← 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
Lamine Yamalnot measured- - 2
Pep Guardiola1 decades - 3
Xabi Alonso1 decades - 4
Gerard Piqué1 decades - 5
Sergio Ramos4 decades - 6
James Rodríguez1 decades - 7
Luis Enriquenot measured- - 8
Achraf Hakiminot measured- - 9
Ferran Torresnot measured- - 10
Mikel Artetanot measured- - 11
Rodrinot measured- - 12
Samuel Eto'o2 decades - 13
Cesc Fàbregas1 decades - 14
Fernando Torresnot measured- - 15
Xavi Hernández1 decades - 16
Álvaro Arbeloa0 decades - 17
Andrés Iniesta1 decades - 18
Álvaro Moratanot measured- - 19
Iker Casillas1 decades - 20
Marc Cucurellanot measured- - 21
Mikel Merinonot measured- - 22
Nico Williamsnot measured- - 23
Pedrinot measured- - 24
Mikel Oyarzabalnot measured- - 25
David de Geanot measured- - 26
David Villa1 decades - 27
Marco Asensionot measured- - 28
Unai Emery1 decades - 29
Diego Forlán1 decades - 30
Dani Carvajal0 decades - 31
Gavinot measured- - 32
Dani Olmonot measured- - 33
Pau Cubarsínot measured- - 34
Sergio Busquets1 decades - 35
Isconot measured- - 36
Unai Simónnot measured- - 37
Thiago Alcântara0 decades - 38
Kepa Arrizabalaganot measured- - 39
Roberto Martíneznot measured- - 40
Andoni Iraolanot measured- - 41
David Rayanot measured- - 42
Santi Cazorla0 decades - 43
Juan Matanot measured- - 44
Carles Puyol1 decades - 45
David Silvanot measured- - 46
Fabián Ruiznot measured- - 47
Jordi Albanot measured- - 48
Pedronot measured- - 49
Bojan Krkićnot measured- - 50
Aitana Bonmatínot measured- - 51
Alejandro Garnachonot measured- - 52
Lucas Vázqueznot measured- - 53
Alexia Putellasnot measured- - 54
Raúl0 decades - 55
Pepe Reina1 decades - 56
Dean Huijsennot measured- - 57
Pedro Porreronot measured- - 58
Ismael Saibarinot measured- - 59
Ander Herreranot measured- - 60
Marcos Llorentenot measured- - 61
Kokenot measured- - 62
César Azpilicuetanot measured- - 63
José Antonio Reyesnot measured- - 64
Héctor Bellerínnot measured- - 65
Fermín Lópeznot measured- - 66
Víctor Valdés1 decades - 67
Iñaki Williamsnot measured- - 68
Adama Traorénot measured- - 69
Julen Lopetegui0 decades - 70
Martín Zubimendinot measured- - 71
Dani Ceballosnot measured- - 72
Jesús Navas1 decades - 73
EL KÁISER ESPAÑOLnot measured- - 74
iago Aspasnot measured- - 75
Sergi Roberto0 decades - 76
Joselu1 decades - 77
Marcos Alonso Mendozanot measured- - 78
Fernando Llorente1 decades - 79
Fernando Hierro1 decades - 80
Guti5 decades - 81
Robert Sáncheznot measured- - 82
Alejandro Baldenot measured- - 83
Eric Garcíanot measured- - 84
Saúl Ñígueznot measured- - 85
elpishanot measured- - 86
Marc Bartranot measured- - 87
Fernando Morientes0 decades - 88
Sergio Canales Madrazonot measured- - 89
Álex Baenanot measured- - 90
Álex Grimaldonot measured- - 91
Nicolás González Iglesiasnot measured- - 92
Raúl Albiol0 decades - 93
Tito Vilanovanot measured- - 94
Sergio Reguilónnot measured- - 95
Javi Martínez1 decades - 96
Víctor Muñoz Villanuevanot measured- - 97
Oriol Romeunot measured- - 98
Joan Capdevila0 decades - 99
Raúl Asencionot measured- - 100
Gerard Deulofeunot 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.