Claim profile
500–599

The 6th century

Whose working lives fell in the 6th 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 6th century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇮🇹 Italy🇫🇷 France🇯🇵 Japan🇮🇳 India🇲🇽 Mexico🇹🇷 Turkey🇪🇸 Spain🇩🇪 Germany🇪🇬 Egypt
FieldAllHistorical FiguresWritersReligious FiguresPoliticiansAcademicsModelsActorsBusiness ProfessionalsDoctorsArtists
  1. 1Justinian IJustinian I482–565 · Historical Figures8 decades
  2. 2Clovis IClovis I466–511 · Historical Figures0 decades
  3. 3Pope Gregory IPope Gregory I540–604 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians6 decades
  4. 4Benedict of NursiaBenedict of Nursia480–547 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Writers19 decades
  5. 5Isidore of SevilleIsidore of Seville560–636 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Academics22 decades
  6. 6BoethiusBoethius480–524 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
  7. 7Khadija bint KhuwaylidKhadija bint Khuwaylid557–619 · Business Professionals0 decades
  8. 8BelisariusBelisarius505–565 · Politicians22 decades
  9. 9Chlothar IChlothar I498–561 · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures0 decades
  10. 10Gregory of ToursGregory of Tours538–594 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers22 decades
  11. 11BodhidharmaBodhidharma483–540 · Academics12 decades
  12. 12PProcopius500–565 · 🇮🇱 Israel · Writers22 decades
  13. 13Chilperic IChilperic Idied 584 · Historical Figures0 decades
  14. 14TotilaTotila510–552 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures22 decades
  15. 15TheodoraTheodora500–548 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  16. 16JJordanesborn 490 · Writers16 decades
  17. 17Childebert IChildebert I497–558 · Historical Figures0 decades
  18. 18Pseudo-Dionysius the AreopagitePseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite500–600 · Academics1 decades
  19. 19PhocasPhocas547–610 · Politicians22 decades
  20. 20Theuderic ITheuderic I485–534 · Historical Figures0 decades
  21. 21ClotildeClotilde474–545 · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  22. 22Justin IIJustin II520–578 · Politicians21 decades
  23. 23ColumbanusColumbanus543–615 · Writers22 decades
  24. 24ColumbaColumba521–59722 decades
  25. 25AryabhataAryabhata476–550 · 🇮🇳 India · Academics12 decades
  26. 26Reccared IReccared I559–601 · Historical Figures11 decades
  27. 27Abu Talib ibn Abd al-MuttalibAbu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib540–619 · Writersnot measured—
  28. 28AminahAminah550–575 · Writers5 decades
  29. 29Abū LahabAbū Lahab549–624 · Politicians0 decades
  30. 30ChlodomerChlodomer495–524 · Historical Figures0 decades
  31. 31Dionysius ExiguusDionysius Exiguus475–544 · Academics18 decades
  32. 32MauriceMaurice539–602 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  33. 33RadegundRadegund518–587 · Historical Figures21 decades
  34. 34Abdullah ibn Abd al-MuttalibAbdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib545–570 · Business Professionalsnot measured—
  35. 35GuntramGuntram532–593 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  36. 36Sigebert ISigebert I535–575 · Historical Figures0 decades
  37. 37FredegundFredegunddied 597 · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures4 decades
  38. 38NarsesNarses478–574 · Historical Figures22 decades
  39. 39Abd al-MuttalibAbd al-Muttalib497–579 · Writers0 decades
  40. 40CassiodorusCassiodorus487–583 · Politicians22 decades
  41. 41Khosrow IKhosrow I501–579 · Historical Figures0 decades
  42. 42Childebert IIChildebert II570–596 · Historical Figures2 decades
  43. 43Brendan the NavigatorBrendan the Navigator486–577 · Historical Figures0 decades
  44. 44Charibert ICharibert I520–567 · Historical Figures0 decades
  45. 45Saint GallSaint Gall550–645 · Writers17 decades
  46. 46Augustine of CanterburyAugustine of Canterbury550–605 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures16 decades
  47. 47AmalasunthaAmalasuntha498–535 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians12 decades
  48. 48Theudebert ITheudebert I500–548 · Historical Figures0 decades
  49. 49Pope SilveriusPope Silverius477–537 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  50. 50GildasGildas500–570 · Writers22 decades
  51. 51AlboinAlboin530–572 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  52. 52Pope Pelagius IPope Pelagius I505–561 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  53. 53Tiberius II ConstantineTiberius II Constantine520–582 · Historical Figures0 decades
  54. 54ScholasticaScholastica480–54722 decades
  55. 55Pope Felix IVPope Felix IVdied 530 · Religious Figures0 decades
  56. 56AmalaricAmalaric502–531 · Historical Figures7 decades
  57. 57VātsyāyanaVātsyāyana500–500 · Writers1 decades
  58. 58Cerdic of WessexCerdic of Wessexdied 534 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Models0 decades
  59. 59SuikoSuiko554–628 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Politicians12 decades
  60. 60AthalaricAthalaric516–534 · Historical Figures13 decades
  61. 61Pope Boniface IIPope Boniface IIdied 532 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  62. 62GelimerGelimer480–553 · Historical Figures16 decades
  63. 63Pope John IPope John I470–526 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  64. 64Venantius FortunatusVenantius Fortunatus530–609 · Writers22 decades
  65. 65Pope VigiliusPope Vigiliusdied 555 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures12 decades
  66. 66Pope John IIPope John II470–535 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  67. 67TheudebaldTheudebald534–555 · Historical Figures0 decades
  68. 68MedardusMedardus475–550 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures5 decades
  69. 69LiuvigildLiuvigild525–586 · Historical Figures0 decades
  70. 70Antarah ibn ShaddadAntarah ibn Shaddad525–608 · Writers0 decades
  71. 71TaliesinTaliesin534–599 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writersnot measured—
  72. 72IldicoIldicoborn 5001 decades
  73. 73Imru' al-QaisImru' al-Qais501–544 · Writers0 decades
  74. 74Pope Agapetus IPope Agapetus I490–536 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  75. 75Jianzhi SengcanJianzhi Sengcan529–606not measured—
  76. 76Leonard of NoblacLeonard of Noblac496–545 · Religious Figures0 decades
  77. 77TeiaTeia550–5524 decades
  78. 78GalswinthaGalswintha540–568 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures0 decades
  79. 79Kevin of GlendaloughKevin of Glendalough498–6180 decades
  80. 80VitigesVitiges475–542 · Historical Figures12 decades
  81. 81MaloMalo520–621 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  82. 82ÆthelberhtÆthelberht552–612 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  83. 83TheodahadTheodahad480–536 · Historical Figures3 decades
  84. 84Ouyang XunOuyang Xun557–641 · Politiciansnot measured—
  85. 85Saint DavidSaint David512–589 · Religious Figures22 decades
  86. 86Pope Boniface IVPope Boniface IV550–615 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  87. 87Pope Pelagius IIPope Pelagius II520–590 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  88. 88Pope Benedict IPope Benedict I525–579 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  89. 89JMJohn Malalas491–578 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Writers2 decades
  90. 90AAgathiasborn 536 · Writers22 decades
  91. 91Rædwald of East AngliaRædwald of East Anglia550–624 · Historical Figures0 decades
  92. 92NONonnus of Panopolis500–500 · Writers0 decades
  93. 93Emperor Wu of Northern ZhouEmperor Wu of Northern Zhou543–578not measured—
  94. 94Garibald I of BavariaGaribald I of Bavaria550–593 · 🇩🇪 Germany6 decades
  95. 95AnkanAnkan466–536 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Models0 decades
  96. 96SBSumayyah bint Khabbat550–615 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  97. 97Sigismund of BurgundySigismund of Burgundy475–524 · Historical Figures0 decades
  98. 98Simplicius of CiliciaSimplicius of Cilicia480–560 · Academics0 decades
  99. 99Caesarius of ArlesCaesarius of Arles470–542 · Writers3 decades
  100. 100ArmahArmah550–630 · Historical Figuresnot measured—

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.