← 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
Pau Gasol2 decades - 2
Ricky Rubio0 decades - 3
Marc Gasol0 decades - 4
Serge Ibakanot measured- - 5
Juan Hernangómeznot measured- - 6
Nikola Mirotićnot measured- - 7
Willy Hernangómeznot measured- - 8
José Calderónnot measured- - 9
Sergio Llullnot measured- - 10
Aleksandar Đorđevićnot measured- - 11
Álex Mumbrúnot measured- - 12
Juan Carlos Navarronot measured- - 13
Rudy Fernándeznot measured- - 14
Felipe Reyesnot measured- - 15
Marta Xargaynot measured- - 16
Jorge Garbajosanot measured- - 17
Alba Torrensnot measured- - 18
Pablo Lasonot measured- - 19
Sergio Rodrígueznot measured- - 20
Amaya Valdemoronot measured- - 21
Álex Abrinesnot measured- - 22
Santi Aldamanot measured- - 23
Usman Garubanot measured- - 24
Raül Lópeznot measured- - 25
Aday Maranot measured- - 26
Juan Ignacio Sáncheznot measured- - 27
Víctor Clavernot measured- - 28
María Condenot measured- - 29
Fran Vázqueznot measured- - 30
Hugo Gonzáleznot measured- - 31
Nikola Lončarnot measured- - 32
Carlos Jiméneznot measured- - 33
Darío Brizuelanot measured- - 34
Jorge Fernández Madinabeitianot measured- - 35
Joan Peñarroyanot measured- - 36
Astou Ndournot measured- - 37Roberto Dueñasnot measured-
- 38
Laia Palaunot measured- - 39
Raquel Carrera Quintananot measured- - 40
Alberto Abaldenot measured- - 41
Jaime Pradillanot measured- - 42
Fernando San Emeterionot measured- - 43
Marta Fernándeznot measured- - 44
Silvia Domíngueznot measured- - 45
Maite Cazorlanot measured- - 46
Laura Gilnot measured- - 47
Berni Rodrígueznot measured- - 48
Pablo Aguilarnot measured- - 49
Laura Nichollsnot measured- - 50
Mariona Ortiznot measured- - 51
Anna Montañananot measured- - 52
Anna Cruznot measured- - 53
Santiago Yustanot measured- - 54
Xabier López-Arosteguinot measured- - 55
Carlos Bezosnot measured- - 56
Pierre Oriolanot measured- - 57
Roger Grimaunot measured- - 58
Alberto Díaznot measured- - 59Leticia Romeronot measured-
- 60
Pau Ribasnot measured- - 61
Ibon Navarronot measured- - 62
Elisa Aguilarnot measured- - 63
Xavi Rabasedanot measured- - 64
Carlos Suáreznot measured- - 65
Guillem Vivesnot measured- - 66
Awa Fam Thiamnot measured- - 67
Joel Parra Lópeznot measured- - 68Alberto Herrerosnot measured-
- 69
Queralt Casasnot measured- - 70
Juan Núñeznot measured- - 71
Cristina Ouviñanot measured- - 72
Juan Antonio Orenganot measured- - 73
Carlos Alocénnot measured- - 74
Víctor Sadanot measured- - 75
Leonor Rodrígueznot measured- - 76
Vega Gimenonot measured- - 77
Sergi Vidalnot measured- - 78
Dani Díeznot measured- - 79
Tamara Abaldenot measured- - 80
Rafael Jofresanot measured- - 81
Lucila Pascuanot measured- - 82
Carlota Castrejananot measured- - 83
José Ángel Antelonot measured- - 84
Nuria Martíneznot measured- - 85
Laura Quevedonot measured- - 86
Izan Almansanot measured- - 87
Rafa Martíneznot measured- - 88Santiago Aldamanot measured-
- 89
Nedžad Sinanovićnot measured- - 90Sergio Llorentenot measured-
- 91
Sandra Ygueravidenot measured- - 92Ferran Martíneznot measured-
- 93
Jaime Fernándeznot measured- - 94
María Araújonot measured- - 95
Albert Mirallesnot measured- - 96Ángela Salvadoresnot measured-
- 97
Aauri Bokesanot measured- - 98
Sito Alonsonot measured- - 99
Tomás Jofresanot measured- - 100
Sergio de Larreanot 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.