← 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
Winston Churchill13 decades - 2
Margaret Thatcher6 decades - 3
Keir Starmer0 decades - 4
Tony Blair3 decades - 5
Nigel Farage1 decades - 6
Neville Chamberlain16 decades - 7
Gordon Brown7 decades - 8
Theresa May2 decades - 9
John Major8 decades - 10
Harold Wilson11 decades - 11
Anthony Eden9 decades - 12
Jeremy Corbyn4 decades - 13
Clement Attlee8 decades - 14
Nawaz Sharif4 decades - 15
Harold Macmillan9 decades - 16
James Callaghan8 decades - 17
Edward Heath7 decades - 18
Lee Hsien Loong4 decades - 19
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burmanot measured- - 20
Alec Douglas-Home6 decades - 21
Stanley Baldwin10 decades - 22
Oswald Mosleynot measured- - 23
Ramsay MacDonald12 decades - 24
Gerry Adamsnot measured- - 25
Ian Douglas Smith0 decades - 26
Prince George, Duke of Kentnot measured- - 27
Robert Maxwellnot measured- - 28
Alex Salmond3 decades - 29
Ian Paisleynot measured- - 30
Tony Bennnot measured- - 31
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucesternot measured- - 32
Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifaxnot measured- - 33
George Gallowaynot measured- - 34
Ann Widdecombenot measured- - 35
Clementine Churchillnot measured- - 36
Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gothanot measured- - 37
John Bercownot measured- - 38
Chris Pattennot measured- - 39
Martin McGuinnessnot measured- - 40
Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavianot measured- - 41
Stanley Rousnot measured- - 42
Max Mosleynot measured- - 43
William Joycenot measured- - 44
Enoch Powellnot measured- - 45
John Swinneynot measured- - 46
Cherie Blairnot measured- - 47
Jack Strawnot measured- - 48
Peter Mandelsonnot measured- - 49
John Healeynot measured- - 50
Prince William of Gloucesternot measured- - 51
Neil Kinnocknot measured- - 52
Diane Abbottnot measured- - 53
Tadeusz Bór-Komorowskinot measured- - 54
William Haguenot measured- - 55
Ken Livingstonenot measured- - 56
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlonenot measured- - 57
David Amessnot measured- - 58
Archibald Hillnot measured- - 59
Harriet Harmannot measured- - 60
Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunisnot measured- - 61
Michael Heseltinenot measured- - 62
Arthur Drewrynot measured- - 63
Seretse Khama Ian Khama0 decades - 64
Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavellnot measured- - 65
Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschildnot measured- - 66
John Hume8 decades - 67
Catherine Ashton1 decades - 68
David Trimble3 decades - 69
Lindsay Hoylenot measured- - 70
Randolph Churchillnot measured- - 71
John Prescottnot measured- - 72
Aneurin Bevannot measured- - 73
Nick Griffinnot measured- - 74
Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astornot measured- - 75
Michael Footnot measured- - 76
William Slim, 1st Viscount Slimnot measured- - 77
Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschildnot measured- - 78
Roy Jenkinsnot measured- - 79
John Profumonot measured- - 80
Amber Ruddnot measured- - 81
Denis Healeynot measured- - 82
David Owennot measured- - 83
Donald Macleannot measured- - 84
Michael Howardnot measured- - 85
John McDonnellnot measured- - 86
Nigel Lawsonnot measured- - 87
Prince Arthur of Connaughtnot measured- - 88
David Davisnot measured- - 89
Iain Duncan Smithnot measured- - 90
Hilary Bennnot measured- - 91
Paddy Ashdownnot measured- - 92
Jacqui Smithnot measured- - 93
Robin Cooknot measured- - 94
Emily Thornberrynot measured- - 95
Geoffrey Howenot measured- - 96
Margaret Beckettnot measured- - 97
Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhopenot measured- - 98
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlonenot measured- - 99
Ernest Bevinnot measured- - 100
Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrooknot 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.