Claim profile
400–499

The 5th century

Whose working lives fell in the 5th century. 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 5th century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇫🇷 France🇮🇹 Italy🇯🇵 Japan🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇪🇬 Egypt🇹🇷 Turkey🇨🇳 China🇩🇪 Germany🇲🇽 Mexico🇮🇩 Indonesia
FieldAllPoliticiansHistorical FiguresWritersReligious FiguresAcademicsModelsDoctorsActorsBusiness ProfessionalsMusicians
  1. 1Pope Leo IPope Leo I390–461 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures2 decades
  2. 2Romulus AugustulusRomulus Augustulus462–510 · Historical Figures14 decades
  3. 3Theodoric the GreatTheodoric the Great454–526 · Historical Figures12 decades
  4. 4Alaric IAlaric I400–410 · Historical Figures0 decades
  5. 5Saint PatrickSaint Patrick400–500 · Religious Figures22 decades
  6. 6OdoacerOdoacer433–49322 decades
  7. 7Pope Gelasius IPope Gelasius Idied 496 · Religious Figures0 decades
  8. 8Valentinian IIIValentinian III419–455 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures22 decades
  9. 9Theodosius IITheodosius II401–450 · Politicians22 decades
  10. 10Flavius AetiusFlavius Aetius390–454 · Politicians0 decades
  11. 11ProclusProclus412–485 · Academicsnot measured—
  12. 12Julius NeposJulius Nepos430–480 · Politicians5 decades
  13. 13ZenoZeno425–491 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  14. 14ArcadiusArcadius377–408 · Politicians22 decades
  15. 15Childeric IChilderic I436–481 · Historical Figures0 decades
  16. 16GaisericGaiseric389–477 · Historical Figures14 decades
  17. 17Cyril of AlexandriaCyril of Alexandria376–444 · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Doctors22 decades
  18. 18GenevieveGenevieve423–502 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  19. 19Leo I the ThracianLeo I the Thracian401–474 · Politiciansnot measured—
  20. 20NestoriusNestorius380–451 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers22 decades
  21. 21AvitusAvitus395–457 · 🇫🇷 France · Politiciansnot measured—
  22. 22Anastasius I DicorusAnastasius I Dicorus430–518 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  23. 23MajorianMajorian420–461 · Models20 decades
  24. 24Galla PlacidiaGalla Placidia386–450 · Politicians19 decades
  25. 25ChlodioChlodio393–448 · Historical Figures0 decades
  26. 26MarcianMarcian392–457 · Politiciansnot measured—
  27. 27HonoriusHonorius384–423 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  28. 28Theodoric ITheodoric I393–451 · Historical Figures0 decades
  29. 29Justin IJustin I450–527 · Politicians4 decades
  30. 30SyagriusSyagrius430–487 · 🇫🇷 France · Politicians18 decades
  31. 31Pope Innocent IPope Innocent I400–417 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  32. 32Sidonius ApollinarisSidonius Apollinaris430–489 · Writers22 decades
  33. 33AnthemiusAnthemius420–472 · Politiciansnot measured—
  34. 34Alaric IIAlaric II458–507 · Historical Figures8 decades
  35. 35Publius Flavius Vegetius RenatusPublius Flavius Vegetius Renatus400–450 · Writers0 decades
  36. 36Saint RemigiusSaint Remigius437–533 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures0 decades
  37. 37Petronius MaximusPetronius Maximus396–455 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians2 decades
  38. 38OrosiusOrosius385–418 · Writers22 decades
  39. 39Simeon StylitesSimeon Stylites389–459 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers22 decades
  40. 40Brigid of KildareBrigid of Kildare451–525 · Religious Figures0 decades
  41. 41Pope Celestine IPope Celestine I400–432 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  42. 42RicimerRicimer405–472 · Politicians22 decades
  43. 43Pope HormisdasPope Hormisdas450–523 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures1 decades
  44. 44Pope HilariusPope Hilarius415–468 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  45. 45TheodoretTheodoret393–457 · Religious Figures22 decades
  46. 46AthaulfAthaulf400–415 · Historical Figures3 decades
  47. 47Constantius IIIConstantius III370–421 · Politicians0 decades
  48. 48Pope SymmachusPope Symmachus460–514 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures7 decades
  49. 49EuricEuric420–48421 decades
  50. 50WalliaWalliadied 419 · Models20 decades
  51. 51Pope Felix IIIPope Felix III440–492 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  52. 52PharamondPharamond370–430 · Politiciansnot measured—
  53. 53Leo IILeo II467–474 · Politicians14 decades
  54. 54GlyceriusGlycerius430–480 · Religious Figures9 decades
  55. 55MacrobiusMacrobius370–430 · Writers22 decades
  56. 56BuddhaghosaBuddhaghosa401–500 · 🇮🇳 India · Writers15 decades
  57. 57Pope Sixtus IIIPope Sixtus III390–440 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  58. 58BledaBledadied 444not measured—
  59. 59ZZosimus460–520 · Writersnot measured—
  60. 60AsparAspar400–471 · Politicians21 decades
  61. 61Pope ZosimusPope Zosimus400–418 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures3 decades
  62. 62Pope SimpliciusPope Simplicius420–483 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  63. 63SYShen Yue441–513 · Writersnot measured—
  64. 64Theodoric IITheodoric II426–4661 decades
  65. 65Libius SeverusLibius Severus420–465 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians0 decades
  66. 66FYFan Ye398–445 · Writersnot measured—
  67. 67OOrestes420–476 · Politiciansnot measured—
  68. 68Pope Boniface IPope Boniface I370–422 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  69. 69Pope Anastasius IIPope Anastasius IIdied 498 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  70. 70PulcheriaPulcheria399–453 · Historical Figures22 decades
  71. 71Hashim ibn 'Abd ManafHashim ibn 'Abd Manafdied 497 · Business Professionals0 decades
  72. 72ClaudianClaudian370–404 · Writers22 decades
  73. 73GundobadGundobad450–516 · Historical Figures6 decades
  74. 74Synesius of CyreneSynesius of Cyrene370–413 · Academics0 decades
  75. 75Emperor Xiaowen of Northern WeiEmperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei467–499 · Historical Figures1 decades
  76. 76SSozomen400–450 · Writers22 decades
  77. 77AAegidius450–464 · Politiciansnot measured—
  78. 78Emperor Wen of Liu SongEmperor Wen of Liu Song407–453 · Politiciansnot measured—
  79. 79Tao HongjingTao Hongjing456–536 · Writers6 decades
  80. 80SOSocrates of Constantinople380–440 · Writers0 decades
  81. 81Alexius of RomeAlexius of Rome400–4120 decades
  82. 82Basina of ThuringiaBasina of Thuringia438–477 · Historical Figures0 decades
  83. 83HunericHuneric411–484 · Historical Figures7 decades
  84. 84DDamascius450–550 · Academics20 decades
  85. 85Germanus of AuxerreGermanus of Auxerre378–448 · Religious Figures0 decades
  86. 86Xie LingyunXie Lingyun385–433 · Writers5 decades
  87. 87MazdakMazdak450–529 · Academics18 decades
  88. 88JoannesJoannes400–425 · Politiciansnot measured—
  89. 89Aelia EudociaAelia Eudocia401–460 · Historical Figures0 decades
  90. 90Peter ChrysologusPeter Chrysologus380–450 · Religious Figures4 decades
  91. 91Julia of CorsicaJulia of Corsica420–4500 decades
  92. 92PriscusPriscus410–471 · Politiciansnot measured—
  93. 93Severinus of NoricumSeverinus of Noricum410–4820 decades
  94. 94CCynric450–560 · Historical Figures18 decades
  95. 95EgeriaEgeriaborn 400 · Writers22 decades
  96. 96Saint PelagiaSaint Pelagia400–457 · Actors0 decades
  97. 97HildericHilderic460–533 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  98. 98Prosper of AquitaineProsper of Aquitaine390–463 · Actors3 decades
  99. 99Emperor NinkenEmperor Ninken449–498 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Historical Figures0 decades
  100. 100ThorismundThorismund420–453 · Historical Figures0 decades

How this is measured

  • Placing people in time. Each person belongs to the century in which they were most active — around age 35, and never after their death.
  • Who ranks highest. Within a century, people are ranked where two independent signals agree: how many of the world’s Wikipedia language editions cover them, and how many people actually read about them. Article counts alone can be lifted by a person’s own circle; readers cannot.
  • Fame in print. The curves count how often a name appears in Google Books from 1800 to 2019, as a share of all the words printed each year, in the person’s own language wherever that corpus exists. Those decades are over, so each measurement is made once and kept.
  • What is left out. A lifetime is measured only from 1820, when there is enough print to judge; the five years after a death are skipped as obituaries; and a name shared with someone equally notable is credited to neither.