← 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 English books during the 20th century, whenever they lived.
- 1
Jesus30 - 2
Aristotle7.1 - 3
Plato7.1 - 4
Homer7.1 - 5
Augustus4.9 - 6
Johns Hopkins4.4 - 7
Cicero4.0 - 8
George Washington3.8 - 9
Socrates3.4 - 10
Virgil3.3 - 11
Abraham Lincoln2.0 - 12
Euclid1.9 - 13
Thomas Jefferson1.6 - 14
Ovid1.6 - 15
Mark Twain1.5 - 16
Plutarch1.5 - 17
Cleopatra1.4 - 18
Theodore Roosevelt1.4 - 19
Woodrow Wilson1.4 - 20
William Henry1.3 - 21
Benjamin Franklin1.3 - 22
Herodotus1.3 - 23
Charlemagne1.3 - 24
Rembrandt1.3 - 25
Euripides1.2
Lived then
The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 20th century, ranked where coverage and readership agree.
- 1
Keanu Reeves3 decades - 2
Christopher Plummer7 decades - 3
Donald Sutherland7 decades - 4
Mike Myers3 decades - 5
William Shatner5 decades - 6
Catherine O'Hara0 decades - 7
Leslie Nielsen5 decades - 8
Dan Aykroyd4 decades - 9
Mary Pickford11 decades - 10
Martin Short3 decades - 11
Kim Cattrall1 decades - 12
Margot Kidder3 decades - 13
John Candynot measured- - 14
Glenn Ford8 decades - 15
Peter Cullennot measured- - 16
Norma Shearer10 decades - 17
Yvonne De Carlonot measured- - 18
Rick Moranisnot measured- - 19
Alan Thickenot measured- - 20
Victor Garbernot measured- - 21
Eugene Levynot measured- - 22
Raymond Burrnot measured- - 23
Bruce Greenwoodnot measured- - 24
Michael Ironsidenot measured- - 25
Alex Trebeknot measured- - 26
Geneviève Bujoldnot measured- - 27
Nia Vardalosnot measured- - 28
James Doohannot measured- - 29
Elias Koteasnot measured- - 30
Fay Wraynot measured- - 31
Caroline Rheanot measured- - 32
Raymond Masseynot measured- - 33
Henry Czernynot measured- - 34
Walter Hustonnot measured- - 35
Lois Maxwellnot measured- - 36
Maurice LaMarchenot measured- - 37
Kim Coatesnot measured- - 38
Colm Feorenot measured- - 39
Tom Cavanaghnot measured- - 40
Howie Mandelnot measured- - 41
Harold Russellnot measured- - 42
Michael Ontkeannot measured- - 43
Shannon Tweednot measured- - 44
Wendy Crewsonnot measured- - 45
Len Cariounot measured- - 46
Michael Wincottnot measured- - 47
Peter Northnot measured- - 48
Heather Menziesnot measured- - 49
Colleen Dewhurstnot measured- - 50
David James Elliottnot measured- - 51
Rae Dawn Chongnot measured- - 52
Lorne Greenenot measured- - 53
Dave Foleynot measured- - 54
Kevin McDonaldnot measured- - 55
Enrico Colantoninot measured- - 56
Joanna Shimkusnot measured- - 57
Gaëtan Dugasnot measured- - 58
Joseph Wisemannot measured- - 59
Callum Keith Rennienot measured- - 60
William B. Davisnot measured- - 61
Harland Williamsnot measured- - 62
Dorothy Strattennot measured- - 63
Kate Nelligannot measured- - 64
Gloria Reubennot measured- - 65
John Irelandnot measured- - 66
John Kricfalusinot measured- - 67
Susan Clarknot measured- - 68
Tabitha St. Germainnot measured- - 69
John Vernonnot measured- - 70
Teryl Rotherynot measured- - 71
Colin Mochrienot measured- - 72
Matt Cravennot measured- - 73
Christopher Heyerdahlnot measured- - 74
Chief Dan Georgenot measured- - 75
Stephen McHattienot measured- - 76
Lolita Davidovichnot measured- - 77
Robert Joynot measured- - 78
Jack Carsonnot measured- - 79
Alexis Smithnot measured- - 80
Paul Grossnot measured- - 81
Saul Rubineknot measured- - 82
Catherine Mary Stewartnot measured- - 83
Gene Lockhartnot measured- - 84
Shirley Douglasnot measured- - 85
Michael Hogannot measured- - 86
Hart Bochnernot measured- - 87
Alexander Knoxnot measured- - 88
Florence Lawrencenot measured- - 89
August Schellenbergnot measured- - 90
Melody Andersonnot measured- - 91
Joanna Gleasonnot measured- - 92
Carol Chengnot measured- - 93
Linda Thorsonnot measured- - 94
Carlo Rotanot measured- - 95Frances Baynot measured-
- 96
Kate Vernonnot measured- - 97
Michael Sarrazinnot measured- - 98
Nicholas Leanot measured- - 99
Don Lakenot measured- - 100
Kenneth Welshnot measured-
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.