← 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
Michel Platini5 decades - 2
Arsène Wenger2 decades - 3
Just Fontaine3 decades - 4
Jean-Pierre Papin3 decades - 5
Roger Milla4 decades - 6
Raymond Kopa3 decades - 7
Raymond Domenechnot measured- - 8
Rudi Garcianot measured- - 9
Gérard Houlliernot measured- - 10
Helenio Herreranot measured- - 11
Aimé Jacquetnot measured- - 12
Jean Tigananot measured- - 13
Alain Giressenot measured- - 14
Luis Fernandeznot measured- - 15
Guy Rouxnot measured- - 16
Bernard Lamanot measured- - 17
Lucien Laurentnot measured- - 18
Philippe Troussiernot measured- - 19
Roger Lemerrenot measured- - 20Manuel Amorosnot measured-
- 21
Marius Trésornot measured- - 22
Dominique Rocheteaunot measured- - 23Patrick Battistonnot measured-
- 24
Claude Puelnot measured- - 25
Antoine Kombouarénot measured- - 26
Jacques Santininot measured- - 27
Paul Le Guennot measured- - 28
Michel Hidalgonot measured- - 29
Bruno Metsunot measured- - 30
Bernard Lacombenot measured- - 31
Michel Der Zakariannot measured- - 32
Henri Michelnot measured- - 33
Daniel Bravonot measured- - 34
Didier Sixnot measured- - 35
Maxime Bossisnot measured- - 36
Joël Batsnot measured- - 37
László Bölöninot measured- - 38
Claude Le Roynot measured- - 39Jean-Pierre Adamsnot measured-
- 40
Jean Djorkaeffnot measured- - 41
Rolland Courbisnot measured- - 42
Cyrille Regisnot measured- - 43
Éric Di Meconot measured- - 44
Jean-Luc Ettorinot measured- - 45
Robert Mouynetnot measured- - 46Philippe Vercruyssenot measured-
- 47
Christian Gourcuffnot measured- - 48
Bernard Genghininot measured- - 49
Alexandre Villaplanenot measured- - 50
Pascal Olmetanot measured- - 51
Olivier Rouyernot measured- - 52
Violette Morrisnot measured- - 53
Guy Stéphannot measured- - 54Bruno Bellonenot measured-
- 55
Yannick Stopyranot measured- - 56
Jean-Louis Gassetnot measured- - 57
Alain Perrinnot measured- - 58
Jean-François Lariosnot measured- - 59
Frédéric Antonettinot measured- - 60
Gabriel Hanotnot measured- - 61
Fleury Di Nallonot measured- - 62
Roger Piantoninot measured- - 63
Guy Lacombenot measured- - 64
Jean-Michel Larquénot measured- - 65
Serge Chiesanot measured- - 66
Philippe Montaniernot measured- - 67
István Nyersnot measured- - 68
Georges Beretanot measured- - 69
Robert Herbinnot measured- - 70Jean-Marc Ferrerinot measured-
- 71
Élie Baupnot measured- - 72
Bruno Martininot measured- - 73
André Guynot measured- - 74
Claude Papinot measured- - 75
Gérard Janvionnot measured- - 76
Ivan Beknot measured- - 77
Jean Vincentnot measured- - 78
Bernard Casoninot measured- - 79
Jean-Paul Bertrand-Demanesnot measured- - 80
Jean Fernandeznot measured- - 81
Christian Lopeznot measured- - 82
Rachid Mekhloufinot measured- - 83
Hervé Revellinot measured- - 84
Raynald Denoueixnot measured- - 85
Dominique Bathenaynot measured- - 86
Gunnar Anderssonnot measured- - 87
José Tourénot measured- - 88
Yvon Le Rouxnot measured- - 89
Patrick Revellinot measured- - 90Michel Bensoussannot measured-
- 91
Lucien Mullernot measured- - 92Thierry Tusseaunot measured-
- 93
Jean-Marc Guillounot measured- - 94
Alain Casanovanot measured- - 95
Jean-François Domerguenot measured- - 96
Alain Couriolnot measured- - 97
Erick Mombaertsnot measured- - 98
Albert Batteuxnot measured- - 99
Dominique Dropsynot measured- - 100
Marcel Aubournot 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.