← 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 English books during the 21st century, whenever they lived.
- 1
Jesus102 - 2
Aristotle13 - 3
Plato11 - 4
Socrates6.5 - 5
Homer5.4 - 6
Cicero4.2 - 7
Augustus4.1 - 8
Johns Hopkins4.0 - 9
Virgil3.3 - 10
George Washington3.0 - 11
George W. Bush2.2 - 12
Ovid2.2 - 13
Plutarch1.9 - 14
Thomas Jefferson1.9 - 15
Cleopatra1.9 - 16
Abraham Lincoln1.9 - 17
Galen1.8 - 18
Saddam Hussein1.7 - 19
Ronald Reagan1.7 - 20
Herodotus1.6 - 21
Origen1.5 - 22
John the Baptist1.5 - 23
Bill Clinton1.5 - 24
Adam Smith1.4 - 25
Mark Twain1.4
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
Morena Baccarin0 decades - 2
Rodrigo Santoro0 decades - 3
Alice Braganot measured- - 4
Wagner Mouranot measured- - 5
Marjorie Estianonot measured- - 6
Alex Pereiranot measured- - 7
Nathalia Dillnot measured- - 8
Amanda Nunesnot measured- - 9
Rebeca Andradenot measured- - 10
Bruna Marquezinenot measured- - 11
Juliana Paesnot measured- - 12
Adriana Estevesnot measured- - 13
Giovanna Antonellinot measured- - 14
Taís Araújonot measured- - 15
Mariana Ximenesnot measured- - 16
José Aldonot measured- - 17
Murilo Benícionot measured- - 18
Lyoto Machidanot measured- - 19
Fernanda Torresnot measured- - 20
Michelle Bolsonaronot measured- - 21
Débora Falabellanot measured- - 22
Thiago Lacerdanot measured- - 23
Maurício Ruanot measured- - 24
Jessie Rogersnot measured- - 25
Royce Gracienot measured- - 26
Larissa Manoelanot measured- - 27
Letícia Sabatellanot measured- - 28
Wanderlei Silvanot measured- - 29
Ana Hickmannnot measured- - 30
Leandra Lealnot measured- - 31
Carolina Dieckmannnot measured- - 32
Fabrício Werdumnot measured- - 33
Gabriela Duartenot measured- - 34
Lua Blanconot measured- - 35
Camila Pitanganot measured- - 36
Deborah Secconot measured- - 37
Rafael Vittinot measured- - 38
Alessandra Negrininot measured- - 39
Fernanda Limanot measured- - 40
Alexandre Borgesnot measured- - 41
Rafael dos Anjosnot measured- - 42
Perla Haney-Jardinenot measured- - 43
Dira Paesnot measured- - 44
Edson Barbozanot measured- - 45
Deiveson Figueiredonot measured- - 46
Bruno Camposnot measured- - 47
Cléo Piresnot measured- - 48
Marina Ruy Barbosanot measured- - 49
Preta Gilnot measured- - 50
Cláudia Abreunot measured- - 51
Paulo Costanot measured- - 52
Cauã Reymondnot measured- - 53
Micael Borgesnot measured- - 54
Regiane Alvesnot measured- - 55
Giselle Itiénot measured- - 56
Paolla Oliveiranot measured- - 57
Gilbert Burnsnot measured- - 58
Flávia Alessandranot measured- - 59
Tiriricanot measured- - 60
Cláudia Raianot measured- - 61
Selton Mellonot measured- - 62
Grazi Massaferanot measured- - 63
Fábio Assunçãonot measured- - 64
Lázaro Ramosnot measured- - 65
Ísis Valverdenot measured- - 66
Jessica Andradenot measured- - 67
Bruna Abdullahnot measured- - 68
Renzo Gracienot measured- - 69
Isabela Garcianot measured- - 70
Demian Maianot measured- - 71
Deborah Evelynnot measured- - 72
Bianca Comparatonot measured- - 73
Adriane Galisteunot measured- - 74
Daniela Escobarnot measured- - 75
Luana Piovaninot measured- - 76
Nívea Stelmannnot measured- - 77
André Lamoglianot measured- - 78
Olivia Del Rionot measured- - 79
Eliananot measured- - 80
Marco Pigossinot measured- - 81
Cristiana Realinot measured- - 82Isabella Scherernot measured-
- 83
Maisa Silvanot measured- - 84
Maria Ribeironot measured- - 85
Renan Barãonot measured- - 86
Antonio Silvanot measured- - 87
Malu Madernot measured- - 88
Gabriel Braga Nunesnot measured- - 89
Nanda Costanot measured- - 90
Thiago Fragosonot measured- - 91
Danielle Winitsnot measured- - 92
Caio Blatnot measured- - 93
Camila Morgadonot measured- - 94
Bob Burnquistnot measured- - 95
Fernanda Vasconcellosnot measured- - 96
Adriana Lessanot measured- - 97
Rodrigo Pessoanot measured- - 98
Sheila Mellonot measured- - 99
Mel Lisboanot measured- - 100
Sabrina Satonot 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.