← 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
Pedro Sáncheznot measured- - 2
Rodrigo Paz Pereiranot measured- - 3
Pablo Iglesias Turrión0 decades - 4
Ada Colaunot measured- - 5
Isabel Díaz Ayusonot measured- - 6
Santiago Abascalnot measured- - 7
Yolanda Díaznot measured- - 8
Irene Monteronot measured- - 9
Albert Riveranot measured- - 10
Gabriel Rufiánnot measured- - 11
Arancha González Layanot measured- - 12
Pablo Casado Blanconot measured- - 13
Salvador Illa Rocanot measured- - 14
Oriol Junquerasnot measured- - 15
José Luis Martínez-Almeidanot measured- - 16
Teresa Riberanot measured- - 17
María Jesús Montero Cuadradonot measured- - 18
Francina Armengolnot measured- - 19
Íñigo Errejónnot measured- - 20
Inés Arrimadasnot measured- - 21
Carme Chacónnot measured- - 22
Soraya Sáenz de Santamaríanot measured- - 23
Teresa Rodrígueznot measured- - 24
Juan Manuel Morenonot measured- - 25
Ruth Beitianot measured- - 26
Ione Belarranot measured- - 27
Susana Díaznot measured- - 28
Alvise Péreznot measured- - 29
Sira Regonot measured- - 30
María Dolores de Cospedalnot measured- - 31
Pere Aragonèsnot measured- - 32
Jaume Collboni Cuadradonot measured- - 33
Anna Gabriel i Sabaténot measured- - 34
Reyes Marotonot measured- - 35
Isabel Rodríguez Garcíanot measured- - 36
Mónica García Gómeznot measured- - 37
Ernest Urtasunnot measured- - 38
Emiliano García-Pagenot measured- - 39
Diana Morantnot measured- - 40
Alberto Garzónnot measured- - 41
Óscar Puentenot measured- - 42
Iratxe Garcíanot measured- - 43
Cristian Toronot measured- - 44
Meritxell Batetnot measured- - 45
Míriam Nogueras i Cameronot measured- - 46
Fernando Clavijo Batllenot measured- - 47
Leire Pajínnot measured- - 48
María Guardiolanot measured- - 49
Bibiana Aídonot measured- - 50
Alejandro García Padillanot measured- - 51
Lorena Mirandanot measured- - 52
Javier Ortega Smith-Molinanot measured- - 53
Adriana Lastranot measured- - 54
Macarena Olonanot measured- - 55
Silvia Orriolsnot measured- - 56
Begoña Villacísnot measured- - 57
Alejandra Silvanot measured- - 58
Alejandro Agagnot measured- - 59
Marta Domíngueznot measured- - 60
Carolina Darias San Sebastiánnot measured- - 61
Concepción Gamarra Ruiz-Clavijonot measured- - 62
Alfonso Ruedanot measured- - 63
Jordi Turull i Negrenot measured- - 64
Manuel Mejuto Gonzáleznot measured- - 65
Carlos Mazón Guixotnot measured- - 66
Pilar Alegría Continentenot measured- - 67
Dolors Montserrat i Montserratnot measured- - 68
Xavier García Albiolnot measured- - 69
Adrián Barbón Rodrígueznot measured- - 70
Toni Cantónot measured- - 71
Oskar Matutenot measured- - 72
Teresa Perales, 1st Marchioness of Peralesnot measured- - 73
Jorge Buxadé Villalbanot measured- - 74
Ignacio Garriga Vaz de Conceiçãonot measured- - 75
María Chivitenot measured- - 76
Imanol Pradalesnot measured- - 77
Elma Saiz Delgadonot measured- - 78
Margarita Prohens Rigonot measured- - 79
Raül Romevanot measured- - 80
Íñigo de la Sernanot measured- - 81
Alfonso Fernando Fernández Mañueconot measured- - 82
Pilar Llopnot measured- - 83
Fernando López Mirasnot measured- - 84
Fátima Báñeznot measured- - 85
Jordi Hereunot measured- - 86
Carolina Bescansanot measured- - 87
Iván Espinosa de los Monteros y de Simónnot measured- - 88
Josep Rull i Andreunot measured- - 89
Roger Torrent i Ramiónot measured- - 90
Mónica Oltranot measured- - 91
Javier Ignacio Maroto Aranzábalnot measured- - 92Isabel Fernándeznot measured-
- 93
Pedro Rollán Ojedanot measured- - 94
Ana Pontónnot measured- - 95
Alfonso Alonso Araneguinot measured- - 96
Marta Rovira i Vergésnot measured- - 97
Félix Bolañosnot measured- - 98
Beatriz Corredornot measured- - 99
Xavier Estrada Fernándeznot measured- - 100
Ángel Víctor Torres Péreznot 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.