← 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
Fernando Alonsonot measured- - 2
Carlos Sainz Jr.not measured- - 3
Marc Márquez0 decades - 4
Alberto Contador1 decades - 5
Ilia Topurianot measured- - 6
Jorge Lorenzonot measured- - 7
Pedro de la Rosanot measured- - 8
Dani Pedrosanot measured- - 9
Alejandro Valverdenot measured- - 10
María de Villotanot measured- - 11
Enric Masnot measured- - 12
Álex Márqueznot measured- - 13
Jaime Alguersuarinot measured- - 14
Maverick Viñalesnot measured- - 15
Marc Genénot measured- - 16
Kilian Jornetnot measured- - 17
Mikel Landanot measured- - 18
Jorge Martínnot measured- - 19
Álex Rinsnot measured- - 20
Ana Peleteironot measured- - 21
Carolina Marínnot measured- - 22
Álex Palounot measured- - 23
Félix Sánchez Basnot measured- - 24
Carlos Sastrenot measured- - 25
Óscar Pereironot measured- - 26
María Péreznot measured- - 27
Joaquim Rodrígueznot measured- - 28
Robert Morenonot measured- - 29
Marta Garcíanot measured- - 30
Juan Ayusonot measured- - 31
Roberto Herasnot measured- - 32
Joseba Belokinot measured- - 33
Joan Mirnot measured- - 34
Daniel Juncadellanot measured- - 35
Pello Bilbaonot measured- - 36
David Alonsonot measured- - 37
Abraham Olanonot measured- - 38
Pol Espargarónot measured- - 39
Raúl Fernándeznot measured- - 40
Óscar Freirenot measured- - 41
Aleix Espargarónot measured- - 42
Samuel Sáncheznot measured- - 43
Álvaro Bautistanot measured- - 44
Sete Gibernaunot measured- - 45
Juan José Cobonot measured- - 46
Carlos Rodríguez Canonot measured- - 47
Roberto Merhinot measured- - 48
Marc Solernot measured- - 49
Dani Closnot measured- - 50
Yago Lamelanot measured- - 51
Ion Izagirrenot measured- - 52Fátima Diamenot measured-
- 53
Luis Salomnot measured- - 54
Àlex Crivillénot measured- - 55José María Jiméneznot measured-
- 56
Fonsi Nietonot measured- - 57
Fermín Cachonot measured- - 58
Xavier Tondonot measured- - 59
Óscar Sevillanot measured- - 60
Izan Guevaranot measured- - 61
David de la Cruznot measured- - 62
Iker Lecuonanot measured- - 63
Fermín Aldeguernot measured- - 64
Laia Sanznot measured- - 65
Paula Blasinot measured- - 66
Carlos Checanot measured- - 67
Jesús Herradanot measured- - 68
Fernando Escartínnot measured- - 69
Luis León Sáncheznot measured- - 70
Maya Weugnot measured- - 71
Juan Antonio Flechanot measured- - 72
Jorge Vildanot measured- - 73
Toni Elíasnot measured- - 74
María Herreranot measured- - 75
José Vicente Garcíanot measured- - 76
Francisco Mancebonot measured- - 77
Ángel Viciosonot measured- - 78
Alex Aranburunot measured- - 79
Iban Mayonot measured- - 80
Iván Romeonot measured- - 81
Diego Martínez Penasnot measured- - 82
Mikel Nievenot measured- - 83
José Joaquín Rojasnot measured- - 84
Ana Carrasconot measured- - 85
Tito Rabatnot measured- - 86
Manuel Gonzáleznot measured- - 87
Daniel Holgadonot measured- - 88
Igor Antónnot measured- - 89
Haimar Zubeldianot measured- - 90
Pablo Castrillonot measured- - 91
Aitor González Jiméneznot measured- - 92
Juan Pedro Lópeznot measured- - 93
Nicolás Terolnot measured- - 94
Margarita Victoria Garcíanot measured- - 95
Ángel Caseronot measured- - 96
Mohamed Katirnot measured- - 97
Javier Otxoanot measured- - 98
Javier Castillejonot measured- - 99
Alonso Lópeznot measured- - 100
Urko Berradenot 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.