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

  1. 1Giotto1267-1337 · 14th century · Italy · Artists5.4
  2. 2Dante Alighieri1265-1321 · 14th century · Writers5.0
  3. 3Caravaggio1571-1610 · 17th century · Italy · Artists3.8
  4. 4Leonardo da Vinci1452-1519 · 15th century · Italy · Artists3.8
  5. 5Antonio da Correggio1489-1534 · 16th century · Italy · Artists3.7
  6. 6Benedetto Croce1866-1952 · 20th century · Italy · Academics3.3
  7. 7Donato Bramante1444-1514 · 15th century · Italy · Architects2.9
  8. 8Donatello1386-1466 · 15th century · Artists2.8
  9. 9Giuseppe Mazzini1805-1872 · 19th century · Italy · Activists2.2
  10. 10Alessandro Manzoni1785-1873 · 19th century · Italy · Writers2.2
  11. 11Ugo Foscolo1778-1827 · 19th century · Writers2.1
  12. 12Pietro Perugino1448-1523 · 15th century · Italy · Artists2.0
  13. 13Tintoretto1519-1594 · 16th century · Italy · Artists1.9
  14. 14Francis of Assisi1182-1226 · 13th century · Italy · Writers1.8
  15. 15Giacomo Leopardi1798-1837 · 19th century · Italy · Writers1.8
  16. 16Benito Mussolini1883-1945 · 20th century · Italy · Politicians1.8
  17. 17Torquato Tasso1544-1595 · 16th century · Italy · Writers1.7
  18. 18Masaccio1401-1428 · 15th century · Italy · Artists1.7
  19. 19Giordano Bruno1548-1600 · 16th century · Italy · Academics1.6
  20. 20Lorenzo de' Medici1449-1492 · 15th century · Politicians1.6
  21. 21Galileo Galilei1564-1642 · 16th century · Italy · Scientists1.6
  22. 22Charles Borromeo1538-1584 · 16th century · Italy · Religious Figures1.6
  23. 23Giosuè Carducci1835-1907 · 19th century · Italy · Writers1.5
  24. 24Marco Polo1254-1324 · 13th century · Italy · Historical Figures1.4
  25. 25Giuseppe Verdi1813-1901 · 19th century · Italy · Musicians1.4
  26. 26Vittorio Alfieri1749-1803 · 18th century · Italy · Historical Figures1.4
  27. 27Petrarch1304-1374 · 14th century · Italy · Academics1.2
  28. 28Philip Neri1515-1595 · 16th century · Religious Figures1.2
  29. 29Francesco Crispi1818-1901 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians1.2
  30. 30Giovanni Pascoli1855-1912 · 19th century · Italy · Writers1.2
  31. 31Cimabue1240-1302 · 13th century · Artists1.2
  32. 32Paul the Deacon720-799 · 8th century · Writers1.2
  33. 33Farinelli1705-1782 · 18th century · Italy · Musicians1.2
  34. 34Silvio Pellico1789-1854 · 19th century · Writers1.1
  35. 35Gabriele D'Annunzio1863-1938 · 19th century · Italy · Writers1.1
  36. 36Guercino1591-1666 · 17th century · Italy · Artists1.1
  37. 37Piero della Francesca1415-1492 · 15th century · Italy · Artists1.1
  38. 38Giulio Romano1499-1546 · 16th century · Italy · Artists1.1
  39. 39Carlo Goldoni1707-1793 · 18th century · Italy · Writers0.99
  40. 40Luigi Pirandello1867-1936 · 20th century · Italy · Writers0.95
  41. 41Bernardino of Siena1380-1444 · 15th century · Italy · Academics0.94
  42. 42Luigi Einaudi1874-1961 · 20th century · Italy · Politicians0.93
  43. 43Pietro Verri1728-1797 · 18th century · Academics0.89
  44. 44Leon Battista Alberti1404-1472 · 15th century · Italy · Architects0.88
  45. 45Pietro Aretino1492-1556 · 16th century · Italy · Writers0.88
  46. 46Vincenzo Gioberti1801-1852 · 19th century · Italy · Academics0.87
  47. 47Pisanello1395-1455 · 15th century · Italy · Artists0.86
  48. 48Domenichino1581-1641 · 17th century · Artists0.86
  49. 49Cesare Balbo1789-1853 · 19th century · Politicians0.84
  50. 50Pontormo1494-1556 · 16th century · Italy · Artists0.83
  51. 51Cesare Borgia1475-1507 · 16th century · Italy · Historical Figures0.83
  52. 52Niccolò Machiavelli1469-1527 · 16th century · Politicians0.82
  53. 53Salvator Rosa1615-1673 · 17th century · Italy · Artists0.82
  54. 54Aldo Moro1916-1978 · 20th century · Italy · Politicians0.82
  55. 55Vittoria Colonna1492-1547 · 16th century · Italy · Writers0.82
  56. 56Antonio Rosmini1797-1855 · 19th century · Academics0.81
  57. 57Filippo Turati1857-1932 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians0.80
  58. 58Parmigianino1503-1540 · 16th century · Italy · Artists0.78
  59. 59Giovanni Boccaccio1313-1375 · 14th century · Italy · Writers0.77
  60. 60Cosimo de' Medici1389-1464 · 15th century · Politicians0.76
  61. 61Francesca da Rimini1259-1285 · 13th century · Italy · Writers0.76
  62. 62Massimo d'Azeglio1798-1866 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians0.76
  63. 63Bettino Ricasoli1809-1880 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians0.74
  64. 64Guido Cavalcanti1258-1300 · 13th century · Writers0.74
  65. 65Umberto Eco1932-2016 · 20th century · Italy · Writers0.73
  66. 66Canaletto1697-1768 · 18th century · Italy · Artists0.73
  67. 67Guido Reni1575-1642 · 17th century · Italy · Artists0.72
  68. 68Andrea Doria1466-1560 · 16th century · Italy · Politicians0.71
  69. 69Marsilio Ficino1433-1499 · 15th century · Italy · Academics0.70
  70. 70Niccolò Tommaseo1802-1874 · 19th century · Italy · Academics0.69
  71. 71Giorgio Vasari1511-1574 · 16th century · Italy · Artists0.69
  72. 72Antonio Gramsci1891-1937 · 20th century · Italy · Academics0.68
  73. 73Pietro Bembo1470-1547 · 16th century · Italy · Religious Figures0.68
  74. 74Pietro da Cortona1596-1669 · 17th century · Italy · Artists0.68
  75. 75Luigi Luzzatti1841-1927 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians0.67
  76. 76Paolo Sarpi1552-1623 · 16th century · Academics0.67
  77. 77Paolo Veronese1528-1588 · 16th century · Italy · Artists0.67
  78. 78Giovanni Bellini1430-1516 · 15th century · Italy · Artists0.67
  79. 79Andrea del Sarto1486-1530 · 16th century · Artists0.66
  80. 80Giambattista Vico1668-1744 · 18th century · Italy · Academics0.65
  81. 81Marco Minghetti1818-1886 · 19th century · Italy · Politicians0.64
  82. 82Margaret of Savoy1851-1926 · 19th century · Italy · Artists0.64
  83. 83Bettino Craxi1934-2000 · 20th century · Italy · Politicians0.62
  84. 84Giovanni Verga1840-1922 · 19th century · Italy · Writers0.61
  85. 85Francesco Guicciardini1483-1540 · 16th century · Writers0.61
  86. 86Paolo Uccello1397-1475 · 15th century · Italy · Artists0.61
  87. 87Domenico Passignano1559-1638 · 16th century · Artists0.61
  88. 88Antonio Labriola1843-1904 · 19th century · Italy · Academics0.60
  89. 89Pinturicchio1454-1513 · 15th century · Italy · Artists0.60
  90. 90Leonardo Bruni1369-1444 · 15th century · Writers0.60
  91. 91Grazia Deledda1871-1936 · 20th century · Italy · Writers0.60
  92. 92Francesco Gonzaga1444-1483 · 15th century0.60
  93. 93Alessandro Cagliostro1743-1795 · 18th century · France · Doctors0.59
  94. 94Lucrezia Borgia1480-1519 · 16th century · Italy · Historical Figures0.59
  95. 95Filippo Maria Visconti1392-1447 · 15th century · Politicians0.58
  96. 96Girolamo Savonarola1452-1498 · 15th century · Italy · Politicians0.57
  97. 97Tommaso Campanella1568-1639 · 17th century · Italy · Academics0.57
  98. 98Giulio Andreotti1919-2013 · 20th century · Italy · Politicians0.57
  99. 99Angelo Beolco1496-1542 · 16th century · Writers0.57
  100. 100Enrico Ferri1856-1929 · 19th century · Italy · Journalists0.56

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.