← 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
Voltaire18 - 2
Louis XIV of France11 - 3
Molière8.1 - 4
Victor Hugo7.1 - 5
Montesquieu6.4 - 6
Stendhal6.2 - 7
Jacques Chirac5.5 - 8
François Mitterrand5.5 - 9
Nicolas Sarkozy5.0 - 10
Louis XVI of France4.6 - 11
Louis XV of France4.4 - 12
Napoleon III3.4 - 13
George Sand3.2 - 14
Joan of Arc3.1 - 15
Jules Verne2.7 - 16
Georges Pompidou2.4 - 17
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor2.3 - 18
Michel Foucault2.3 - 19
François Fénelon2.2 - 20
Marcel Proust2.2 - 21
Lionel Jospin2.2 - 22
Marie Antoinette2.1 - 23
Pierre Bourdieu2.1 - 24
Roland Barthes2.0 - 25
Charles de Gaulle2.0
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
Donald Trump336.3M - 2
Elizabeth II223.3M - 3
Cristiano Ronaldo211.6M - 4
Elon Musk207.7M - 5
Lionel Messi178.6M - 6
Vladimir Putin136.2M - 7
Joe Biden124M - 8
Freddie Mercury122.9M - 9
Jeffrey Dahmer120.3M - 10
Adolf Hitler118.7M - 11
Taylor Swift117.8M - 12
Barack Obama115.9M - 13
Michael Jackson114.4M - 14
Pablo Escobar114.4M - 15
Kamala Harris113.6M - 16
Dwayne Johnson111M - 17
Queen Victorianot measured105.6M - 18
Keanu Reeves103.4M - 19
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh102.1M - 20
Elvis Presley99.6M - 21
Tom Cruise99.4M - 22
LeBron James99.2M - 23
Jeffrey Epstein98.7M - 24
Michael Jordan98.4M - 25
Ariana Grande98M
Lived then
The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 21st century, ranked where coverage and readership agree.
- 1
Shakira3 decades - 2
Lamine Yamalnot measured- - 3
Rafael Nadal2 decades - 4
Penélope Cruz3 decades - 5
Pep Guardiola1 decades - 6
Javier Bardem3 decades - 7
Xabi Alonso1 decades - 8
Gerard Piqué1 decades - 9
Sergio Ramos4 decades - 10
Carlos Alcaraznot measured- - 11
Fernando Alonsonot measured- - 12
James Rodríguez1 decades - 13
Ana de Armasnot measured- - 14
Pedro Sáncheznot measured- - 15
Enrique Iglesiasnot measured- - 16
Luis Enriquenot measured- - 17
Achraf Hakiminot measured- - 18
Benicio del Toro2 decades - 19
Ferran Torresnot measured- - 20
Mikel Artetanot measured- - 21
Rodrinot measured- - 22
Samuel Eto'o2 decades - 23
Cesc Fàbregas1 decades - 24
Fernando Torresnot measured- - 25
Xavi Hernández1 decades - 26
Leonor, Princess of Asturiasnot measured- - 27
Álvaro Arbeloa0 decades - 28
Rosalíanot measured- - 29
Andrés Iniesta1 decades - 30
Álvaro Moratanot measured- - 31
Iker Casillas1 decades - 32
Marc Cucurellanot measured- - 33
Mikel Merinonot measured- - 34
Nico Williamsnot measured- - 35
Pedrinot measured- - 36
Mikel Oyarzabalnot measured- - 37
David de Geanot measured- - 38
David Villa1 decades - 39
Carlos Sainz Jr.not measured- - 40
Marco Asensionot measured- - 41
Felipe VI of Spain0 decades - 42
Unai Emery1 decades - 43
Diego Forlán1 decades - 44
Dani Carvajal0 decades - 45
Gavinot measured- - 46
Dani Olmonot measured- - 47
Pau Cubarsínot measured- - 48
Sergio Busquets1 decades - 49
Isconot measured- - 50
Unai Simónnot measured- - 51
Thiago Alcântara0 decades - 52
Kepa Arrizabalaganot measured- - 53
Roberto Martíneznot measured- - 54
Andoni Iraolanot measured- - 55
Marc Márquez0 decades - 56
Oona Castilla Chaplinnot measured- - 57
David Rayanot measured- - 58
Santi Cazorla0 decades - 59
Juan Matanot measured- - 60
Carles Puyol1 decades - 61
Elsa Pataky2 decades - 62
David Silvanot measured- - 63
Queen Letizia of Spain2 decades - 64
Fabián Ruiznot measured- - 65
Jordi Albanot measured- - 66
Pedronot measured- - 67
Bojan Krkićnot measured- - 68
Aitana Bonmatínot measured- - 69
Alejandro Garnachonot measured- - 70
Lucas Vázqueznot measured- - 71
Alexia Putellasnot measured- - 72
Raúl0 decades - 73
Pepe Reina1 decades - 74
Dean Huijsennot measured- - 75
Pedro Porreronot measured- - 76
Ismael Saibarinot measured- - 77
Ander Herreranot measured- - 78
Marcos Llorentenot measured- - 79
Pau Gasol2 decades - 80
Kokenot measured- - 81
César Azpilicuetanot measured- - 82
José Antonio Reyesnot measured- - 83
Ana Menanot measured- - 84
Héctor Bellerínnot measured- - 85
Fermín Lópeznot measured- - 86
Víctor Valdés1 decades - 87
Iñaki Williamsnot measured- - 88
Adama Traorénot measured- - 89
Julen Lopetegui0 decades - 90
Martín Zubimendinot measured- - 91
Úrsula Corberónot measured- - 92
Juan Carlos Ferrero1 decades - 93
Dani Ceballosnot measured- - 94
Infanta Sofía of Spainnot measured- - 95
Jesús Navas1 decades - 96
Ester Expósitonot measured- - 97
EL KÁISER ESPAÑOLnot measured- - 98
iago Aspasnot measured- - 99
Sergi Roberto0 decades - 100
Alejandro Sanz4 decades
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.