schumann1810-1856 · 19th century · Germany · Musicians0.51
  92. 92Martin Buber1878-1965 · 20th century · Germany · Academics0.51
  93. 93Theodor Heuss1884-1963 · 20th century · Germany · Journalists0.51
  94. 94Theodor W. Adorno1903-1969 · 20th century · United States · Academics0.49
  95. 95Nicholas I of Werle1210-1277 · 13th century · Germany0.49
  96. 96Theodor Storm1817-1888 · 19th century · Germany · Writers0.49
  97. 97Moses Mendelssohn1729-1786 · 18th century · Germany · Academics0.48
  98. 98August Wilhelm Schlegel1767-1845 · 19th century · Germany · Writers0.48
  99. 99Franz Liszt1811-1886 · 19th century · Austria · Musicians0.47
  100. 100Conradin1252-1268 · 13th century · Germany · Musicians0.47

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 20th century, ranked where coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1Albert Einstein1879-1955 · Switzerland · Scientists11 decades
  2. 2Stephen Hawking1942-2018 · United Kingdom · Scientists4 decades
  3. 3Marie Curie1867-1934 · France · Scientists4 decades
  4. 4J. Robert Oppenheimer1904-1967 · United States · Scientists8 decades
  5. 5Richard Feynman1918-1988 · United States · Scientists4 decades
  6. 6A. P. J. Abdul Kalam1931-2015 · India · Scientists0 decades
  7. 7Werner Heisenberg1901-1976 · Germany · Scientists10 decades
  8. 8Carl Sagan1934-1996 · United States · Scientists6 decades
  9. 9Wernher von Braun1912-1977 · United States · Scientists7 decades
  10. 10Steve Wozniakborn 1950 · United States · Scientists4 decades
  11. 11Howard Hughes1905-1976 · United States · Scientists9 decades
  12. 12Richard Dawkinsborn 1941 · United Kingdom · Scientists4 decades
  13. 13Niels Bohr1885-1962 · Denmark · Scientists10 decades
  14. 14Miguel Díaz-Canelborn 1960 · Cuba · Scientists0 decades
  15. 15Neil deGrasse Tysonborn 1958 · United States · Scientists1 decades
  16. 16Mikhail Kalashnikov1919-2013 · Russia · Scientists4 decades
  17. 17Enrico Fermi1901-1954 · Italy · Scientists10 decades
  18. 18Erwin Schrödinger1887-1961 · Germany · Scientists11 decades
  19. 19Rosalind Franklin1920-1958 · United Kingdom · Scientists4 decades
  20. 20Edward Teller1908-2003 · United States · Scientists8 decades
  21. 21James Watson1928-2025 · United States · Scientistsnot measured-
  22. 22Sergei Korolev1906-1966 · Russia · Scientists6 decades
  23. 23Alexander Fleming1881-1955 · United Kingdom · Scientists8 decades
  24. 24C. V. Raman1888-1970 · India · Scientists0 decades
  25. 25Chen-ning Yang1922-2025 · China · Scientists8 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.