← Fame through time2001 BC and earlier
The 3rd millennium BC and earlier
Whose working lives fell in the 3rd millennium BC and earlier. Books are measured from 1800 and readers from 2015, so for this period we can say who lived then, not who was talked about then.
Lived then
The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 3rd millennium BC and earlier, ranked where coverage and readership agree.
- 1
Sargon of Akkad4 decades - 2
Narmer11 decades - 3
Menes22 decades - 4
Hor-Aha0 decades - 5
Scorpion II0 decades - 6
Mentuhotep II1 decades - 7
Djet1 decades - 8
Iry-Hor0 decades - 9
Scorpion I0 decades - 10
Pepi I Meryrenot measured- - 11
Gudea14 decades - 12
Hotepsekhemwy0 decades - 13
Anedjibnot measured- - 14
Shulginot measured- - 15
Semerkhet0 decades - 16
Merenre Nemtyemsaf Inot measured- - 17
Khafra8 decades - 18
Enmerkar3 decades - 19
Lugal-zage-sinot measured- - 20
Manishtushunot measured- - 21
Urukagina3 decades - 22
Mentuhotep III0 decades - 23
Menkauhor Kaiunot measured- - 24
Qi of Xianot measured- - 25
Mentuhotep IV0 decades - 26
Eannatumnot measured- - 27
Ibbi-Sin0 decades - 28
Merenre Nemtyemsaf IInot measured- - 29
Puabi0 decades - 30
Utu-hengalnot measured- - 31
Amar-Sin0 decades - 32
Ur-Nanshe0 decades - 33
Mesannepadanot measured- - 34
Bikheris0 decades - 35
Kennewick Man2 decades - 36Puzur-Ashur I0 decades
- 37
Tai Kang0 decades - 38
Horus Crocodilenot measured- - 39
Shaokangnot measured- - 40
Merikare0 decades - 41
Neferkare Nebynot measured- - 42
Meskalamdug0 decades - 43
Zhong Kang0 decades - 44Zhu of Xianot measured-
- 45Tudiya0 decades
- 46
Dudu of Akkadnot measured- - 47
Merenhornot measured- - 48Ur-Nungalnot measured-
- 49
Hat Hornot measured- - 50
Ankhhaf0 decades - 51Wazner0 decades
- 52
Kawab0 decades - 53
Xie of Xianot measured- - 54
Bu Jiang0 decades - 55Huai of Xianot measured-
- 56Mang of Xianot measured-
- 57
Harkhuf1 decades - 58Bullnot measured-
- 59Thesh0 decades
- 60
Jiong of Xianot measured- - 61Tiu18 decades
- 62Tashlultumnot measured-
- 63
En-anna-tum Inot measured- - 64
Iah0 decades - 65
Kutik-Inshushinaknot measured- - 66
Aanepadanot measured- - 67
Hedj-Hornot measured- - 68Khenthapnot measured-
- 69Erridupizir0 decades
- 70
Akurgalnot measured- - 71Sesheshet0 decades
- 72
Itet0 decades - 73Udul-kalamanot measured-
- 74
Ur-babanot measured- - 75
Inetkaesnot measured- - 76
Nefertkau Inot measured- - 77
Lamgi-Mari0 decades - 78Ankhesenpepi IIInot measured-
- 79Ahaneithnot measured-
- 80Ushpia0 decades
- 81
Khufukhaf Inot measured- - 82La-ba'shumnot measured-
- 83Kikkia0 decades
- 84Semat1 decades
- 85
Eannatum II0 decades - 86En-nun-tarah-ananot measured-
- 87Sulili0 decades
- 88
Minkhaf Inot measured- - 89Lugal-Kitunnot measured-
- 90Apiashal0 decades
- 91
Persenetnot measured- - 92Imta0 decades
- 93Mesh-Henot measured-
- 94
Menka5 decades - 95
Hannunot measured- - 96Melem-Ananot measured-
- 97Aminunot measured-
- 98
Khetinot measured- - 99
Princess Khamerernebtynot measured- - 100
Kekheretnebtinot 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.