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. 3Chlothar IChlothar I498–561 · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures0 decades
  4. 4Chilperic IChilperic Idied 584 · Historical Figures0 decades
  5. 5TotilaTotila510–552 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Historical Figures22 decades
  6. 6TheodoraTheodora500–548 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  7. 7Childebert IChildebert I497–558 · Historical Figures0 decades
  8. 8Theuderic ITheuderic I485–534 · Historical Figures0 decades
  9. 9ClotildeClotilde474–545 · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  10. 10Reccared IReccared I559–601 · Historical Figures11 decades
  11. 11ChlodomerChlodomer495–524 · Historical Figures0 decades
  12. 12MauriceMaurice539–602 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  13. 13RadegundRadegund518–587 · Historical Figures21 decades
  14. 14GuntramGuntram532–593 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  15. 15Sigebert ISigebert I535–575 · Historical Figures0 decades
  16. 16FredegundFredegunddied 597 · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures4 decades
  17. 17NarsesNarses478–574 · Historical Figures22 decades
  18. 18Khosrow IKhosrow I501–579 · Historical Figures0 decades
  19. 19Childebert IIChildebert II570–596 · Historical Figures2 decades
  20. 20Brendan the NavigatorBrendan the Navigator486–577 · Historical Figures0 decades
  21. 21Charibert ICharibert I520–567 · Historical Figures0 decades
  22. 22Theudebert ITheudebert I500–548 · Historical Figures0 decades
  23. 23AlboinAlboin530–572 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  24. 24Tiberius II ConstantineTiberius II Constantine520–582 · Historical Figures0 decades
  25. 25AmalaricAmalaric502–531 · Historical Figures7 decades
  26. 26AthalaricAthalaric516–534 · Historical Figures13 decades
  27. 27GelimerGelimer480–553 · Historical Figures16 decades
  28. 28TheudebaldTheudebald534–555 · Historical Figures0 decades
  29. 29LiuvigildLiuvigild525–586 · Historical Figures0 decades
  30. 30GalswinthaGalswintha540–568 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Historical Figures0 decades
  31. 31VitigesVitiges475–542 · Historical Figures12 decades
  32. 32ÆthelberhtÆthelberht552–612 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  33. 33TheodahadTheodahad480–536 · Historical Figures3 decades
  34. 34Rædwald of East AngliaRædwald of East Anglia550–624 · Historical Figures0 decades
  35. 35Sigismund of BurgundySigismund of Burgundy475–524 · Historical Figures0 decades
  36. 36ArmahArmah550–630 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  37. 37RosamundRosamund540–572 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  38. 38ChindasuinthChindasuinth563–653 · Historical Figures0 decades
  39. 39Sigobert the LameSigobert the Lame500–509 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  40. 40ArioaldArioald550–636 · Historical Figures0 decades
  41. 41Kavad IKavad I473–531 · Historical Figures0 decades
  42. 42TheudisTheudis480–548 · Historical Figures0 decades
  43. 43AregundAregund515–570 · Historical Figures0 decades
  44. 44Urien RhegedUrien Rheged520–572 · Historical Figures2 decades
  45. 45GodomarGodomar500–534 · Historical Figures0 decades
  46. 46WWaldrada530–570 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  47. 47Hormizd IVHormizd IV540–590 · Historical Figures0 decades
  48. 48CClephdied 574 · Historical Figures0 decades
  49. 49Agila IAgila Idied 554 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  50. 50Ælle of SussexÆlle of Sussex500–514 · Historical Figures0 decades
  51. 51EJEmperor Jing of Northern Zhou573–581 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  52. 52RagnacharRagnachar500–509 · Historical Figures0 decades
  53. 53CTChlodoric the Parricide485–508 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  54. 54SophiaSophia530–600 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  55. 55Liuva ILiuva I550–573 · Historical Figures0 decades
  56. 56AudoveraAudovera533–580 · Historical Figures0 decades
  57. 57TheudigiselTheudigisel500–549 · Historical Figures0 decades
  58. 58Tassilo I of BavariaTassilo I of Bavaria560–609 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  59. 59IIstämidied 576 · Historical Figures0 decades
  60. 60AAmalaberga500–540 · Historical Figures0 decades
  61. 61JOJinji of Silladied 579 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  62. 62GGuntheuc495–532 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  63. 63TTato500–510 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  64. 64JOJinheung of Silla526–576 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  65. 65Áedán mac GabráinÁedán mac Gabráin501–608 · Historical Figures0 decades
  66. 66EDEmpress Dugu Qieluo544–602 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  67. 67MunjamyeongMunjamyeong500–519 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  68. 68Al-Mundhir III ibn al-Nu'manAl-Mundhir III ibn al-Nu'man500–554 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  69. 69OOOisc of Kent500–512 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  70. 70IIngund567–585 · Historical Figures0 decades
  71. 71COCreoda of Wessex493–599 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  72. 72FMFergus Mór500–501 · Historical Figures0 decades
  73. 73Owain mab UrienOwain mab Urien501–595 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  74. 74MMummolinborn 550 · Historical Figures0 decades
  75. 75EOEormenric of Kent500–501 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  76. 76IIngoberga519–589 · Historical Figures0 decades
  77. 77MQMuqan Qaghan500–572 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  78. 78TheodemarTheodemar550–570 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  79. 79Bridei IBridei I501–584 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  80. 80Wuffa of East AngliaWuffa of East Anglia550–578 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  81. 81OOOcta of Kent500–543 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  82. 82SSuavegothe490–550 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  83. 83Creoda of MerciaCreoda of Mercia540–593 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  84. 84MihirakulaMihirakula500–540 · Historical Figures6 decades
  85. 85AIAmr ibn Ma'adi Yakrib535–642 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  86. 86Wehha of East AngliaWehha of East Anglia500–541 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  87. 87NNNechtan nepos Uerb501–620 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  88. 88GOGlappa of Bernicia550–560 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  89. 89CCador482–537 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  90. 90Æscwine of EssexÆscwine of Essex501–587 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  91. 91SOSledd of Essex501–604 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  92. 92ToramanaToramana500–515 · Historical Figures6 decades
  93. 93DODachi of Iberiadied 534 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  94. 94EBEochaid Buide501–629 · Historical Figures0 decades
  95. 95Comgall mac DomangairtComgall mac Domangairt500–540 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  96. 96DRDomangart Réti500–507 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  97. 97DGDrest Gurthinmochdied 514 · Historical Figures0 decades
  98. 98GIGrasulf I of Friuli550–590 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  99. 99AOAdda of Bernicia501–568 · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  100. 100DMDiarmait mac Cerbailldied 565 · 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.