← 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
Shakira3 decades - 2
Enrique Iglesiasnot measured- - 3
Rosalíanot measured- - 4
Ana Menanot measured- - 5
Alejandro Sanz4 decades - 6
Alvaro Solernot measured- - 7
David Bisbalnot measured- - 8
Melodynot measured- - 9
Edurnenot measured- - 10
Pablo Alboránnot measured- - 11
Ruth Lorenzonot measured- - 12
Soraya Arnelasnot measured- - 13
Carlos Marínnot measured- - 14
Amaianot measured- - 15
María Isabel Lópeznot measured- - 16
Abraham Mateonot measured- - 17
Concha Buikanot measured- - 18
Mónica Naranjonot measured- - 19
Kyle Alessandronot measured- - 20
Miki Núñeznot measured- - 21
Blas Cantonot measured- - 22
Aitananot measured- - 23
Amaia Monteronot measured- - 24
Bad Gyalnot measured- - 25
Giselanot measured- - 26
Malúnot measured- - 27
Alfred Garcíanot measured- - 28
Beatriz Luengonot measured- - 29
Blanca Palomanot measured- - 30
Ana Guerranot measured- - 31
Rosa Lópeznot measured- - 32
Ara Malikiannot measured- - 33
Pablo Hasélnot measured- - 34
Natalia Jiméneznot measured- - 35
Dani Martínnot measured- - 36
Lola Índigonot measured- - 37
Mala Rodrígueznot measured- - 38
Raquel del Rosarionot measured- - 39
Andrea Motisnot measured- - 40
Pau Donésnot measured- - 41
Julio Iglesias Jr.not measured- - 42
Hevianot measured- - 43
Álex Ubagonot measured- - 44
Melendinot measured- - 45
David Bustamantenot measured- - 46
Enrique Bunburynot measured- - 47
Marta Sáncheznot measured- - 48
Daniel Digesnot measured- - 49
Pastora Solernot measured- - 50
Bimba Bosénot measured- - 51
Carlos Núñeznot measured- - 52
Lucía Gilnot measured- - 53
Juan Magánnot measured- - 54
Leire Martíneznot measured- - 55
Ninanot measured- - 56
Vicente Amigonot measured- - 57
Estrella Morentenot measured- - 58
Rozalénnot measured- - 59
Agoney Hernándeznot measured- - 60
Guitarricadelafuentenot measured- - 61
Marcos Llunasnot measured- - 62
Antonio Orozconot measured- - 63
DJ Sammynot measured- - 64
Judelinenot measured- - 65
Diego El Cigalanot measured- - 66
Sílvia Pérez Cruznot measured- - 67
Melani Garcíanot measured- - 68
C. Tangananot measured- - 69
Ailynnot measured- - 70
Niña Pastorinot measured- - 71
Bethnot measured- - 72
David Civeranot measured- - 73
Roque Bañosnot measured- - 74
Russian Rednot measured- - 75
Eva Amaralnot measured- - 76
Risto Mejidenot measured- - 77
Vanesa Martínnot measured- - 78
Jonatan Cerradanot measured- - 79
Gata Cattananot measured- - 80
India Martíneznot measured- - 81
Valtonycnot measured- - 82
Vanessa Valladaresnot measured- - 83
Sak Noelnot measured- - 84
Míriam Rodrígueznot measured- - 85
Ana Alcaidenot measured- - 86
Miguel Povedanot measured- - 87
Ismael Serranonot measured- - 88
Cristina Llanosnot measured- - 89
quevedonot measured- - 90Lydianot measured-
- 91
El Guinchonot measured- - 92
Lucas Vidalnot measured- - 93
Samantha Hudsonnot measured- - 94
Mikel Erentxunnot measured- - 95
Bareinot measured- - 96
Natalia Lacunzanot measured- - 97
Mayte Martínnot measured- - 98
Rita Payésnot measured- - 99
Diana Navarronot measured- - 100
Pol Granchnot 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.