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
Rajneesh1931–1990 · 🇮🇳 India · Writers3 decades - 2
Arundhati Royborn 1961 · 🇮🇳 India · Writers3 decades - 3
Jaggi Vasudevborn 1957 · 🇮🇳 India · Writers0 decades - 4
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada1896–1977 · 🇮🇳 India · Writers0 decades - 5
Sarojini Naidu1879–1949 · 🇮🇳 India · Writers11 decades - 6
Deepak Chopraborn 1946 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 7
Nana Patekarborn 1951 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 8
Premchand1880–1936 · 🇮🇳 India · Writers11 decades - 9
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Amrita Pritam1919–2005 · 🇮🇳 India · Writers3 decades - 10
Gulzarborn 1933 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 11
R. K. Narayan1906–2001 · 🇮🇳 India · Writers7 decades - 12
Shakuntala Devi1929–2013 · 🇮🇳 India · Writers0 decades - 13
C. N. Annadurai1909–1969 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 14
Javed Akhtarborn 1945 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 15
Sudha Murthyborn 1950 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 16
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Amitav Ghoshborn 1956 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 17
Ruskin Bondborn 1934 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 18
Harivansh Rai Bachchan1907–2003 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 19
Kazi Nazrul Islam1899–1976 · 🇮🇳 India · Writers0 decades - 20
Girish Karnad1938–2019 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 21
Vikram Sethborn 1952 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 22
Khushwant Singh1915–2014 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 23
B. K. S. Iyengar1918–2014 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 24
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Saroj Khan1948–2020 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 25ADAnita Desaiborn 1937 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured—
- 26
Ahmed Deedat1918–2005 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 27
Subramanya Bharathi1882–1921 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 28
Honey Iraniborn 1955 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 29
Mehmood Ali1932–2004 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 30
Saadat Hasan Manto1912–1955 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 31KSKamala Surayya1934–2009 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured—
- 32
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay1876–1938 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 33
Romila Thaparborn 1931 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 34
S. N. Goenka1924–2013 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 35
Mulk Raj Anand1905–2004 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 36
Mahasweta Devi1926–2016 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 37ADAnthony de Mello1931–1987 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured—
- 38
Abdul Sattar Edhi1928–2016 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 39
Inayat Khan1882–1927 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 40
Kuvempu,full Name in kannada ಕುವೆಂಪು(ಕುಪ್ಪಳ್ಳಿ ವೆಂಕಟಪ್ಪ ಪುಟ್ಟಪ್ಪ),1904–1994 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 41
Nambi Narayananborn 1941 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 42
Salim Khanborn 1935 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 43
Mrinalini Sarabhai1918–2016 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 44
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Mahadevi Varma1907–1987 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 45
Nayantara Sahgalborn 1927 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 46
Ramachandra Guhaborn 1958 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 47
Rahul Sankrityayan1893–1963 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 48
Ismat Chughtai1911–1991 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 49
Ramdhari Singh Dinkar1908–1974 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 50
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay1894–1950 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 51
Pingali Venkayya1876–1963 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 52
M. S. Golwalkar1906–1973 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 53
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer1908–1994 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 54
Sahir Ludhianvi1921–1980 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 55
Sheelaborn 1942 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 56
Anand Bakshi1930–2002 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured—
- 57
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Rajmohan Gandhiborn 1935 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 58
Nadira Babbarborn 1948 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 59
Krishna Hutheesing1907–1967 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 60
Ibn Warraqborn 1946 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 61
Rajiv Malhotraborn 1950 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 62
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Bashir Badr1935–2026 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 63
Kaifi Azmi1919–2002 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 64
Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar1919–1974 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 65
Banu Mushtaqborn 1948 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 66
Gita Mehta1942–2023 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 67
Raja Rao1908–2006 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 68
Swami Rama1925–1996 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 69
Asaramborn 1941 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 70
Arjan Singh1919–2017 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 71
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Majrooh Sultanpuri1919–2000 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 72
Firaq Gorakhpuri1896–1982 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 73
Narendra Dabholkar1945–2013 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 74
Salil Chowdhury1925–1995 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 75
Raghunath Murmu1905–1982 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 76
Sushmita Banerjee1964–2013 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 77
Irfan Habibborn 1931 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 78
Dharamvir Bharati1926–1997 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 79
Nabaneeta Dev Sen1938–2019 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 80
Mirza Tahir Ahmad1928–2003 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 81
Subhadra Kumari Chauhan1904–1948 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 82
Nirupama Raoborn 1950 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 83
Benegal Narsing Rau1887–1953 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 84
Siddhartha Shankar Ray1920–2010 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 85
Amole Gupteborn 1962 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 86
Ramesh Chandra Majumdar1888–1980 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 87
S. L. Bhyrappa1931–2025 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 88
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Sumitranandan Pant1900–1977 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 89
Cornelia Dorabuji1866–1954 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 90
Pratibha Rayborn 1943 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 91
K. Shivaram Karanth1902–1997 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 92
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Jibanananda Das1899–1954 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 93
Maithili Sharan Gupt1886–1964 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 94
Jadunath Sarkar1870–1958 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 95
Sita Ram Goel1921–2003 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 96
Ashapoorna Devi1909–1995 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 97
Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala'1896–1961 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 98
Hasrat Mohani1875–1951 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 99
Kalki Krishnamurthy1899–1954 · 🇮🇳 India · Writersnot measured— - 100
Phanishwar Nath 'Renu'1921–1977 · 🇮🇳 India · 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.