← 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
Alexey Leonov6 decades - 2
Kazimir Malevich4 decades - 3
Nicholas Roerich7 decades - 4
Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicznot measured- - 5
Ivan Bilibinnot measured- - 6
El Lissitzky0 decades - 7
Zurab Tseretelinot measured- - 8
Valentin Serov8 decades - 9
Alexander Rodchenkonot measured- - 10
Vladimir Tatlinnot measured- - 11
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionisnot measured- - 12
Boris Kustodievnot measured- - 13
Vera Mukhina7 decades - 14
Kateryna Bilokurnot measured- - 15
Ernst Neizvestnynot measured- - 16
Fyodor Konyukhovnot measured- - 17
Oleg Popovnot measured- - 18
Isaak Brodskynot measured- - 19
Yevgeny Khaldeinot measured- - 20
Konstantin Somovnot measured- - 21
Ilya Glazunovnot measured- - 22
Kuzma Petrov-Vodkinnot measured- - 23
Yevgeny Viktorovich Vuchetichnot measured- - 24
Alla Horskanot measured- - 25
Garri Bardinnot measured- - 26
Aleksandr Deynekanot measured- - 27
Lydia Lopokovanot measured- - 28
Victor Borisov-Musatovnot measured- - 29
Martiros Saryannot measured- - 30
Stepan Erzyanot measured- - 31
Pavel Filonovnot measured- - 32Yury Tyukalovnot measured-
- 33
Igor Grabarnot measured- - 34
Pyotr Konchalovskynot measured- - 35
Aleksandra Eksternot measured- - 36
Konstantin Melnikovnot measured- - 37
Boris Yefimovnot measured- - 38
Lyubov Popovanot measured- - 39
Roman Karmennot measured- - 40
Olga Kamenevanot measured- - 41
Dmitri Vrubelnot measured- - 42
Aleksandr Gerasimovnot measured- - 43
Leonid Shvartsmannot measured- - 44
Olga Rozanovanot measured- - 45
Robert Falknot measured- - 46
Oleksandr Murashkonot measured- - 47Ivan Ivanov-Vanonot measured-
- 48
Lev Kerbelnot measured- - 49
Mykhaylo Boychuknot measured- - 50
Sergey Dmitriyevich Merkurovnot measured- - 51
Varvara Stepanovanot measured- - 52
Eugene Lanceraynot measured- - 53
Aristarkh Lentulovnot measured- - 54
Nikolay Bogdanov-Belskynot measured- - 55
Nikas Safronovnot measured- - 56
Ilya Mashkovnot measured- - 57
Aleksandr Petrovnot measured- - 58
Sergey Timofeyevich Konyonkovnot measured- - 59
Boris Schatznot measured- - 60Nikolay Akimovnot measured-
- 61Konstantin Vasilyevnot measured-
- 62
Nadya Rushevanot measured- - 63
Erik Bulatovnot measured- - 64
Anna Timiryovanot measured- - 65
Max Alpertnot measured- - 66
Konstantin Yuonnot measured- - 67
Yury Annenkovnot measured- - 68
Anna Ostroumova-Lebedevanot measured- - 69
Elena Guronot measured- - 70Marie Vorobieffnot measured-
- 71
Ariadna Efronnot measured- - 72
Nathan Altmannot measured- - 73
Geliy Korzhevnot measured- - 74
Mitrofan Grekovnot measured- - 75
Konstantin Gorbatovnot measured- - 76Mikhail Anikushinnot measured-
- 77
Ivan Kavaleridzenot measured- - 78
Nikolai Tomskynot measured- - 79
Filipp Malyavinnot measured- - 80
Elene Akhvledianinot measured- - 81
Dmitry Chechulinnot measured- - 82
Arkady Plastovnot measured- - 83
Vladimir Favorskynot measured- - 84
Pavel Korinnot measured- - 85
Minas Avetisyannot measured- - 86
Ferdynand Ruszczycnot measured- - 87Dmitri Zhilinskynot measured-
- 88
Nadezhda Udaltsovanot measured- - 89
Janis Rozentālsnot measured- - 90
Lado Gudiashvilinot measured- - 91
Matvey Genrikhovich Manizernot measured- - 92
Grigory Gurkinnot measured- - 93
Vladimir Baranov-Rossinénot measured- - 94
Fedir Krychevskynot measured- - 95
Azim Azimzadenot measured- - 96
Praski Vittinot measured- - 97
Dmitry Moornot measured- - 98Sasha Putryanot measured-
- 99
Igor Savitskynot measured- - 100
Sattar Bahlulzadenot 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.