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

  1. 1Jesus5 BC-30 · 1st century · Religious Figures102
  2. 2Aristotle384 BC-322 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics13
  3. 3Plato428 BC-348 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics11
  4. 4Socrates470 BC-399 BC · 1st millennium BC · Brazil · Academics6.5
  5. 5Homer900 BC-800 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers5.4
  6. 6Cicero106 BC-43 BC · 1st millennium BC · Italy · Politicians4.2
  7. 7Augustus63 BC-14 · 1st millennium BC · Italy · Politicians4.1
  8. 8Johns Hopkins1795-1873 · 19th century · United States · Founders4.0
  9. 9Virgil70 BC-19 BC · 1st millennium BC · Italy · Writers3.3
  10. 10George Washington1732-1799 · 18th century · United States · Politicians3.0
  11. 11George W. Bushborn 1946 · 20th century · United States · Politicians2.2
  12. 12Ovid43 BC-17 · 1st millennium BC · Italy · Writers2.2
  13. 13Plutarch40-120 · 1st century · Academics1.9
  14. 14Thomas Jefferson1743-1826 · 18th century · United States · Politicians1.9
  15. 15Cleopatra69 BC-30 BC · 1st millennium BC · Egypt · Historical Figures1.9
  16. 16Abraham Lincoln1809-1865 · 19th century · United States · Politicians1.9
  17. 17Galen129-300 · 2nd century · Turkey · Doctors1.8
  18. 18Saddam Hussein1937-2006 · 20th century · Iraq · Politicians1.7
  19. 19Ronald Reagan1911-2004 · 20th century · United States · Politicians1.7
  20. 20Herodotus484 BC-425 BC · 1st millennium BC · Turkey · Writers1.6
  21. 21Origen185-254 · 3rd century · Egypt · Academics1.5
  22. 22John the Baptist6 BC-30 · 1st century · Israel · Religious Figures1.5
  23. 23Bill Clintonborn 1946 · 20th century · United States · Politicians1.5
  24. 24Adam Smith1723-1790 · 18th century · United Kingdom · Academics1.4
  25. 25Mark Twain1835-1910 · 19th century · United States · Writers1.4
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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
Show 75 more

Lived then

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

  1. 1Paolo Sorrentinoborn 1970 · Italy · Directors2 decades
  2. 2Luca Guadagninoborn 1971 · Italy · Directors2 decades
  3. 3Alice Rohrwacherborn 1981 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  4. 4Giada Colagrandeborn 1975 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  5. 5Gabriele Muccinoborn 1967 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  6. 6Matteo Garroneborn 1968 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  7. 7Zerocalcareborn 1983 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  8. 8Stefano Sollimaborn 1966 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  9. 9Paolo Genoveseborn 1966 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  10. 10Edoardo Pontiborn 1973 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  11. 11Fausto Brizziborn 1968 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  12. 12Enrico Casarosaborn 1971 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  13. 13Gabriele Mainettiborn 1976 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  14. 14Axel Braunborn 1966 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  15. 15Carlo Gabriel Neroborn 1969 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  16. 16Corrado Guzzantiborn 1965 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  17. 17Saverio Costanzoborn 1975 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  18. 18Emma Danteborn 1967 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  19. 19Emanuele Crialeseborn 1965 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  20. 20Andrea Pallaoroborn 1982 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  21. 21Ginevra Elkannborn 1979 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  22. 22Maura Delperoborn 1975 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  23. 23Pietro Marcelloborn 1976 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  24. 24Jonas Carpignanoborn 1984 · Italy · Directorsnot measured-
  25. 25Laura Bispuriborn 1977 · Italy · 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.