← 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
Penélope Cruz3 decades - 2
Javier Bardem3 decades - 3
Ana de Armasnot measured- - 4
Benicio del Toro2 decades - 5
Oona Castilla Chaplinnot measured- - 6
Úrsula Corberónot measured- - 7
Ester Expósitonot measured- - 8
Natalia Oreiro2 decades - 9
Paz Vega2 decades - 10
Ivana Baqueronot measured- - 11
Najwa Nimrinot measured- - 12
Verónica Echeguinot measured- - 13
Pedro Alonsonot measured- - 14
Maribel Verdúnot measured- - 15
Mario Casasnot measured- - 16
Ariadna Gilnot measured- - 17
Karla Sofía Gascónnot measured- - 18
Taz Skylarnot measured- - 19
Óscar Casasnot measured- - 20
Nicole Wallacenot measured- - 21
Jordi Mollànot measured- - 22
Inma Cuestanot measured- - 23
Miguel Bernardeaunot measured- - 24
Javier Cámaranot measured- - 25
Arón Pipernot measured- - 26
Álvaro Mortenot measured- - 27
Santiago Seguranot measured- - 28
Clara Lagonot measured- - 29
Jaime Lorentenot measured- - 30
Michelle Jennernot measured- - 31
Jordi El Niño Pollanot measured- - 32
Mónica Cruznot measured- - 33
María Valverdenot measured- - 34
Alba Floresnot measured- - 35
Manu Ríosnot measured- - 36
María Pedrazanot measured- - 37
Anna Castillonot measured- - 38
Elena Anayanot measured- - 39
Itziar Ituñonot measured- - 40
Blanca Suáreznot measured- - 41
Leonor Watlingnot measured- - 42
Candela Peñanot measured- - 43
Nacho Vidalnot measured- - 44
Miguel Herránnot measured- - 45
Belén Cuestanot measured- - 46
Hiba Abouknot measured- - 47
Javier Botetnot measured- - 48
Maxi Iglesiasnot measured- - 49
Eduardo Norieganot measured- - 50
Álvaro Riconot measured- - 51
Rebeca Linaresnot measured- - 52
Belén Ruedanot measured- - 53
Iñaki Urdangarinnot measured- - 54
Esther Acebonot measured- - 55
Sergi Lópeznot measured- - 56
Laia Costanot measured- - 57
Luis Tosarnot measured- - 58
Natalia de Molinanot measured- - 59
Clara Gallenot measured- - 60
Amaia Salamancanot measured- - 61
Bárbara Lennienot measured- - 62
Macarena Garcíanot measured- - 63
Manuela Velasconot measured- - 64
Adriana Ugartenot measured- - 65
Sergio García Fernándeznot measured- - 66
Miguel Ángel Silvestrenot measured- - 67
Lola Dueñasnot measured- - 68
Paula Ribó Gonzáleznot measured- - 69
Mina El Hammaninot measured- - 70
Yū Shirotanot measured- - 71
Yon Gonzáleznot measured- - 72
Óscar Jaenadanot measured- - 73
Verónica Sáncheznot measured- - 74
Paula Echevarríanot measured- - 75
Irene Escolarnot measured- - 76
Marta Eturanot measured- - 77
Bridgette Bnot measured- - 78
Ana Torrentnot measured- - 79
Julio Peñanot measured- - 80
Juana Acostanot measured- - 81
Claudia Traisacnot measured- - 82
Macarena Gómeznot measured- - 83
Álex Gonzáleznot measured- - 84
Begoña Vargasnot measured- - 85
Natalia Sáncheznot measured- - 86
Megan Montanernot measured- - 87
Martiño Rivasnot measured- - 88
Natalia Verbekenot measured- - 89
Elena Furiasenot measured- - 90
Antonio de la Torrenot measured- - 91
José Garcianot measured- - 92
Omar Ayusonot measured- - 93
Esther Cañadasnot measured- - 94
Anne Igartiburunot measured- - 95
Natalia Streignardnot measured- - 96
Fran Pereanot measured- - 97
Raúl Arévalonot measured- - 98
Georgina Amorósnot measured- - 99
María Adáneznot measured- - 100
Aura Garridonot 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.