← 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
Ai Weiwei2 decades - 2
Xu Beihongnot measured- - 3
He Xiangningnot measured- - 4
Cai Guo-Qiangnot measured- - 5
Liu Xianot measured- - 6
Feng Zikainot measured- - 7
Wu Guanzhongnot measured- - 8
Xu Bingnot measured- - 9
Lin Fengmiannot measured- - 10
Zhang Chongrennot measured- - 11
Yue Minjunnot measured- - 12
Feng Jicainot measured- - 13
Li Kerannot measured- - 14
Huang Binhongnot measured- - 15
Li Zhenshengnot measured- - 16Leng Junnot measured-
- 17Huang Yong Pingnot measured-
- 18
Fu Baoshinot measured- - 19
Muxinnot measured- - 20
Hou Bonot measured- - 21
Chen Yifeinot measured- - 22
Zhang Xiaogangnot measured- - 23
Liu Haisunot measured- - 24
Pan Tianshounot measured- - 25
Wang Guangyinot measured- - 26
Liu Xiaodongnot measured- - 27
Zeng Fanzhinot measured- - 28
Lu Xiaomannot measured- - 29
Yuan Kedingnot measured- - 30
Qigongnot measured- - 31
Fang Ganminnot measured- - 32
Huang Yongyunot measured- - 33Ai Xuannot measured-
- 34Moy Yatnot measured-
- 35Chen Zhennot measured-
- 36
Fang Zhaolingnot measured- - 37
Chang Shuhongnot measured- - 38
Xiao Hui Wangnot measured- - 39Fang Lijunnot measured-
- 40
Wu Zuorennot measured- - 41Liu Shouxiangnot measured-
- 42Li Kuchannot measured-
- 43Yu Fengnot measured-
- 44Yuzhannot measured-
- 45
Fu Wenjunnot measured- - 46
Zhang Dalinot measured- - 47Cheng Shifanot measured-
- 48
Huang Ruinot measured- - 49
Runqinot measured- - 50Xie Zhiliunot measured-
- 51Zhou Haiyingnot measured-
- 52
Dai Tielangnot measured- - 53Yang Jiechangnot measured-
- 54
Wang Dunot measured- - 55
Yan Wenliangnot measured- - 56
Wu Weishannot measured- - 57Hu Xieqingnot measured-
- 58
Ye Qianyunot measured- - 59
Guan Zilannot measured- - 60Jiang Zhaohenot measured-
- 61
Yin Xiuzhennot measured- - 62
Yuan Xikunnot measured- - 63
Liao Jingwennot measured- - 64Lu Qingnot measured-
- 65Miao Xiaochunnot measured-
- 66Sam Tatanot measured-
- 67Gao Mangnot measured-
- 68Zhang Yannot measured-
- 69
Wang Jianweinot measured- - 70
Xiao Shufangnot measured- - 71
Ai Zhongxinnot measured- - 72Wen Lipengnot measured-
- 73Xu Jingfeinot measured-
- 74Xu Qingpingnot measured-
- 75Nancy Homnot measured-
- 76Qi Liangyinot 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.