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 Russian books during the 21st century, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Patriarch Nikon of Moscow1605-1681 · 17th century · Religious Figures3.5
  2. 2Peter the Great1672-1725 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians3.0
  3. 3Nicholas II of Russia1868-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures2.6
  4. 4Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow1482-1563 · 16th century · Writers2.5
  5. 5Vladimir Putinborn 1952 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians2.2
  6. 6Nicholas I of Russia1796-1855 · 19th century · Russia · Models2.1
  7. 7Alexander I of Russia1777-1825 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures2.0
  8. 8Alexis of Russia1629-1676 · 17th century · Historical Figures1.9
  9. 9Ivan the Terrible1530-1584 · 16th century · Politicians1.9
  10. 10Leo Tolstoy1828-1910 · 19th century · Russia · Writers1.9
  11. 11Maria Feodorovna1847-1928 · 19th century · Denmark · Historical Figures1.5
  12. 12Alexander II of Russia1818-1881 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.5
  13. 13Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia1857-1905 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians1.5
  14. 14Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia1847-1909 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians1.4
  15. 15Alexander III of Russia1845-1894 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.4
  16. 16Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia1904-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.3
  17. 17Boris Godunov1552-1605 · 16th century · Politicians1.3
  18. 18Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia1850-1908 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.1
  19. 19Elizabeth of Russia1709-1761 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.0
  20. 20Andrei Bely1880-1934 · 20th century · Russia · Writers1.0
  21. 21Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia1690-1718 · 18th century · Politicians1.0
  22. 22Ivan I of Tver1357-1425 · 14th century · Historical Figures0.99
  23. 23Paul I of Russia1754-1801 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.96
  24. 24Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia1832-1909 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.92
  25. 25Ivan I Aleksandrovich, Prince of Smolenskdied 1359 · 14th century0.88
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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
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Lived then

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

  1. 1Alejandro Amenábarborn 1972 · Spain · Directors3 decades
  2. 2J. A. Bayonaborn 1975 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  3. 3Álex de la Iglesiaborn 1965 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  4. 4Jaume Collet-Serraborn 1974 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  5. 5Rodrigo Sorogoyenborn 1981 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  6. 6Javier Gutiérrezborn 1971 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  7. 7Toni Ribasborn 1975 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  8. 8Javier Ambrossiborn 1984 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  9. 9Carla Simónborn 1986 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  10. 10Cesc Gayborn 1967 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  11. 11Icíar Bollaínborn 1967 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  12. 12Joaquín Cortésborn 1969 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  13. 13Albert Serraborn 1975 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  14. 14Ángeles González-Sindeborn 1965 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  15. 15Óliver Laxeborn 1982 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  16. 16Jaume Balagueróborn 1968 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  17. 17Oriol Pauloborn 1975 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  18. 18Cecilia Gessaborn 1977 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  19. 19Fernando León de Aranoaborn 1968 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  20. 20Juan Carlos Fresnadilloborn 1967 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  21. 21Nacho Vigalondoborn 1977 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  22. 22Paco Plazaborn 1973 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  23. 23Eduardo Casanovaborn 1991 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  24. 24Paulita Pappelborn 1987 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
  25. 25Ray Lorigaborn 1967 · Spain · Directorsnot measured-
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.