← 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
Pierre Trudeau6 decades - 2
Stephen Harper2 decades - 3
Jean Chrétien8 decades - 4
Brian Mulroney4 decades - 5
Kim Campbell3 decades - 6
Lester B. Pearson8 decades - 7
Paul Martinnot measured- - 8
William Lyon Mackenzie Kingnot measured- - 9
Julie Payette0 decades - 10
Mary Simonnot measured- - 11
John Turnernot measured- - 12
Joe Clarknot measured- - 13
Jack Laytonnot measured- - 14
Louise Arbournot measured- - 15
John Diefenbaker7 decades - 16
Jean Charestnot measured- - 17
Tommy Douglasnot measured- - 18
Doug Fordnot measured- - 19
René Lévesquenot measured- - 20
Pauline Maroisnot measured- - 21
Maxime Berniernot measured- - 22
Louis St. Laurentnot measured- - 23
François Legaultnot measured- - 24
Maurice Duplessisnot measured- - 25
Adrienne Clarksonnot measured- - 26
Conrad Blacknot measured- - 27
Marc Garneaunot measured- - 28
Elizabeth Maynot measured- - 29
Richard Bedford Bennettnot measured- - 30
Arthur Meighennot measured- - 31
David Johnstonnot measured- - 32
Jacques Parizeaunot measured- - 33
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberganot measured- - 34
Bob Raenot measured- - 35
Ivonka Surviłanot measured- - 36
Kathleen Wynnenot measured- - 37
Frank Stronachnot measured- - 38
Stéphane Dionnot measured- - 39
Lucien Bouchardnot measured- - 40
Vincent Masseynot measured- - 41
Philippe Couillardnot measured- - 42
Harry Crerarnot measured- - 43
Rachel Notleynot measured- - 44
John Horgannot measured- - 45
Olivia Chownot measured- - 46
Thomas Mulcairnot measured- - 47
Roméo LeBlancnot measured- - 48
Robert Bourassanot measured- - 49
John Torynot measured- - 50
Agnes Macphailnot measured- - 51
Ralph Kleinnot measured- - 52
Dalton McGuintynot measured- - 53
Otto Jelineknot measured- - 54
Gilles Duceppenot measured- - 55
Jean Lesagenot measured- - 56
Chester Brownnot measured- - 57
Bernard Landrynot measured- - 58
Mike Harrisnot measured- - 59
Eva Aariaknot measured- - 60
Ray Hnatyshynnot measured- - 61
Georges Vaniernot measured- - 62
Brock Chisholmnot measured- - 63
Preston Manningnot measured- - 64
Edward Schreyernot measured- - 65
Doug Henningnot measured- - 66
Stockwell Daynot measured- - 67
Peter Lougheednot measured- - 68
Gordon Campbellnot measured- - 69
Pierre Laportenot measured- - 70
Roy Thomsonnot measured- - 71
Roland Michenernot measured- - 72
Hilary Westonnot measured- - 73
David Petersonnot measured- - 74
Bill Blairnot measured- - 75
Dave Barrettnot measured- - 76
Lincoln Alexandernot measured- - 77
Pierre-Marc Johnsonnot measured- - 78
Bill Davisnot measured- - 79
Ed Stelmachnot measured- - 80
Ernest Manningnot measured- - 81
Don Gettynot measured- - 82
David Lamettinot measured- - 83
Anthony Rotanot measured- - 84
Ed Broadbentnot measured- - 85
Jim Flahertynot measured- - 86
Bonnie Crombienot measured- - 87
William Aberhartnot measured- - 88
Adélard Godboutnot measured- - 89
Daniel Johnsonnot measured- - 90
Thérèse Casgrainnot measured- - 91
Irwin Cotlernot measured- - 92Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleetnot measured-
- 93
Salma Lakhaninot measured- - 94
Jim Watsonnot measured- - 95
Ujjal Dosanjhnot measured- - 96
Jean Drapeaunot measured- - 97
Françoise Davidnot measured- - 98
Tim Bucknot measured- - 99
John Robartsnot measured- - 100
Percy Schmeisernot 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.