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 English books during the 20th century — whenever they lived.
In books written inEnglish28,219German4,127French3,913Italian2,072Spanish1,601Russian838Chinese282Hebrew149
#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Per million words
- 1
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Jesus5 BC–30 · 1st century · Religious Figures30 - 2
Aristotle384 BC–322 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics7.1 - 3
Plato428 BC–348 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics7.1 - 4
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Homer900 BC–800 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers7.1 - 5
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Augustus63 BC–14 · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians4.9 - 6
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Sealborn 1963 · 20th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Musicians4.5 - 7
RMborn 1994 · 21st century · 🇰🇷 South Korea · Musicians4.5 - 8
Johns Hopkins1795–1873 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders4.4 - 9
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Cicero106 BC–43 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians4.0 - 10
George Washington1732–1799 · 18th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians3.8 - 11
Socrates470 BC–399 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇧🇷 Brazil · Academics3.4 - 12
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Virgil70 BC–19 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers3.3 - 13
Abraham Lincoln1809–1865 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians2.0 - 14
Euclid333 BC–285 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics1.9 - 15
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Pinkborn 1979 · 21st century · 🇺🇸 United States · Musicians1.6 - 16AAcmedied 5 BC · 1st millennium BC1.6
- 17
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Thomas Jefferson1743–1826 · 18th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians1.6 - 18
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IUborn 1993 · 21st century · 🇰🇷 South Korea · Musicians1.6 - 19
Ovid43 BC–17 · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers1.6 - 20
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Madonnaborn 1958 · 20th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Musicians1.5 - 21
Charles II, Duke of Savoy1489–1496 · 15th century · Historical Figures1.5 - 22
Charles II, Lord of Monaco1555–1589 · 16th century · Politicians1.5 - 23
Charles II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels1545–1617 · 16th century · Historical Figures1.5 - 24
Mark Twain1835–1910 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Writers1.5 - 25
Plutarch40–120 · 1st century · Academics1.5 - 26
Cleopatra69 BC–30 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures1.4 - 27
Theodore Roosevelt1858–1919 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians1.4 - 28
Woodrow Wilson1856–1924 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians1.4 - 29
William Henry1774–1836 · 19th century · Scientists1.3 - 30
Benjamin Franklin1706–1790 · 18th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians1.3 - 31
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Herodotus484 BC–425 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers1.3 - 32
Charlemagne748–814 · 8th century · Historical Figures1.3 - 33
Rembrandt1606–1669 · 17th century · 🇳🇱 Netherlands · Artists1.3 - 34
Euripides480 BC–406 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers1.2 - 35
Pocahontas1596–1617 · 17th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Writers1.1
- 36
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John Brown1800–1859 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders1.1 - 37
John Smith1580–1631 · 17th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Historical Figures1.0 - 38
Adam Smith1723–1790 · 18th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Academics1.0 - 39
Henry IV, Duke of Brabant1251–1272 · 13th century1.0 - 40HIHenry IV, Count of Waldeck1300–1348 · 14th century1.0
- 41
Henry IV, Duke of Limburg1195–1247 · 13th century · Historical Figures1.0 - 42HIHenry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1463–1514 · 15th century · 🇩🇪 Germany1.0
- 43
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor1050–1106 · 11th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures1.0 - 44
Henry IV, Count of Luxembourg1113–1196 · 12th century · Politicians1.0 - 45
John Adams1735–1826 · 18th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians1.0 - 46
Sophocles496 BC–406 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers1.0 - 47
Henry James1843–1916 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Writers0.99 - 48
Galen129–300 · 2nd century · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Doctors0.97 - 49
Walter Scott1771–1832 · 19th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers0.95 - 50
Livy59 BC–17 · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers0.95 - 51
Bede672–735 · 8th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers0.94 - 52
John the Baptist6 BC–30 · 1st century · 🇮🇱 Israel · Religious Figures0.93 - 53
Solon630 BC–560 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers0.93 - 54
Prince George, Duke of Cumberland1653–1708 · 17th century0.90 - 55
Pericles494 BC–429 BC · 1st millennium BC · Politicians0.89 - 56
John Henry1322–1375 · 14th century0.87 - 57
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Julius Caesar100 BC–44 BC · 1st millennium BC · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0.86 - 58
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Winston Churchill1874–1965 · 20th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Politicians0.86 - 59
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William James1842–1910 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics0.86 - 60
Hadrian76–138 · 2nd century · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures0.83 - 61
Andrew Jackson1767–1845 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians0.83 - 62
Thucydides460 BC–395 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers0.83 - 63
Henry Ford1863–1947 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders0.81 - 64
Aristophanes445 BC–385 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers0.79 - 65
Charles I, Duke of Savoy1468–1490 · 15th century0.79 - 66
Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal1682–1770 · 18th century0.79 - 67
Charles I, Count of Flanders1084–1127 · 12th century · Politicians0.79 - 68CICharles I1516–1576 · 16th century · Historical Figures0.79
- 69
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Charles I, Count of Nevers1414–1464 · 15th century · Historical Figures0.79 - 70AAbababorn 200 · 3rd century0.78
- 71
Origen185–254 · 3rd century · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Academics0.76 - 72
George Eliot1819–1880 · 19th century · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers0.75 - 73
Demosthenes384 BC–322 BC · 1st millennium BC · Politicians0.75 - 74
John F. Kennedy1917–1963 · 20th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians0.75 - 75
Brigham Young1801–1877 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Academics0.75 - 76
Xenophon430 BC–354 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics0.73 - 77
Henry VI, Count of Luxembourg1240–1288 · 13th century · Politicians0.72 - 78HVHenry VI, Count of Waldeck1340–1397 · 14th century0.72
- 79
Henry VI1376–1454 · 15th century0.72 - 80
William Penn1644–1718 · 17th century · Founders0.71 - 81
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Alexander Hamilton1757–1804 · 18th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians0.71 - 82
Henry II1207–1248 · 13th century · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians0.70 - 83
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor973–1024 · 11th century · 🇩🇪 Germany · Historical Figures0.70 - 84
Henry II , Duke of Lower Lorraine1059–1119 · 11th century0.70 - 85
Henry II, Duke of Ziębice1396–1420 · 15th century0.70 - 86
Henry II, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg1317–1390 · 14th century0.70 - 87
Henry II, Count of Champagne1166–1197 · 12th century · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures0.70 - 88
Henry II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels1507–1548 · 16th century0.70 - 89HIHenry II, Margrave of the Nordmark1102–1128 · 12th century0.70
- 90
Henry II, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen1289–1351 · 14th century · Historical Figures0.70 - 91
Henry II, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben1215–1266 · 13th century · Historical Figures0.70 - 92
Henry II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal1308–1320 · 14th century · Models0.70 - 93
Henry II, Duke of Świdnica1312–1345 · 14th century0.70 - 94
Richard II963–1026 · 10th century · 🇫🇷 France0.69 - 95
John Marshall1755–1835 · 18th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians0.67 - 96
Henry Clay1777–1852 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians0.67 - 97
Jefferson Davis1808–1889 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians0.67 - 98
James I, Count of Urgell1321–1347 · 14th century0.67 - 99
Osceola1804–1838 · 19th century · 🇺🇸 United States · Politicians0.67
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
Narendra Modiborn 1950 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians2 decades - 2
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Indira Gandhi1917–1984 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians7 decades - 3
Jawaharlal Nehru1889–1964 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians10 decades - 4
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Droupadi Murmuborn 1958 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 5
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Vallabhbhai Patel1875–1950 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians9 decades - 6
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Mamata Banerjeeborn 1955 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians3 decades - 7
Chandra Shekhar1927–2007 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians6 decades - 8
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Rajnath Singhborn 1951 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians1 decades - 9
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Rajiv Gandhi1944–1991 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians4 decades - 10
Phoolan Devi1963–2001 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians3 decades - 11
Morarji Desai1896–1995 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians7 decades - 12
Nathuram Godse1910–1949 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians1 decades - 13
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P. V. Narasimha Rao1921–2004 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians3 decades - 14
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Lal Bahadur Shastri1904–1966 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians7 decades - 15
Pranab Mukherjee1935–2020 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians5 decades - 16
Pratibha Patilborn 1934 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians0 decades - 17
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq1924–1988 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 18
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Pervez Musharraf1943–2023 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians2 decades - 19
Jaya Bachchanborn 1948 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians0 decades - 20
H. D. Deve Gowdaborn 1933 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 21
Ram Nath Kovindborn 1945 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians0 decades - 22
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Rajendra Prasad1884–1963 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians9 decades - 23
Subhas Chandra Bose1897–1945 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians9 decades - 24
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Nirmala Sitharamanborn 1959 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 25
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar1883–1966 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 26
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Sushma Swaraj1952–2019 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians3 decades - 27
Amit Shahborn 1964 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 28
L. K. Advaniborn 1927 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 29
Charan Singh1902–1987 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians9 decades - 30
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Vishwanath Pratap Singh1931–2008 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians2 decades - 31
Feroze Gandhi1912–1960 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 32
Subrahmanyam Jaishankarborn 1955 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 33
I. K. Gujral1919–2012 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians1 decades - 34
Mayawatiborn 1956 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 35
Sanjay Gandhi1946–1980 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 36
Aga Khan III1877–1957 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 37
Shashi Tharoorborn 1956 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 38
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee1901–1953 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 39
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Jyoti Basu1914–2010 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 40
Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy1879–1973 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 41
Lalu Prasad Yadavborn 1948 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 42
Maneka Gandhiborn 1956 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 43
Liaquat Ali Khan1895–1951 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians8 decades - 44
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Kocheril R. Narayanan1920–2005 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 45
M. K. Stalinborn 1953 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 46
Pinarayi Vijayanborn 1936 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured—
- 47
C. Rajagopalachari1878–1972 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 48
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Khaleda Zia1946–2025 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians4 decades - 49
Nara Chandrababu Naiduborn 1950 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 50
Gulzarilal Nanda1898–1998 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians3 decades - 51
Shankar Dayal Sharma1918–1999 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians1 decades - 52
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit1900–1990 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians3 decades - 53
Jayaprakash Narayan1902–1979 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 54
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy1913–1996 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians1 decades - 55
Vijay Mallyaborn 1955 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 56
Muthuvel Karunanidhi1924–2018 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 57
Jaswant Singh1938–2020 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 58
Zail Singh1916–1994 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians4 decades - 59
Arun Jaitley1952–2019 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 60
Zakir Husain1897–1969 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians6 decades - 61
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Bal Thackeray1926–2012 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 62
K.Kamarajar1903–1975 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 63
Ramaswamy Venkataraman1910–2009 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians0 decades - 64
Mallikarjun Khargeborn 1942 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 65
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Bidhan Chandra Roy1882–1962 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 66
Nitish Kumarborn 1951 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 67
V. V. Giri1894–1980 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians5 decades - 68
P. Chidambaramborn 1945 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 69
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed1905–1977 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians2 decades - 70
Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naiduborn 1949 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 71
Mohammed Nadir Shah1883–1933 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 72
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Atal Bihari Vajpayee1924–2018 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians5 decades - 73
Mohammad Hamid Ansariborn 1937 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 74
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Mulayam Singh Yadav1939–2022 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 75
Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale1947–1984 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 76
Harilal Gandhi1888–1948 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 77
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George Fernandes1930–2019 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 78
M. S. Swaminathan1925–2023 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 79
Anandiben Patelborn 1941 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 80
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat1923–2010 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 81
Mohan Bhagwatborn 1950 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 82
Nitin Gadkariborn 1957 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 83
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Sheila Dikshit1938–2019 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 84
Gayatri Devi1919–2009 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 85
Iskander Mirza1899–1969 · 🇮🇳 India · Politicians6 decades - 86
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Jagat Prakash Naddaborn 1960 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 87
K. Chandrashekar Raoborn 1954 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 88
Kapil Sibalborn 1948 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 89
Tarun Gogoi1936–2020 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 90
Gopal Krishna Gokhale1866–1915 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 91
V. K. Sasikalaborn 1954 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 92
Mohammad Hidayatullah1905–1992 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 93
Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah1905–1982 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 94
Naveen Patnaikborn 1946 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 95
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Vasundhara Rajeborn 1953 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 96
Yashwant Sinhaborn 1937 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 97
Vijay Rupani1956–2025 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 98
Manohar Parrikar1955–2019 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 99
Meira Kumarborn 1945 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot measured— - 100
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Mohammad Azharuddinborn 1963 · 🇮🇳 India · Politiciansnot 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.