← 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
Alejandro Amenábar3 decades - 2
J. A. Bayonanot measured- - 3
Álex de la Iglesianot measured- - 4
Jaume Collet-Serranot measured- - 5
Rodrigo Sorogoyennot measured- - 6
Javier Gutiérreznot measured- - 7
Toni Ribasnot measured- - 8
Javier Ambrossinot measured- - 9
Carla Simónnot measured- - 10
Cesc Gaynot measured- - 11
Icíar Bollaínnot measured- - 12
Joaquín Cortésnot measured- - 13
Albert Serranot measured- - 14
Ángeles González-Sindenot measured- - 15
Óliver Laxenot measured- - 16
Jaume Balaguerónot measured- - 17
Oriol Paulonot measured- - 18
Cecilia Gessanot measured- - 19
Fernando León de Aranoanot measured- - 20
Juan Carlos Fresnadillonot measured- - 21
Nacho Vigalondonot measured- - 22
Paco Plazanot measured- - 23
Eduardo Casanovanot measured- - 24
Paulita Pappelnot measured- - 25
Ray Loriganot measured- - 26
Daniel Calparsoronot measured- - 27
Alauda Ruiz de Azúanot measured- - 28
Amat Escalantenot measured- - 29
Paula Ortiznot measured- - 30
Isaki Lacuestanot measured- - 31
Alberto Mielgonot measured- - 32
Galder Gaztelu-Urrutianot measured- - 33
Aina Clotetnot measured- - 34
Achero Mañasnot measured- - 35
Iván Noelnot measured- - 36
Benito Zambranonot measured- - 37
Carlos Atanesnot measured- - 38
Mateo Gilnot measured- - 39
Juanma Bajo Ulloanot measured- - 40
Sergio G. Sáncheznot measured- - 41
Enrique Gatonot measured- - 42
Gonzalo López-Gallegonot measured- - 43
Miguel Ángel Vivasnot measured- - 44
Arantxa Echevarríanot measured- - 45
Fernando González Molinanot measured- - 46
Laura Mañánot measured- - 47
Kike Maíllonot measured- - 48
Carlos Vermutnot measured- - 49
Paco Cabezasnot measured- - 50Alberto Rodríguez Caballeronot measured-
- 51
Jonás Truebanot measured- - 52
Jaime Rosalesnot measured- - 53
Nacho Cerdànot measured- - 54
Borja Cobeaganot measured- - 55
Víctor García Leónnot measured- - 56
Pilar Palomeronot measured- - 57
Guillem Moralesnot measured- - 58
Estibaliz Urresolanot measured- - 59
Francisco Javier Gutiérreznot measured- - 60
Alice Waddingtonnot measured- - 61
Alberto Vázqueznot measured- - 62
Luis Prietonot measured- - 63
Eva Libertadnot measured- - 64
Eduard Graunot measured- - 65
Fernando Franconot measured- - 66
Marcel Barrenanot measured- - 67
Meritxell Colell Aparicionot measured- - 68
Mar Collnot measured- - 69
Salvador Calvonot measured- - 70
Koldo Serranot measured- - 71
Ian de la Rosanot measured- - 72
Javier Ruiz Calderanot measured- - 73
Jon Garañonot measured- - 74
Miguel Albaladejonot measured- - 75
Álvaro Longorianot measured- - 76Sara Bernatnot measured-
- 77
Eugenio Miranot measured- - 78
Sandra Hermida Muñiznot measured- - 79
Elena Martínnot measured- - 80
Eduardo Chapero-Jacksonnot measured- - 81
Luis Piedrahitanot measured- - 82
Aitor Arreginot measured- - 83
Dani de la Ordennot measured- - 84
Víctor Garcíanot measured- - 85
Esteban Cresponot measured- - 86
Chema García Ibarranot measured- - 87
Álvaro Fernández Armeronot measured- - 88
Elena López Rieranot measured- - 89
Alejandro Macleannot measured- - 90
Carlo Padialnot measured- - 91
David Serrano de la Peñanot measured- - 92
Daniel de la Torrenot measured- - 93
Jorge Doradonot measured-
- 94
Judith Colellnot measured- - 95
Carlota Peredanot measured- - 96
Noemí Galeranot measured- - 97
Carlos Marqués-Marcetnot measured- - 98
Jaione Cambordanot measured- - 99Lydia Zimmermannnot measured-
- 100
Celia Rico Clavellinonot 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.