← 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
Andy Warhol6 decades - 2
Ansel Adams9 decades - 3
Jackson Pollock7 decades - 4
Georgia O'Keeffe9 decades - 5
Stephen Hillenburg0 decades - 6
Jean-Michel Basquiat3 decades
- 7
Jack Kirby3 decades - 8
Keith Haring4 decades - 9
Mark Rothko6 decades - 10
Lee Millernot measured- - 11
Bob Rossnot measured- - 12
Man Ray10 decades - 13
Linda McCartneynot measured-
- 14
Edward Hopper10 decades - 15
Norman Rockwell10 decades - 16
Charles M. Schulznot measured- - 17
Roy Lichtenstein6 decades - 18
Annie Leibovitz3 decades - 19
Laurie Anderson4 decades - 20
Alexander Calder9 decades - 21
Steve Ditkonot measured- - 22
Willem de Kooning7 decades - 23Maurice Sendak7 decades
- 24
Jeff Koonsnot measured- - 25
Diane Arbusnot measured- - 26
Cindy Shermannot measured- - 27
Julian Schnabelnot measured- - 28Margaret Keanenot measured-
- 29
Evel Knievelnot measured- - 30
Jasper Johnsnot measured- - 31
Winsor McCaynot measured- - 32
Henry Hillnot measured- - 33
Andrew Wyethnot measured- - 34
Richard Avedonnot measured- - 35Robert Mapplethorpenot measured-
- 36
Steve McCurrynot measured- - 37
Maya Linnot measured- - 38Donald Juddnot measured-
- 39
Robert Crumbnot measured- - 40
Jim Leenot measured- - 41
Randy Johnsonnot measured- - 42
Vivian Maiernot measured- - 43
Walker Evansnot measured- - 44
Grant Wood9 decades - 45
Milton Glasernot measured- - 46
Nan Goldinnot measured- - 47
Gutzon Borglumnot measured- - 48
Helen Frankenthalernot measured- - 49
Carl Barksnot measured- - 50
Lee Krasnernot measured- - 51
Art Spiegelmannot measured- - 52
Charles Addamsnot measured- - 53
Rube Goldbergnot measured- - 54
Annie Sprinklenot measured- - 55
George Grosz10 decades - 56Cy Twomblynot measured-
- 57
Will Eisnernot measured- - 58Joseph Cornellnot measured-
- 59
William Egglestonnot measured- - 60
William Steignot measured- - 61
Larry Clarknot measured- - 62
Thomas Kinkadenot measured- - 63
David LaChapellenot measured- - 64Carl Andrenot measured-
- 65
Al Oerternot measured- - 66
Dale Chihulynot measured- - 67
Ana Mendietanot measured- - 68
Richard Serranot measured- - 69
Gordon Parksnot measured- - 70
Frank Frazettanot measured- - 71
Alan Bean0 decades - 72
Susan Karenot measured- - 73
Judy Chicagonot measured- - 74
Weegeenot measured- - 75
Robert W. Chambersnot measured- - 76
Bruce Timmnot measured- - 77
John Romita Sr.not measured- - 78
Lyonel Feiningernot measured- - 79
James Turrellnot measured- - 80
Lawrence Ferlinghettinot measured- - 81
Karen Pencenot measured- - 82
Steve Purcellnot measured- - 83Bob Guccionenot measured-
- 84
Edward Steichennot measured- - 85
Gary Larsonnot measured- - 86
Frank Stellanot measured- - 87
Mike Mignolanot measured- - 88
J. C. Leyendeckernot measured- - 89
Thomas Hart Bentonnot measured- - 90
Barnett Newmannot measured- - 91
Margaret Bourke-Whitenot measured- - 92
Maxfield Parrishnot measured- - 93
Mary Blairnot measured- - 94
Sally Mannnot measured- - 95Sol LeWittnot measured-
- 96
Gilbert Bakernot measured- - 97
Richard Estesnot measured- - 98
Jacob Epsteinnot measured- - 99
Robert Franknot measured- - 100
Dorothea Tanningnot 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.