← 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
Andy Murray1 decades - 2
Emma Raducanunot measured- - 3
Tim Henmannot measured- - 4
Laura Robson0 decades - 5
Heather Watsonnot measured- - 6
Katie Boulternot measured- - 7
Cameron Norrienot measured- - 8
Joe Salisburynot measured- - 9
Jack Drapernot measured- - 10
Jamie Murraynot measured- - 11
Neal Skupskinot measured- - 12
Sonay Kartalnot measured- - 13
Harriet Dartnot measured- - 14
Elena Baltachanot measured- - 15
Henry Pattennot measured- - 16
Kyle Edmundnot measured- - 17
Francesca Jonesnot measured- - 18
Daniel Evansnot measured- - 19
Lloyd Glasspoolnot measured- - 20
Naomi Broadynot measured- - 21
Annabel Croftnot measured- - 22
Jacob Fearnleynot measured- - 23
Katie Swannot measured- - 24
Ken Skupskinot measured- - 25
Julian Cashnot measured- - 26
Liam Broadynot measured- - 27
Anne Keothavongnot measured- - 28
Lewis Burtonnot measured- - 29
Jodie Burragenot measured- - 30
Tara Moorenot measured- - 31
Olivia Nichollsnot measured- - 32
Jamie Bakernot measured- - 33
Maia Lumsdennot measured- - 34
Billy Harrisnot measured- - 35
Naomi Cavadaynot measured- - 36
Marcus Willisnot measured- - 37
Jamie Delgadonot measured- - 38
Jay Clarkenot measured- - 39
Colin Flemingnot measured- - 40
Dominic Inglotnot measured- - 41
James Wardnot measured- - 42
Ross Hutchinsnot measured- - 43
Jonathan Marraynot measured- - 44
Emily Webley-Smithnot measured- - 45
Mika Stojsavljevicnot measured- - 46
Katie O'Briennot measured- - 47
Alicia Barnettnot measured- - 48
Luke Johnsonnot measured- - 49
Alex Bogdanovicnot measured- - 50
Jocelyn Raenot measured- - 51
Henry Searlenot measured- - 52
Paul Jubbnot measured- - 53
Mimi Xunot measured- - 54
Eden Silvanot measured- - 55
Oliver Goldingnot measured- - 56
Ollie Tarvetnot measured- - 57Neil Broadnot measured-
- 58
Anna Smithnot measured- - 59
Emily Appletonnot measured- - 60
Ryan Penistonnot measured- - 61
Melanie Southnot measured- - 62
Brydan Kleinnot measured- - 63
Katy Dunnenot measured- - 64
Jonny O'Maranot measured- - 65
Samantha Murraynot measured- - 66
Sarah Borwellnot measured- - 67
Luke Bambridgenot measured- - 68
Gabriella Taylornot measured- - 69
Freya Christienot measured- - 70
Amelia Rajeckinot measured- - 71
Alexander Wardnot measured- - 72Mark Petcheynot measured-
- 73
Hannah Klugmannot measured- - 74Clare Woodnot measured-
- 75
Anton Matusevichnot measured- - 76
Joshua Parisnot measured- - 77
Chris Wilkinsonnot measured- - 78Josh Goodallnot measured-
- 79
Georgie Gentnot measured- - 80
Edward Corrienot measured- - 81Nicola Slaternot measured-
- 82
Daniel Coxnot measured- - 83
Johannus Mondaynot measured- - 84Barry Cowannot measured-
- 85
David Ricenot measured- - 86
Daniel Smethurstnot measured- - 87
Richard Bloomfieldnot measured- - 88David Sherwoodnot measured-
- 89Martin Leenot measured-
- 90Andrew Fosternot measured-
- 91James Aucklandnot measured-
- 92
Jason Goodallnot measured- - 93
Sean Thornleynot measured- - 94
Sarah Beth Greynot measured- - 95Chris Eatonnot measured-
- 96Alicia Dudeneynot measured-
- 97
Lisa Whybournnot measured- - 98
Felix Gillnot measured- - 99Alastair Graynot measured-
- 100Amanda Brownnot 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.