← 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
Édith Piaf6 decades - 2
Charles Aznavour8 decades - 3
Maurice Ravel12 decades - 4
Johnny Hallyday6 decades - 5
Serge Gainsbourg6 decades - 6
Igor Stravinsky11 decades - 7
Erik Satie11 decades - 8
France Gall6 decades - 9
Jean-Michel Jarre4 decades - 10
Mireille Mathieu6 decades - 11
Django Reinhardt7 decades - 12
Françoise Hardy6 decades - 13
Maurice Chevalier10 decades - 14
Georges Brassens7 decades - 15
Amanda Learnot measured- - 16
Maurice Jarre7 decades - 17
Michel Legrand7 decades - 18
Manu Chaonot measured- - 19
Angelique Kidjo0 decades - 20
Goran Bregović0 decades - 21
Richard Clayderman0 decades - 22
Francis Poulenc10 decades - 23
Claude Françoisnot measured- - 24
Pierre Boulez7 decades - 25
Juliette Gréconot measured- - 26
Nadia Boulanger11 decades - 27
Gilbert Bécaudnot measured- - 28
Barbaranot measured- - 29
Iannis Xenakisnot measured- - 30
Enrico Maciasnot measured- - 31
Renaudnot measured- - 32
Sylvie Vartannot measured- - 33
Caterina Valentenot measured- - 34
Darius Milhaudnot measured- - 35
Manu Dibangonot measured- - 36
Marie Laforêtnot measured- - 37
Stéphane Grappellinot measured- - 38
Lili Boulangernot measured- - 39
Jean Ferratnot measured- - 40
Michel Sardounot measured- - 41
Edita Piekhanot measured- - 42
Olivier Messiaen9 decades - 43
Jeannot measured- - 44
Zazienot measured- - 45
Henri Salvadornot measured- - 46
Charles Trenetnot measured- - 47
Francis Cabrelnot measured- - 48
Alan Stivellnot measured- - 49Michel Petruccianinot measured-
- 50
Desirelessnot measured- - 51
Alison Moyetnot measured- - 52
Serge Reggianinot measured- - 53
Roberto Alagnanot measured- - 54
Alexandre Desplat0 decades - 55
Francis Lainot measured- - 56
Séverinenot measured- - 57
Sacha Distelnot measured- - 58
Michel Bergernot measured- - 59
Pierre Bacheletnot measured- - 60
Michel Delpechnot measured- - 61
Warda El- Djazairianot measured- - 62
Alain Bashungnot measured- - 63
Sheilanot measured- - 64
Alain Souchonnot measured- - 65
Marc Lavoinenot measured- - 66
Christophenot measured- - 67
Isabelle Aubretnot measured- - 68
Catherine Ringernot measured- - 69
Daniel Balavoinenot measured- - 70
Paul Mauriatnot measured- - 71
Claude Nougaronot measured- - 72
Florent Pagnynot measured- - 73
Marie Myriamnot measured- - 74
Pierre Henrynot measured- - 75
Gabriel Yarednot measured- - 76
Claudine Longetnot measured- - 77
Jean-Luc Pontynot measured- - 78
F. R. Davidnot measured- - 79
Hugues Aufraynot measured- - 80
Guy Béartnot measured- - 81
Véronique Sansonnot measured- - 82
Vladimir Cosmanot measured- - 83
Bertrand Cantatnot measured- - 84
Gérard Lenormannot measured- - 85
Serge Lamanot measured- - 86
Eddy Mitchellnot measured- - 87
Edgard Varèsenot measured- - 88
Michel Polnareffnot measured- - 89
Tino Rossinot measured- - 90
Philippe Léotardnot measured- - 91
Éric Serranot measured- - 92
Patrick Hernandeznot measured- - 93
Paul Dukas13 decades - 94
Alain Barrièrenot measured- - 95
Claude-Michel Schönbergnot measured- - 96
Georges Deleruenot measured- - 97
Jean-Claude Pascalnot measured- - 98
Michèle Torrnot measured- - 99
Richard Anthonynot measured- - 100
Manu Katchénot 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.