← 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
Ryuichi Sakamoto0 decades - 2
Ichirō Mizukinot measured- - 3
Joe Hisaishi0 decades - 4
Seiji Ozawanot measured- - 5
Kitarōnot measured- - 6
Kyū Sakamotonot measured- - 7
Mariya Takeuchinot measured- - 8
Miki Matsubaranot measured- - 9
Naoki Urasawanot measured- - 10
Hibari Misoranot measured- - 11
Hidenot measured- - 12
Yoko Kannonot measured- - 13
Nobuo Uematsunot measured- - 14
Koji Kondonot measured- - 15
Seiko Matsudanot measured- - 16
Yoshiko Yamaguchinot measured- - 17
Yukiko Okadanot measured- - 18
Yasushi Akimotonot measured- - 19
Mitsuko Uchidanot measured- - 20Masashi Tashironot measured-
- 21
Tetsuya Komuronot measured- - 22
Kikuko Inouenot measured- - 23
Minami Takayamanot measured- - 24Yoshito Usuinot measured-
- 25Shōtarō Ishinomorinot measured-
- 26
Tōru Takemitsunot measured- - 27
Koichi Sugiyamanot measured- - 28
Shigesato Itoinot measured- - 29
Isao Tomitanot measured- - 30
Keiko Matsuinot measured- - 31
Susumu Hirasawanot measured- - 32
Kenji Kawainot measured- - 33
Masami Kurumadanot measured- - 34
Yumi Matsutoyanot measured- - 35
Miyuki Nakajimanot measured- - 36
Momoe Yamaguchinot measured- - 37
Tomoyasu Hoteinot measured- - 38Hirokazu Tanakanot measured-
- 39
Masaaki Suzukinot measured- - 40
Yutaka Ozakinot measured- - 41
Akihiro Miwanot measured- - 42
Hironobu Kageyamanot measured- - 43
Mitsuko Horienot measured- - 44
Ryo Kawasakinot measured- - 45
Toshi Ichiyanaginot measured- - 46
Riyoko Ikedanot measured- - 47
Tatsurō Yamashitanot measured- - 48
Haruomi Hosononot measured- - 49Yoshiko Tanakanot measured-
- 50
Anrinot measured- - 51
Damo Suzukinot measured- - 52
Taeko Ōnukinot measured- - 53
Shirō Sagisunot measured- - 54
Kazuo Umezunot measured- - 55
Toshiro Mayuzuminot measured- - 56
Koshi Inabanot measured- - 57Michiru Yamanenot measured-
- 58
Akira Ifukubenot measured- - 59
Tak Matsumotonot measured- - 60
Shigeru Umebayashinot measured- - 61
Yasushi Akutagawanot measured- - 62
Kōsaku Yamadanot measured- - 63
Ayumi Ishidanot measured- - 64
Yukihiro Takahashinot measured- - 65
Yuya Uchidanot measured- - 66
Agnes Channot measured- - 67Shunsuke Kikuchinot measured-
- 68
Akira Takasakinot measured- - 69Shin'ichi Suzukinot measured-
- 70
Yasuharu Takanashinot measured- - 71
DJ Krushnot measured- - 72
Akira Kushidanot measured- - 73Mamoru Samuragochinot measured-
- 74
Yūzō Kayamanot measured- - 75
Masayuki Suzukinot measured- - 76Norio Ohganot measured-
- 77
Sadao Watanabenot measured- - 78
Shinichi Morinot measured- - 79
Isao Sasakinot measured- - 80
Keisuke Kuwatanot measured- - 81Miki Imainot measured-
- 82
Shinji Tanimuranot measured- - 83Max Matsuuranot measured-
- 84
Kenji Sawadanot measured- - 85Masato Nakamuranot measured-
- 86
Katsuo Ōnonot measured- - 87
Kentarō Hanedanot measured- - 88
Kazumi Watanabenot measured- - 89
Demon Kakkanot measured- - 90
Takeo Ishiinot measured- - 91Mai Yamanenot measured-
- 92
Fumi Hiranonot measured- - 93
Hiromi Gonot measured- - 94
Judy Onggnot measured- - 95
Akiko Wadanot measured- - 96
Akira Fusenot measured- - 97
Masahiko Kondōnot measured- - 98
Meiko Nakaharanot measured- - 99
Sayuri Ishikawanot measured- - 100
Akiko Yanonot 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.