← 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
Brigitte Bardot7 decades - 2
Alain Delon6 decades - 3
Gérard Depardieu5 decades - 4
Isabelle Adjani5 decades - 5
Catherine Deneuve6 decades - 6
Jean-Paul Belmondo6 decades - 7
Jean Reno2 decades - 8
Louis de Funès7 decades - 9
Juliette Binoche4 decades - 10
Jeanne Calment3 decades - 11
Romy Schneider7 decades - 12
Isabelle Huppert5 decades - 13
Jean Gabin9 decades - 14
Christopher Lambert1 decades - 15
Kristin Scott Thomas3 decades - 16
Simone Signoret7 decades - 17
Jeanne Moreau8 decades - 18
Claudette Colbert8 decades - 19
Jean-Louis Trintignant6 decades - 20
Emmanuelle Béart4 decades - 21
Jean Marais8 decades - 22
Fernandel9 decades - 23
Maria Schneider5 decades - 24
Carole Bouquet4 decades - 25
Anouk Aimée7 decades - 26
Daniel Auteuil4 decades - 27
Leslie Caron7 decades - 28
Marina Vladynot measured- - 29
Marcel Marceau7 decades - 30
Bourvil8 decades - 31
Philippe Noiret6 decades - 32
Yves Montand7 decades - 33
Annie Girardot7 decades - 34
Fanny Ardant4 decades - 35
Michel Piccoli7 decades - 36
Stéphane Audrannot measured- - 37
Anna Karina6 decades - 38
Gérard Philipe8 decades - 39
Nathalie Bayenot measured- - 40
Charles Boyer10 decades - 41
Tchéky Karyonot measured- - 42
Pierre Richardnot measured- - 43
Anne Parillaudnot measured- - 44
Mireille Darcnot measured- - 45
Yeardley Smithnot measured- - 46
Lambert Wilsonnot measured- - 47
Robert Hosseinnot measured- - 48
Vincent Lindonnot measured- - 49
Miou-Miounot measured- - 50
Alain Robertnot measured- - 51
Christian Claviernot measured- - 52
Michael Lonsdalenot measured- - 53
Mylène Demongeotnot measured- - 54
Marie Trintignantnot measured- - 55
Jean Todtnot measured- - 56
Michel Galabrunot measured- - 57
François Cluzetnot measured- - 58
Agnès Jaouinot measured- - 59
Danielle Darrieuxnot measured- - 60
Michel Serraultnot measured- - 61
Claudine Augernot measured- - 62
Louis Jourdannot measured- - 63
Jean Rochefortnot measured- - 64
Josiane Balaskonot measured- - 65
Patrick Dewaerenot measured- - 66
Edwige Fenechnot measured- - 67
Samy Nacerinot measured- - 68
Maurice Benguiguinot measured- - 69
Michèle Merciernot measured- - 70
Michel Blancnot measured- - 71
Arielle Dombaslenot measured- - 72
Béatrice Dallenot measured- - 73
Jacques Dutroncnot measured- - 74
Thierry Lhermittenot measured- - 75
Nathalie Delonnot measured- - 76
Philippine Leroy-Beaulieunot measured- - 77
Corinne Clérynot measured- - 78
Fabrice Luchininot measured- - 79
Catherine Spaaknot measured- - 80
Catherine Frotnot measured- - 81
Roger Haninnot measured- - 82
Bernard Bliernot measured- - 83
Jacques Perrinnot measured- - 84
Valérie Lemerciernot measured- - 85
Claude Jade4 decades - 86
André Dussolliernot measured- - 87
Jacques Villeretnot measured- - 88
Delphine Seyrignot measured- - 89
Isaach de Bankolénot measured- - 90
Lolo Ferrarinot measured- - 91
Emmanuelle Devosnot measured- - 92
Marlène Jobertnot measured- - 93
Alain Chabatnot measured- - 94
Françoise Dorléacnot measured- - 95
Dominique Pinonnot measured- - 96
Pierre Arditinot measured- - 97
Valérie Benguiguinot measured- - 98
Bruno Cremernot measured- - 99
Marie-Christine Barraultnot measured- - 100
Brigitte Fosseynot 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.