← 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
Donna Strickland0 decades - 2
David Suzukinot measured- - 3
Louis Slotinnot measured- - 4
Arthur B. McDonald0 decades - 5
Willard Boyle0 decades - 6Gerald Bullnot measured-
- 7
Hubert Reevesnot measured- - 8
Ludwig von Bertalanffynot measured- - 9
Rudolph A. Marcus0 decades - 10
Roberta Bondarnot measured- - 11
Ralph M. Steinman0 decades - 12
Jim Peebles0 decades - 13
Gerhard Herzberg2 decades - 14
Joseph-Armand Bombardiernot measured- - 15
Peter Wattsnot measured- - 16
Walter Kohn0 decades - 17
Reginald Fessendennot measured- - 18
Richard S. Suttonnot measured- - 19
John Polanyinot measured- - 20
Michael Smith8 decades - 21
Paul Hellyernot measured- - 22
Ursula Franklinnot measured- - 23
John Garandnot measured- - 24
Maud Mentennot measured- - 25
Helen Sawyer Hoggnot measured- - 26
Richard E. Taylor0 decades - 27
Gilles Brassardnot measured- - 28
John Tuzo Wilsonnot measured- - 29
Bertram Brockhouse0 decades - 30
Robert Thirsknot measured- - 31Peter Munknot measured-
- 32
Félix d'Hérellenot measured- - 33
Steve Mannnot measured- - 34
Bjarni Tryggvasonnot measured- - 35
George Volkoffnot measured- - 36
Marie-Victorinnot measured- - 37
Steve MacLeannot measured- - 38William Kwong Yu Yeungnot measured-
- 39
Wendy Freedmannot measured- - 40
Arthur Jeffrey Dempsternot measured- - 41
Don Pagenot measured- - 42
Rudolf Redernot measured- - 43
W. G. Unruhnot measured- - 44
John Moffatnot measured- - 45
Robert F. Christynot measured- - 46
Harriet Brooksnot measured- - 47Jacob Schicknot measured-
- 48
Norman L. Bowennot measured- - 49
Walter Zinnnot measured- - 50Bruce Bagemihlnot measured-
- 51
Yvonne Brillnot measured- - 52Werner Israelnot measured-
- 53
Martin Kamennot measured- - 54Paul Corkumnot measured-
- 55
Rebecca Elsonnot measured- - 56
Daniel J. Druckernot measured- - 57
Alfred Badernot measured- - 58
Allan H. MacDonaldnot measured- - 59
Lubomyr Romankiwnot measured- - 60
Alfred J. Grossnot measured- - 61Sylvia Fedoruknot measured-
- 62Reginald Aldworth Dalynot measured-
- 63
Dale Frailnot measured- - 64
Arthur Whitneynot measured- - 65Sidney van den Berghnot measured-
- 66Robert Poundnot measured-
- 67
Austin Mardonnot measured- - 68
Pierre Dansereaunot measured- - 69
Alice Wilsonnot measured- - 70
Peter Norman Nissennot measured- - 71
John Stanley Plaskettnot measured- - 72
Raymond Lemieuxnot measured- - 73
Marcelle Gauvreaunot measured- - 74
Hugh Rossnot measured- - 75
C. S. Wrightnot measured- - 76Scott Tremainenot measured-
- 77
C. Donald Batemannot measured- - 78Trudy Mackaynot measured-
- 79
Arthur Henry Reginald Bullernot measured- - 80Joseph S. Nelsonnot measured-
- 81Clifford Martin Willnot measured-
- 82Ian Keith Afflecknot measured-
- 83
Alastair G. W. Cameronnot measured- - 84Tatyana Ustinovanot measured-
- 85Lewis Urrynot measured-
- 86
Margaret Sibella Brownnot measured- - 87
Alexandra Mortonnot measured- - 88
Mark Tildennot measured- - 89
J. Richard Bondnot measured- - 90
Ted Hsunot measured- - 91
Hugh Le Cainenot measured- - 92Paul F. Hoffmannot measured-
- 93
Robert William Boylenot measured-
- 94Josef Katesnot measured-
- 95Gilbert Plassnot measured-
- 96Irene Uchidanot measured-
- 97Sajeev Johnnot measured-
- 98Mark B. Wisenot measured-
- 99
Clarence Chantnot measured- - 100Alice Vibert Douglasnot 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.