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.

#PersonIn print, 1800–2019Echoed

1Pope Gregory I540–604 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians6 decades
2Boethius480–524 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians22 decades
3Belisarius505–565 · Politicians22 decades
4Phocas547–610 · Politicians22 decades
5Justin II520–578 · Politicians21 decades
6Abū Lahab549–624 · Politicians0 decades
7Cassiodorus487–583 · Politicians22 decades
8Amalasuntha498–535 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Politicians12 decades
9Suiko554–628 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Politicians12 decades
10Ouyang Xun557–641 · Politiciansnot measured—
11Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi526–559 · Politiciansnot measured—
12EWEmperor Wucheng of Northern Qi537–569 · Politiciansnot measured—
13Agilulf555–616 · Politicians14 decades
14WWacho500–540 · Politicians0 decades
15EXEmperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei510–535 · Politiciansnot measured—
16Emperor Wen of Sui541–604 · Politicians0 decades
17Gao Huan496–547 · Politicians0 decades
18Hou Jing503–552 · Politicians0 decades
19Antonina495–565 · Politiciansnot measured—
20Emperor Wu of Chen503–559 · Politiciansnot measured—
21EXEmperor Xiaozhao of Northern Qi535–561 · Politiciansnot measured—
22Gregory the Patrician550–647 · Politicians0 decades
23EJEmperor Jing of Liang544–558 · Politiciansnot measured—
24JTJohn the Cappadocian490–548 · Politicians0 decades
25YYYuan Ye509–532 · Politicians0 decades
26Wang Shichong550–621 · Politicians0 decades
27EWEmperor Wen of Western Wei507–551 · Politiciansnot measured—
28EEutharic480–522 · Politicians1 decades
29Anjang498–531 · Politicians0 decades
30VVitalian500–520 · Politiciansnot measured—
31MMishilborn 540 · Politicians0 decades
32LHLiu Heita550–623 · Politiciansnot measured—
33EJEmperor Jing of Western Liang558–607 · Politiciansnot measured—
34Quintus Aurelius Memmius Symmachus500–526 · Politicians0 decades
35XZXiao Zhuang548–577 · Politicians0 decades
36DODaughter of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Weiborn 528 · Politiciansnot measured—
37AIAl-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir552–609 · Politiciansnot measured—
38Soga no Umako551–626 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Politicians0 decades
39MMunderic500–534 · Politicians0 decades
40BBonus501–627 · Politiciansnot measured—
41Yang Su501–606 · Politicians0 decades
42Lady of Ch'iao Kuo516–602 · Politiciansnot measured—
43EFEmperor Fei of Western Wei525–554 · Politiciansnot measured—
44LLiberius465–554 · Politiciansnot measured—
45YLYuan Lang513–532 · Politicians0 decades
46WIWarnachar II550–627 · Politiciansnot measured—
47YXYang Xuangan501–613 · Politicians0 decades
48LGLi Gui550–619 · Politicians0 decades
49Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius550–600 · Politicians0 decades
50Soga no Iname506–570 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Politicians0 decades
51Smaragdus501–611 · Politiciansnot measured—
52LLLu Lingxuan550–577 · Politiciansnot measured—
53YSYuwen Shu546–616 · Politiciansnot measured—
54Luo Yi501–627 · Politicians1 decades
55Zhu Can501–621 · Politiciansnot measured—
56Isaac the Armenian550–643 · Politicians0 decades
57ELEmpress Liu Jingyan534–616 · Politiciansnot measured—
58GKGao Kaidao550–624 · Politiciansnot measured—
59XYXu Yuanlang550–623 · Politiciansnot measured—
60SSabinianus500–600 · Politiciansnot measured—
61APAnicius Probus Junior495–501 · Politiciansnot measured—
62PProtadiusdied 606 · Politicians0 decades
63CMCaecina Mavortius Basilius Deciusborn 493 · Politicians0 decades
64GGundolandborn 550 · Politiciansnot measured—
65Isabuborn 500 · Politicians0 decades
66GYGao Yanzong501–577 · Politiciansnot measured—
67LLandric550–613 · Politicians0 decades
68GJGao Jiong541–607 · Politicians0 decades
69Thothori Nyantsen500–500 · Politiciansnot measured—
70YSYu Shiji550–618 · Politicians0 decades
71CDCaecina Decius Basiliusborn 500 · Politiciansnot measured—
72GYGao Yan558–571 · Politicians0 decades
73FYFu Yi554–639 · Politiciansnot measured—
74WIWarnachar Idied 600 · Politiciansnot measured—
75ESErzhu Shilong500–532 · Politiciansnot measured—
76XZXiao Zong502–531 · Politicians0 decades
77XLXiao Lun507–551 · Politicians0 decades
78PXPrince Xian of Hengyang537–560 · Politiciansnot measured—
79TRTurcius Rufius Apronianus Asteriusborn 500 · Politicians0 decades
80OHOuyang He538–570 · Politicians1 decades
81Strategius Apion500–570 · Politicians0 decades
82Mononobe no Okoshiborn 550 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Politicians0 decades
83MGMah-Adhur Gushnasp501–629 · Politiciansnot measured—
84AAAlla Amidas500–600 · Politiciansnot measured—
85XJXiao Ji505–529 · Politicians0 decades
86Lady of Tikalborn 504 · Politicians0 decades
87GLGao Liangborn 555 · Politicians0 decades
88PPaulinus498–511 · Politiciansnot measured—
89CBChen Boxin550–589 · Politiciansnot measured—
90CBChen Bomoudied 583 · Politiciansnot measured—
91CBChen Bogu555–582 · Politiciansnot measured—
92CBChen Borendied 598 · Politiciansnot measured—
93YXYang Xuanjiang550–656 · Politiciansnot measured—
94YDYuwen Daborn 555 · Politiciansnot 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.