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
  26. 26André Breton1896-1966 · 20th century · France · Writers1.9
  27. 27Le Corbusier1887-1965 · 20th century · Switzerland · Architects1.9
  28. 28Pierre de Marivaux1688-1763 · 18th century · France · Writers1.9
  29. 29François Hollandeborn 1954 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.9
  30. 30André Gide1869-1951 · 20th century · France · Writers1.9
  31. 31Louis XVIII of France1755-1824 · 18th century · France · Politicians1.9
  32. 32Jean-Jacques Rousseau1712-1778 · 18th century · Switzerland · Academics1.7
  33. 33Benjamin Constant1767-1830 · 19th century · Switzerland · Politicians1.7
  34. 34Simone de Beauvoir1908-1986 · 20th century · France · Academics1.7
  35. 35Paul Valéry1871-1945 · 20th century · France · Writers1.7
  36. 36Léon Blum1872-1950 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.6
  37. 37André Malraux1901-1976 · 20th century · France · Writers1.5
  38. 38Valéry Giscard d'Estaing1926-2020 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.5
  39. 39Marguerite Duras1914-1996 · 20th century · France · Writers1.5
  40. 40Jules Ferry1832-1893 · 19th century · France · Politicians1.4
  41. 41Jean Cocteau1889-1963 · 20th century · France · Writers1.4
  42. 42Albert Camus1913-1960 · 20th century · France · Academics1.4
  43. 43Ségolène Royalborn 1953 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.3
  44. 44Jean-Paul Sartre1905-1980 · 20th century · France · Academics1.3
  45. 45Théophile Gautier1811-1872 · 19th century · France · Writers1.3
  46. 46Charles X of France1757-1836 · 18th century · France · Politicians1.2
  47. 47François Mauriac1885-1970 · 20th century · France · Writers1.2
  48. 48Simone Weil1909-1943 · 20th century · France · Academics1.2
  49. 49Paul Claudel1868-1955 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.2
  50. 50Jacques Derrida1930-2004 · 20th century · France · Academics1.2
  51. 51Paul Ricœur1913-2005 · 20th century · France · Academics1.2
  52. 52Francis de Sales1567-1622 · 17th century · France · Religious Figures1.1
  53. 53Dominique de Villepinborn 1953 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.1
  54. 54Louis XII of France1462-1515 · 15th century · France · Historical Figures1.1
  55. 55Laurent Gbagboborn 1945 · 20th century · Ivory Coast · Politicians1.1
  56. 56Auguste Comte1798-1857 · 19th century · France · Academics1.1
  57. 57Gustave Flaubert1821-1880 · 19th century · France · Writers1.1
  58. 58Hergé1907-1983 · 20th century · Belgium · Writers1.1
  59. 59Aimé Césaire1913-2008 · 20th century · France · Writers1.1
  60. 60Raymond Aron1905-1983 · 20th century · France · Academics1.1
  61. 61Romain Rolland1866-1944 · 20th century · France · Writers1.0
  62. 62Émile Zola1840-1902 · 19th century · France · Writers1.0
  63. 63Saint-John Perse1887-1975 · 20th century · France · Writers1.0
  64. 64Gilles Deleuze1925-1995 · 20th century · France · Academics1.0
  65. 65Marc Bloch1886-1944 · 20th century · France · Writers1.0
  66. 66Marguerite Yourcenar1903-1987 · 20th century · France · Writers1.0
  67. 67Jean-Marie Le Pen1928-2025 · 20th century · France · Politicians1.0
  68. 68Jean Monnet1888-1979 · 20th century · France · Academics1.00
  69. 69Anatole France1844-1924 · 19th century · France · Writers0.96
  70. 70Claude Lévi-Strauss1908-2009 · 20th century · France · Academics0.95
  71. 71Jacques Lacan1901-1981 · 20th century · France · Writers0.94
  72. 72Jean Jaurès1859-1914 · 19th century · France · Politicians0.93
  73. 73Claude Simon1913-2005 · 20th century · France · Writers0.93
  74. 74Chrétien de Troyes1135-1181 · 12th century · France · Writers0.92
  75. 75Charles Baudelaire1821-1867 · 19th century · France · Writers0.91
  76. 76Marie de' Medici1575-1642 · 17th century · France · Politicians0.90
  77. 77Claude Bernard1813-1878 · 19th century · France · Politicians0.87
  78. 78Alfred de Musset1810-1857 · 19th century · France · Writers0.87
  79. 79Alain Juppéborn 1945 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.86
  80. 80Marcel Duchamp1887-1968 · 20th century · France · Artists0.84
  81. 81Laurent Fabiusborn 1946 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.83
  82. 82Marcel Mauss1872-1950 · 20th century · France · Academics0.82
  83. 83Léopold Sédar Senghor1906-2001 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.81
  84. 84Honoré de Balzac1799-1850 · 19th century · France · Writers0.81
  85. 85Arthur Rimbaud1854-1891 · 19th century · France · Writers0.76
  86. 86Vincent de Paul1581-1660 · 17th century · France · Religious Figures0.73
  87. 87François Fillonborn 1954 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.73
  88. 88Robert Schuman1886-1963 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.73
  89. 89Georges Bataille1897-1962 · 20th century · France · Writers0.72
  90. 90François Bayrouborn 1951 · 20th century · France · Politicians0.72
  91. 91Philip V of Spain1683-1746 · 18th century · France · Politicians0.72
  92. 92Max Jacob1876-1944 · 20th century · France · Writers0.71
  93. 93Guy de Maupassant1850-1893 · 19th century · France · Writers0.69
  94. 94Jacques Maritain1882-1973 · 20th century · France · Academics0.66
  95. 95Francis II of France1544-1560 · 16th century · France · Politicians0.65
  96. 96Antonin Artaud1896-1948 · 20th century · France · Writers0.65
  97. 97Abdoulaye Wadeborn 1926 · 20th century · Senegal · Politicians0.65
  98. 98Joseph de Maistre1753-1821 · 18th century · France · Academics0.64
  99. 99Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme1540-1614 · 16th century · France · Writers0.64
  100. 100Napoleon1769-1821 · 19th century · France · Historical Figures0.64

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. 1Lionel Messiborn 1987 · Argentina · Footballers1 decades
  2. 2Cristiano Ronaldoborn 1985 · Portugal · Footballers2 decades
  3. 3Kylian Mbappéborn 1998 · France · Footballers1 decades
  4. 4Neymarborn 1992 · Brazil · Footballers1 decades
  5. 5Zinedine Zidaneborn 1972 · France · Footballers3 decades
  6. 6David Beckhamborn 1975 · United Kingdom · Footballers2 decades
  7. 7Lamine Yamalborn 2007 · Spain · Footballersnot measured-
  8. 8Erling Haalandborn 2000 · Norway · Footballersnot measured-
  9. 9Zlatan Ibrahimovićborn 1981 · Sweden · Footballers0 decades
  10. 10Harry Kaneborn 1993 · United Kingdom · Footballersnot measured-
  11. 11Ronaldinhoborn 1980 · Brazil · Footballers3 decades
  12. 12Mohamed Salahborn 1992 · Egypt · Footballersnot measured-
  13. 13Thierry Henryborn 1977 · France · Footballers2 decades
  14. 14Ousmane Dembéléborn 1997 · France · Footballersnot measured-
  15. 15Luka Modrićborn 1985 · Croatia · Footballers0 decades
  16. 16Pep Guardiolaborn 1971 · Spain · Footballers1 decades
  17. 17Robert Lewandowskiborn 1988 · Poland · Footballers0 decades
  18. 18Jude Bellinghamborn 2003 · United Kingdom · Footballersnot measured-
  19. 19Xabi Alonsoborn 1981 · Spain · Footballers1 decades
  20. 20Gianni Infantinoborn 1970 · Switzerland · Footballersnot measured-
  21. 21Antoine Griezmannborn 1991 · France · Footballers1 decades
  22. 22Karim Benzemaborn 1987 · France · Footballers1 decades
  23. 23Gerard Piquéborn 1987 · Spain · Footballers1 decades
  24. 24Marcus Rashfordborn 1997 · United Kingdom · Footballers0 decades
  25. 25Jürgen Kloppborn 1967 · Germany · Footballers2 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.