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 Spanish books during the 20th century, whenever they lived.

  1. 1John of God1495-1550 · 16th century · Portugal6.9
  2. 2Lope de Vega1562-1635 · 16th century · Spain · Writers6.6
  3. 3Francis Xavier1506-1552 · 16th century · Spain · Religious Figures5.4
  4. 4Rubén Darío1867-1916 · 20th century · Nicaragua · Writers4.5
  5. 5Simón Bolívar1783-1830 · 19th century · Spain · Politicians4.2
  6. 6Christopher Columbus1451-1506 · 15th century · Italy · Historical Figures3.5
  7. 7Andrés Bello1781-1865 · 19th century · Chile · Politicians3.5
  8. 8Porfirio Díaz1830-1915 · 19th century · Mexico · Politicians3.2
  9. 9Fidel Castro1926-2016 · 20th century · Cuba · Politicians3.0
  10. 10Hernán Cortés1485-1547 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures2.9
  11. 11Juan Fernández1529-1602 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures2.4
  12. 12John of the Cross1542-1591 · 16th century · Spain · Writers2.3
  13. 13Bartolomé Mitre1821-1906 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians2.3
  14. 14Gonzalo Pizarro1502-1548 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures2.2
  15. 15Benito Juárez1806-1872 · 19th century · Mexico · Politicians2.2
  16. 16Antonio Machado1875-1939 · 20th century · Spain · Writers2.1
  17. 17José de San Martín1778-1850 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians2.0
  18. 18Teresa of Ávila1515-1582 · 16th century · Spain · Writers1.9
  19. 19Francisco Pizarro1478-1541 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures1.8
  20. 20Miguel de Cervantes1547-1616 · 16th century · Spain · Writers1.7
  21. 21Eva Perón1919-1952 · 20th century · Argentina · Actors1.7
  22. 22Bartolomé de las Casas1484-1566 · 16th century · Spain · Writers1.7
  23. 23Miguel de Unamuno1864-1936 · 19th century · Spain · Writers1.6
  24. 24Juan Ramón Jiménez1881-1958 · 20th century · Spain · Writers1.6
  25. 25Venustiano Carranza1859-1920 · 19th century · Mexico · Politicians1.6
  26. 26Gabriela Mistral1889-1957 · 20th century · Chile · Writers1.5
  27. 27Octavio Paz1914-1998 · 20th century · Mexico · Writers1.5
  28. 28John of Austria1547-1578 · 16th century · Spain · Politicians1.5
  29. 29Garcilaso de la Vega1503-1536 · 16th century · Spain · Writers1.5
  30. 30Pedro de Alvarado1486-1541 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures1.5
  31. 31Pedro de Valdivia1497-1553 · 16th century · Spain · Politicians1.4
  32. 32Tirso de Molina1583-1648 · 17th century · Spain · Writers1.3
  33. 33Luis de León1527-1591 · 16th century · Spain · Writers1.3
  34. 34Ignatius of Loyola1491-1556 · 16th century · Spain · Religious Figures1.3
  35. 35Juan Vicente Gómez1857-1935 · 19th century · Venezuela · Politicians1.3
  36. 36Juan Manuel de Rosas1793-1877 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians1.2
  37. 37Ricardo Palma1833-1919 · 19th century · Peru · Writers1.2
  38. 38Pablo Neruda1904-1973 · 20th century · Chile · Writers1.2
  39. 39Bernardino Rivadavia1780-1845 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians1.1
  40. 40Francisco I. Madero1873-1913 · 20th century · Mexico · Activists1.1
  41. 41Francisco de Toledo, Count of Oropesa1515-1582 · 16th century · Spain · Politicians1.1
  42. 42Nicolás Antonio1617-1684 · 17th century · Spain · Politicians1.1
  43. 43Felipe Gonzálezborn 1942 · 20th century · Spain · Politicians1.1
  44. 44Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz1651-1695 · 17th century · Mexico · Writers1.0
  45. 45José Hernández1834-1886 · 19th century · Argentina · Writers1.0
  46. 46Manuel Belgrano1770-1820 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians1.0
  47. 47Diego de Almagro1475-1538 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures1.0
  48. 48Diego Velázquez1599-1660 · 17th century · Spain · Artists1.0
  49. 49Francis Solanus1549-1610 · 16th century · Spain1.0
  50. 50Pope Alexander VI1431-1503 · 15th century · Spain · Religious Figures1.0
  51. 51John I of France1316-1316 · 14th century · France · Historical Figures0.99
  52. 52Jorge Luis Borges1899-1986 · 20th century · Argentina · Writers0.97
  53. 53Fernán González of Castile910-970 · 10th century0.94
  54. 54Francisco de Villagra1511-1563 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures0.94
  55. 55Federico García Lorca1898-1936 · 20th century · Spain · Writers0.91
  56. 56Bernardo O'Higgins1778-1842 · 19th century · Spain · Politicians0.90
  57. 57Emiliano Zapata1879-1919 · 20th century · Mexico · Activists0.88
  58. 58Victoriano Huerta1850-1916 · 19th century · Mexico · Politicians0.87
  59. 59Cipriano Castro1858-1924 · 19th century · Venezuela · Politicians0.84
  60. 60María de Jesús1560-1640 · 16th century · Spain0.84
  61. 61César Vallejo1892-1938 · 20th century · Peru · Writers0.83
  62. 62Carlos Pellegrini1846-1906 · 19th century · Argentina · Journalists0.83
  63. 63Bernal Díaz del Brawl1492-1584 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures0.81
  64. 64Vincent Ferrer1350-1419 · 14th century · Spain · Religious Figures0.80
  65. 65Domingo Faustino Sarmiento1811-1888 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians0.79
  66. 66Francisco de Vitoria1480-1546 · 16th century · Spain · Academics0.79
  67. 67Francisco Quevedo1584-1645 · 17th century · Spain · Writers0.78
  68. 68Diego Rivera1886-1957 · 20th century · Mexico · Designers0.78
  69. 69Carlos Fuentes1928-2012 · 20th century · Mexico · Writers0.77
  70. 70Juan de Garay1528-1583 · 16th century · Spain0.76
  71. 71Roque Sáenz Peña1851-1914 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians0.75
  72. 72Jorge Juan y Santacilia1713-1773 · 18th century · Spain · Scientists0.75
  73. 73Lope de Aguirre1510-1561 · 16th century · Spain0.74
  74. 74Pío Baroja1872-1956 · 20th century · Spain · Writers0.74
  75. 75Hernando Pizarro1502-1578 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures0.73
  76. 76Juan Andrés1740-1817 · 18th century · Spain · Academics0.73
  77. 77Hipólito Yrigoyen1850-1933 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians0.72
  78. 78Che Guevara1928-1967 · 20th century · Cuba · Activists0.72
  79. 79Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo1856-1912 · 19th century · Spain · Academics0.72
  80. 80Antonio José de Sucre1795-1830 · 19th century · Politicians0.71
  81. 81Francisco de Miranda1750-1816 · 18th century · Spain · Politicians0.71
  82. 82Ernesto Zedilloborn 1951 · 20th century · Mexico · Politicians0.71
  83. 83José Ortega y Gasset1883-1955 · 20th century · Spain · Academics0.70
  84. 84Gabriel García Márquez1927-2014 · 20th century · Colombia · Writers0.69
  85. 85Salvador Allende1908-1973 · 20th century · Chile · Politicians0.68
  86. 86Francisco de Paula Santander1792-1840 · 19th century · Colombia · Politicians0.67
  87. 87Lope de Rueda1505-1566 · 16th century · Spain · Writers0.67
  88. 88Juan Montalvo1832-1889 · 19th century · Ecuador · Writers0.66
  89. 89Jose Miguel Carrera1785-1821 · 19th century · Chile · Politicians0.64
  90. 90Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés1478-1557 · 16th century · Spain · Writers0.63
  91. 91Mario Vargas Llosa1936-2025 · 20th century · Spain · Writers0.62
  92. 92Peter of Alcantara1499-1562 · 16th century · Spain0.61
  93. 93Juan Bautista Alberdi1810-1884 · 19th century · Argentina · Politicians0.61
  94. 94Francisco de Aguirre1507-1581 · 16th century · Spain · Historical Figures0.60
  95. 95Julio Cortázar1914-1984 · 20th century · Argentina · Writers0.58
  96. 96El Greco1541-1614 · 16th century · Artists0.58
  97. 97Fernán Caballero1796-1877 · 19th century · Spain · Writers0.58
  98. 98Manuel Montt1809-1880 · 19th century · Chile · Politicians0.58
  99. 99Ramón de la Cruz1731-1794 · 18th century · Spain · Writers0.57
  100. 100Pancho Villa1878-1923 · 20th century · Mexico · Activists0.57

Lived then

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

  1. 1J. R. R. Tolkien1892-1973 · United Kingdom · Writers7 decades
  2. 2Ernest Hemingway1899-1961 · United States · Writers10 decades
  3. 3Stephen Kingborn 1947 · United States · Writers8 decades
  4. 4Anne Frank1929-1945 · Germany · Writers7 decades
  5. 5Franz Kafka1883-1924 · Czechia · Writers11 decades
  6. 6Agatha Christie1890-1976 · United Kingdom · Writers10 decades
  7. 7Helen Keller1880-1968 · United States · Writers14 decades
  8. 8George Orwell1903-1950 · United Kingdom · Writers9 decades
  9. 9Amelia Earhart1897-1939 · United States · Writers10 decades
  10. 10Michelle Obamaborn 1964 · United States · Writers2 decades
  11. 11George R. R. Martinborn 1948 · United States · Writers1 decades
  12. 12Virginia Woolf1882-1941 · United Kingdom · Writers10 decades
  13. 13C. S. Lewis1898-1963 · United Kingdom · Writers10 decades
  14. 14Roald Dahl1916-1990 · Norway · Writers6 decades
  15. 15Gabriel García Márquez1927-2014 · Colombia · Writers7 decades
  16. 16Isaac Asimov1920-1992 · United States · Writers7 decades
  17. 17Salman Rushdieborn 1947 · United Kingdom · Writers4 decades
  18. 18Ayn Rand1905-1982 · United States · Writers3 decades
  19. 19Mario Vargas Llosa1936-2025 · Spain · Writers7 decades
  20. 20Thomas Mann1875-1955 · United States · Writers12 decades
  21. 21Sylvia Plath1932-1963 · United States · Writers6 decades
  22. 22Stan Lee1922-2018 · United States · Writers3 decades
  23. 23H. P. Lovecraft1890-1937 · United States · Writers6 decades
  24. 24Rudyard Kipling1865-1936 · United Kingdom · Writers13 decades
  25. 25Ian Fleming1908-1964 · United Kingdom · Writers7 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.