← 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
Marjane Satrapi2 decades - 2
Frédéric Beigbeder3 decades - 3
Virginie Despentes3 decades - 4
Florian Zellernot measured- - 5
David Foenkinosnot measured- - 6
Delphine de Vigannot measured- - 7
Juan Branconot measured- - 8
Mathias Énardnot measured- - 9
Alexandre Jardinnot measured- - 10
Guillaume Mussonot measured- - 11
Édouard Louisnot measured- - 12
Anna Gavalda2 decades - 13
Philippe Bessonnot measured- - 14
Samuel Benchetritnot measured- - 15
Sylvain Tessonnot measured- - 16
Muriel Barberynot measured- - 17
Alexandre Astiernot measured- - 18
Kamel Daoudnot measured- - 19
Laurent Mauvigniernot measured- - 20
Laurent Gaudénot measured- - 21
Mazarine Pingeotnot measured- - 22
Maylis de Kerangalnot measured- - 23
Marie NDiayenot measured- - 24
Valérie Perrinnot measured- - 25
Nicolas Mathieunot measured- - 26
Jérôme Ferrarinot measured- - 27
Laurent Binetnot measured- - 28
Maxime Chattamnot measured- - 29
François Bégaudeaunot measured- - 30
Cyril Montananot measured- - 31
Grand Corps Maladenot measured- - 32
Éric Vuillardnot measured- - 33
Franck Thillieznot measured- - 34
Giuliano da Empolinot measured- - 35Alexandre del Vallenot measured-
- 36
Nina Bouraouinot measured- - 37
Marie Darrieussecqnot measured- - 38
Jean-Baptiste Andreanot measured- - 39
Faïza Guènenot measured- - 40
Michel Bussinot measured- - 41
Pascal Laugiernot measured- - 42
Vanessa Springoranot measured- - 43
Alice Winocournot measured- - 44
Olivier Dahannot measured- - 45
Grégoire Colinnot measured- - 46
David Diopnot measured- - 47
Agnès Martin-Lugandnot measured- - 48
Fabrice Hadjadjnot measured- - 49
Justine Lévynot measured- - 50
Gaël Morelnot measured- - 51
Yann Moixnot measured- - 52
Thomas Bidegainnot measured- - 53
Raphaël Enthovennot measured- - 54
Amanda Sthersnot measured- - 55
Neige Sinnonot measured- - 56
Pap Ndiayenot measured- - 57
Jul' Marohnot measured- - 58Samira Bellilnot measured-
- 59
Bastien Vivèsnot measured- - 60
Chloé Delaumenot measured- - 61
Vincent Paronnaudnot measured- - 62
Shan Sanot measured- - 63
Laurent Gounellenot measured- - 64
Olivier Gueznot measured- - 65
Romain Puértolasnot measured- - 66
Edouard Levénot measured- - 67
Anne Berestnot measured- - 68
Agnès Desarthenot measured- - 69
Jérôme Sallenot measured- - 70Ann Scottnot measured-
- 71
Olivier Noreknot measured- - 72
Tippi Degrénot measured- - 73
Benjamin Rennernot measured- - 74
Olivier Adamnot measured- - 75
Tristan Garcianot measured- - 76
Jean-Baptiste Del Amonot measured- - 77
François-Henri Désérablenot measured- - 78
Sophie Divrynot measured- - 79Mélissa Da Costanot measured-
- 80
Romain Sardounot measured- - 81
Emmanuel Bourdieunot measured- - 82
Ivan Jablonkanot measured- - 83
Alain Damasionot measured- - 84
Timothée de Fombellenot measured- - 85
Nathalie Handalnot measured- - 86
Johan Libéreaunot measured- - 87
Karine Tuilnot measured- - 88
Henri Loevenbrucknot measured- - 89
Claire Castillonnot measured- - 90
Amanda Filipacchinot measured- - 91
Johann Chapoutotnot measured- - 92
Martin Pagenot measured- - 93
Alice Zeniternot measured- - 94Lolita Pillenot measured-
- 95
Michel Bampélynot measured- - 96
Yannick Haenelnot measured- - 97
Antoine Laurainnot measured- - 98Valérie Tassonot measured-
- 99
Tanguy Vielnot measured- - 100
Virginie Grimaldinot 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.