← 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
M. F. Husainnot measured- - 2
Abanindranath Tagorenot measured- - 3
R. K. Laxmannot measured- - 4
Svetoslav Roerichnot measured- - 5
Jamini Roynot measured- - 6
Nandalal Bosenot measured- - 7
Raghu Rainot measured- - 8
Lalita Lajminot measured- - 9
Sarla Thakralnot measured- - 10
Ram Vanji Sutarnot measured- - 11
Mario Mirandanot measured- - 12
S. H. Razanot measured- - 13
Satish Gujralnot measured- - 14
Nalini Malaninot measured- - 15
Nek Chand Saininot measured- - 16
Homai Vyarawallanot measured- - 17Pamella Bordesnot measured-
- 18
Dayanita Singhnot measured- - 19
Tyeb Mehtanot measured- - 20
Subodh Guptanot measured- - 21
Sobha Singhnot measured- - 22
Anjolie Ela Menonnot measured- - 23Shridhar Chillalnot measured-
- 24Ram Kinker Baijnot measured-
- 25
Arpita Singhnot measured- - 26
Debi Prasad Roy Choudhurynot measured- - 27
Bhupen Khakharnot measured- - 28Nasreen Mohamedinot measured-
- 29
Ram Kumarnot measured- - 30Benode Behari Mukherjeenot measured-
- 31
Rukmini Varmanot measured- - 32
Nilima Sheikhnot measured- - 33
K. G. Subramanyannot measured- - 34Chintamoni Karnot measured-
- 35
Francis Newton Souzanot measured- - 36Edmund Thomas Clintnot measured-
- 37Mrinalini Mukherjeenot measured-
- 38Jatin Dasnot measured-
- 39
Vivan Sundaramnot measured- - 40
Arpana Caurnot measured- - 41
Rathindranath Tagorenot measured- - 42
K. K. Hebbarnot measured- - 43
Raghunath Mohapatranot measured- - 44
Manjamma Jogathinot measured- - 45
Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhinot measured- - 46T. K. Padmininot measured-
- 47
Vasudeo S. Gaitondenot measured- - 48
B. Prabhanot measured- - 49Sheela Gowdanot measured-
- 50Sukanya Rahmannot measured-
- 51
Jodhaiya Bai Baiganot measured- - 52
Shanu Lahirinot measured- - 53
A. Ramachandrannot measured- - 54
Prafulla Dahanukarnot measured- - 55
Atul Dodiyanot measured- - 56Latika Kattnot measured-
- 57
Mahasundari Devinot measured- - 58Sita Devinot measured-
- 59Akbar Padamseenot measured-
- 60
Ganesh Pynenot measured- - 61K. C. S. Panikernot measured-
- 62
Pushpamala N.not measured- - 63
Pablo Bartholomewnot measured- - 64
Li Gotami Govindanot measured- - 65Shamshad Hussainnot measured-
- 66
Mattannoor Sankarankuttynot measured- - 67
Nemai Ghoshnot measured- - 68
Sheba Chhachhinot measured- - 69
N.A.Nazeernot measured- - 70
Jivya Soma Mashenot measured- - 71Manjit Bawanot measured-
- 72
Ramankutty Nairnot measured- - 73Sunil Dasnot measured-
- 74Jayasri Burmannot measured-
- 75Anita Dubenot measured-
- 76
Madhvi Parekhnot measured- - 77
Asit Kumar Haldarnot measured- - 78
Mukund Nayaknot measured- - 79
Aruna Mohantynot measured- - 80
Anju Dodiyanot measured- - 81
Sukanya Ramgopalnot measured- - 82Shobha Deepak Singhnot measured-
- 83
Ravishankar Ravalnot measured- - 84
Sadanand Bakrenot measured- - 85Laxma Goudnot measured-
- 86Shubbo Shankarnot measured-
- 87
N. L. Balakrishnannot measured- - 88Percy Brownnot measured-
- 89
Paris Viswanathannot measured- - 90
Kanayi Kunhiramannot measured- - 91Paritosh Sennot measured-
- 92
Swami Sundaranandnot measured- - 93
Radhu Karmakarnot measured- - 94
Jehangir Sabavalanot measured- - 95
Amritlal Vegadnot measured- - 96Jyotsna Bhattnot measured-
- 97
Sudhir Khastgirnot measured- - 98
Pratiksha Apurvnot measured- - 99Gogi Saroj Palnot measured-
- 100
Namboothirinot 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.