215,950 profiles ranked

← Fame through time2000-2099

The 21st century

Whose names filled the books of the 21st 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 French books during the 21st century, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Voltaire1694-1778 · 18th century · France · Writers18
  2. 2Louis XIV of France1638-1715 · 17th century · France · Historical Figures11
  3. 3Molière1622-1673 · 17th century · France · Writers8.1
  4. 4Victor Hugo1802-1885 · 19th century · France · Writers7.1
  5. 5Montesquieu1689-1755 · 18th century · France · Academics6.4
  6. 6Stendhal1783-1842 · 19th century · France · Writers6.2
  7. 7Jacques Chirac1932-2019 · 20th century · France · Politicians5.5
  8. 8François Mitterrand1916-1996 · 20th century · France · Politicians5.5
  9. 9Nicolas Sarkozyborn 1955 · 20th century · France · Politicians5.0
  10. 10Louis XVI of France1754-1793 · 18th century · France · Historical Figures4.6
  11. 11Louis XV of France1710-1774 · 18th century · France · Historical Figures4.4
  12. 12Napoleon III1808-1873 · 19th century · France · Politicians3.4
  13. 13George Sand1804-1876 · 19th century · France · Writers3.2
  14. 14Joan of Arc1412-1431 · 15th century · France3.1
  15. 15Jules Verne1828-1905 · 19th century · France · Writers2.7
  16. 16Georges Pompidou1911-1974 · 20th century · France · Politicians2.4
  17. 17Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor1500-1558 · 16th century · Historical Figures2.3
  18. 18Michel Foucault1926-1984 · 20th century · France · Academics2.3
  19. 19François Fénelon1651-1715 · 17th century · France · Religious Figures2.2
  20. 20Marcel Proust1871-1922 · 20th century · France · Writers2.2
  21. 21Lionel Jospin1937-2026 · 20th century · France · Politicians2.2
  22. 22Marie Antoinette1755-1793 · 18th century · France · Historical Figures2.1
  23. 23Pierre Bourdieu1930-2002 · 20th century · France · Academics2.1
  24. 24Roland Barthes1915-1980 · 20th century · France · Academics2.0
  25. 25Charles de Gaulle1890-1970 · 20th century · France · Politicians2.0
Show 75 more

Most read

Who people actually looked up in the 21st century, across every language edition we measure (2015-2026 only - readership is measured from July 2015).

  1. 1Donald Trumpborn 1946 · 20th century · United States · Politicians336.3M
  2. 2Elizabeth II1926-2022 · 20th century · United Kingdom · Historical Figures223.3M
  3. 3Cristiano Ronaldoborn 1985 · 21st century · Portugal · Footballers211.6M
  4. 4Elon Muskborn 1971 · 21st century · South Africa · Founders207.7M
  5. 5Lionel Messiborn 1987 · 21st century · Argentina · Footballers178.6M
  6. 6Vladimir Putinborn 1952 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians136.2M
  7. 7Joe Bidenborn 1942 · 20th century · United States · Politicians124M
  8. 8Freddie Mercury1946-1991 · 20th century · United Kingdom · Musicians122.9M
  9. 9Jeffrey Dahmer1960-1994 · 20th century · United States · Historical Figures120.3M
  10. 10Adolf Hitler1889-1945 · 20th century · Austria · Politicians118.7M
  11. 11Taylor Swiftborn 1989 · 21st century · United States · Musicians117.8M
  12. 12Barack Obamaborn 1961 · 20th century · United States · Politicians115.9M
  13. 13Michael Jackson1958-2009 · 20th century · United States · Musicians114.4M
  14. 14Pablo Escobar1949-1993 · 20th century · Colombia · Politicians114.4M
  15. 15Kamala Harrisborn 1964 · 20th century · United States · Politicians113.6M
  16. 16Dwayne Johnsonborn 1972 · 21st century · Canada · Actors111M
  17. 17Queen Victoria1819-1901 · 19th century · United Kingdom · Historical Figuresnot measured105.6M
  18. 18Keanu Reevesborn 1964 · 20th century · Canada · Actors103.4M
  19. 19Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh1921-2021 · 20th century · United Kingdom102.1M
  20. 20Elvis Presley1935-1977 · 20th century · United States · Musicians99.6M
  21. 21Tom Cruiseborn 1962 · 20th century · United States · Actors99.4M
  22. 22LeBron Jamesborn 1984 · 21st century · United States · Basketball Players99.2M
  23. 23Jeffrey Epstein1953-2019 · 20th century · United States98.7M
  24. 24Michael Jordanborn 1963 · 20th century · United States · Basketball Players98.4M
  25. 25Ariana Grandeborn 1993 · 21st century · United States · Musicians98M
Show 75 more

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 21st century, ranked where coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1Nicole Kidmanborn 1967 · Australia · Actors3 decades
  2. 2Heath Ledger1979-2008 · Australia · Actors2 decades
  3. 3Hugh Jackmanborn 1968 · Australia · Actors2 decades
  4. 4Margot Robbieborn 1990 · Australia · Actors0 decades
  5. 5Chris Hemsworthborn 1983 · Australia · Actors1 decades
  6. 6Cate Blanchettborn 1969 · Australia · Actors2 decades
  7. 7Kylie Minogueborn 1968 · Australia · Musicians3 decades
  8. 8Sam Worthingtonborn 1976 · Australia · Actors0 decades
  9. 9Julian Assangeborn 1971 · Australia · Activists1 decades
  10. 10Siaborn 1975 · Australia · Musiciansnot measured-
  11. 11Eric Banaborn 1968 · Australia · Actors0 decades
  12. 12Liam Hemsworthborn 1990 · Australia · Actors0 decades
  13. 13Isla Fisherborn 1976 · Australia · Actors0 decades
  14. 14Guy Pearceborn 1967 · Australia · Actors1 decades
  15. 15Rose Byrneborn 1979 · Australia · Actors0 decades
  16. 16Miranda Kerrborn 1983 · Australia · Models0 decades
  17. 17Iggy Azaleaborn 1990 · Australia · Musicians0 decades
  18. 18Simon Bakerborn 1969 · Australia · Actorsnot measured-
  19. 19Oscar Piastriborn 2001 · Australia · Athletesnot measured-
  20. 20Jacob Elordiborn 1997 · Australia · Actorsnot measured-
  21. 21Daniel Ricciardoborn 1989 · Australia · Athletes0 decades
  22. 22Portia de Rossiborn 1973 · Australia · Actors0 decades
  23. 23Natalie Imbrugliaborn 1975 · Australia · Musicians0 decades
  24. 24Dannii Minogueborn 1971 · Australia · Musicians0 decades
  25. 25Toni Colletteborn 1972 · Australia · Actors1 decades
Show 75 more

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.