← 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
Rafael Nadal2 decades - 2
Carlos Alcaraznot measured- - 3
Juan Carlos Ferrero1 decades - 4
Garbiñe Muguruzanot measured- - 5
Conchita Martíneznot measured- - 6
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario1 decades - 7
Carlos Moyá0 decades - 8
David Ferrer0 decades - 9
Paula Badosanot measured- - 10
Feliciano Lópeznot measured- - 11Sergi Brugueranot measured-
- 12
Alejandro Davidovich Fokinanot measured- - 13
Carla Suárez Navarronot measured- - 14
Cristina Bucșanot measured- - 15
Fernando Verdasco0 decades - 16
Pablo Carreño Bustanot measured- - 17
Àlex Corretjanot measured- - 18
Rafael Jódarnot measured- - 19
Jaume Munarnot measured- - 20
Marcel Granollersnot measured- - 21
Pere Ribanot measured- - 22
Roberto Bautista Agutnot measured- - 23
Jéssica Bouzas Maneironot measured- - 24
Albert Costanot measured- - 25
Oksana Selekhmetevanot measured- - 26
Emilio Sáncheznot measured- - 27
Tommy Robredonot measured- - 28
Nicolás Almagronot measured- - 29
Sara Sorribes Tormonot measured- - 30
Marc Lópeznot measured- - 31
Francisco Roignot measured- - 32Martín Landalucenot measured-
- 33
Virginia Ruano Pascualnot measured- - 34
Anabel Medina Garriguesnot measured- - 35
Albert Ramos Viñolasnot measured- - 36Alberto Berasateguinot measured-
- 37
Carlos Tabernernot measured- - 38
Roberto Carballés Baenanot measured- - 39
Guillermo García Lópeznot measured- - 40
Pablo Andújarnot measured- - 41Javier Sáncheznot measured-
- 42
María José Martínez Sáncheznot measured- - 43
Félix Mantillanot measured- - 44Francisco Clavetnot measured-
- 45
Sílvia Soler Espinosanot measured- - 46
Albert Montañésnot measured- - 47
Lara Arruabarrenanot measured- - 48
Georgina García Péreznot measured- - 49Fernando Vicentenot measured-
- 50
Alberto Martínnot measured- - 51
Bernabé Zapata Mirallesnot measured- - 52
Marina Bassolsnot measured- - 53Carlos Costanot measured-
- 54
Albert Portasnot measured- - 55
Rubén Ramírez Hidalgonot measured- - 56
Nuria Párrizas Díaznot measured- - 57
Marta Marreronot measured- - 58
David Marreronot measured- - 59
Lourdes Domínguez Linonot measured- - 60
Leyre Romero Gormaznot measured- - 61
Daniel Gimeno-Travernot measured- - 62
Nuria Llagostera Vivesnot measured- - 63Galo Blanconot measured-
- 64Tomás Carbonellnot measured-
- 65
Iñigo Cervantes Huegunnot measured- - 66Roberto Carretero Díaznot measured-
- 67
Santiago Venturanot measured- - 68
Arantxa Parra Santonjanot measured- - 69Magüi Sernanot measured-
- 70
Óscar Hernándeznot measured- - 71
Iván Navarronot measured- - 72
María Teresa Torró Flornot measured- - 73
Nicola Kuhnnot measured- - 74Julián Alonsonot measured-
- 75
Daniel Muñoz de la Navanot measured- - 76Conchita Martínez Granadosnot measured-
- 77
Daniel Rincónnot measured- - 78María Sánchez Lorenzonot measured-
- 79Álex Calatravanot measured-
- 80
Laura Pous Tiónot measured- - 81David Sáncheznot measured-
- 82
David Vega Hernándeznot measured- - 83Gala León Garcíanot measured-
- 84
Guiomar Maristanynot measured- - 85Juan Antonio Marínnot measured-
- 86
Adrián Menéndeznot measured- - 87Cristina Torrens Valeronot measured-
- 88
Gerard Granollersnot measured- - 89Joan Balcellsnot measured-
- 90
Estrella Cabeza Candelanot measured- - 91
Pablo Llamas Ruiznot measured- - 92
Yvonne Cavallé Reimersnot measured- - 93Jordi Burillonot measured-
- 94
Andrea Lázaro Garcíanot measured- - 95
Irene Burillonot measured- - 96
Mario Vilella Martíneznot measured- - 97Ángeles Montolionot measured-
- 98Emilio Benfele Álvareznot measured-
- 99Álex López Morónnot measured-
- 100Rosa María Andrés Rodrígueznot 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.