Fame through time

Famous after death — 19th century

People whose names were printed far more after they died than while they lived, ranked by the share of all their mentions in print that came after death — in their own language, and counted from five years on, so the obituaries do not count.

  1. 1Zuo ZongtangZuo Zongtang1812–1885 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians100%
  2. 2Hong XiuquanHong Xiuquan1814–1864 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians100%
  3. 3Tan SitongTan Sitong1865–1898 · 🇨🇳 China · Academics100%
  4. 4Lin Tse-hsuLin Tse-hsu1785–1850 · Politicians100%
  5. 5Zeng GuofanZeng Guofan1811–1872 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians100%
  6. 6Sergey SolovyovSergey Solovyov1820–1879 · Writers100%
  7. 7Louis VuittonLouis Vuitton1821–1892 · 🇫🇷 France · Designers100%
  8. 8Marie BashkirtsevaMarie Bashkirtseva1860–1884 · Artists100%
  9. 9Shoqan WalikhanovShoqan Walikhanov1835–1865 · Academics100%
  10. 10Alexander UlyanovAlexander Ulyanov1866–1887 · Activists100%
  11. 11Abraham GoldfadenAbraham Goldfaden1840–1908 · Writers100%
  12. 12Mikhail AlekseyevMikhail Alekseyev1857–1918 · Politicians100%
  13. 13Abay KunanbaiulyAbay Kunanbaiuly1845–1904 · Writers100%
  14. 14Christian Dietrich GrabbeChristian Dietrich Grabbe1801–1836 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Writers100%
  15. 15Vladimir StasovVladimir Stasov1824–1906100%
  16. 16Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky1840–1893 · Musicians100%
  17. 17Ivan VazovIvan Vazov1850–1921 · Writers100%
  18. 18Fyodor TyutchevFyodor Tyutchev1803–1873 · Writers100%
  19. 19Nikolai GeNikolai Ge1831–1894 · Artists100%
  20. 20Natalia PushkinaNatalia Pushkina1812–1863100%
  21. 21Nikolai LobachevskyNikolai Lobachevsky1792–1856 · Academics100%
  22. 22Stepan MakarovStepan Makarov1849–1904 · Scientists100%
  23. 23Nikolai RubinsteinNikolai Rubinstein1835–1881 · Musicians100%
  24. 24Pyotr ChaadayevPyotr Chaadayev1794–1856 · Academics100%
  25. 25Kondraty RyleyevKondraty Ryleyev1795–1826 · Writers100%
  26. 26Alexander KovalevskyAlexander Kovalevsky1840–1901 · Academics100%
  27. 27Gabriel of Our Lady of SorrowsGabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows1838–1862100%
  28. 28Wilhelm KüchelbeckerWilhelm Küchelbecker1797–1846 · Writers100%
  29. 29Wild Bill HickokWild Bill Hickok1837–1876 · 🇺🇸 United States · Athletes100%
  30. 30Vasily SurikovVasily Surikov1848–1916 · Artists100%
  31. 31Pyotr LavrovPyotr Lavrov1823–1900 · Academics100%
  32. 32Pavel PestelPavel Pestel1793–1826 · Activists100%
  33. 33Ivan KramskoiIvan Kramskoi1837–1887 · Artists100%
  34. 34Mikhail VrubelMikhail Vrubel1856–1910 · Artists100%
  35. 35Alexei KhomyakovAlexei Khomyakov1804–1860 · Academics100%
  36. 36Eduard MeyerEduard Meyer1855–1930 · Academics100%
  37. 37Aleksey KoltsovAleksey Koltsov1809–1842 · Writers100%
  38. 38Mirza Fatali AkhundovMirza Fatali Akhundov1812–1878 · Writers100%
  39. 39Sergei Ivanovich TaneyevSergei Ivanovich Taneyev1856–1915 · Musicians100%
  40. 40Nikolai Rimsky-KorsakovNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov1844–1908 · Musicians100%
  41. 41Gerard Manley HopkinsGerard Manley Hopkins1844–1889 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers100%
  42. 42Carlo CollodiCarlo Collodi1826–1890 · Writers100%
  43. 43Bahá'u'lláhBahá'u'lláh1817–1892 · Writers100%
  44. 44Gustavo Adolfo BécquerGustavo Adolfo Bécquer1836–1870 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers100%
  45. 45Eugène AtgetEugène Atget1857–1927 · 🇫🇷 France · Artists100%
  46. 46Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau1817–1862 · 🇺🇸 United States · Writers100%
  47. 47Emily DickinsonEmily Dickinson1830–1886 · 🇺🇸 United States · Writers100%
  48. 48Antoni GaudíAntoni Gaudí1852–1926 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Architects100%
  49. 49Jenny von WestphalenJenny von Westphalen1814–1881 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Politicians100%
  50. 50Christian Daniel RauchChristian Daniel Rauch1777–1857 · Artists100%
  51. 51Johnny AppleseedJohnny Appleseed1774–1845 · 🇺🇸 United States · Scientists100%
  52. 52Tristan CorbièreTristan Corbière1845–1875 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers100%
  53. 53Johann Jakob BachofenJohann Jakob Bachofen1815–1887 · 🇨🇭 Switzerland · Academics100%
  54. 54Nathan Bedford ForrestNathan Bedford Forrest1821–1877 · 🇺🇸 United States100%
  55. 55John VianneyJohn Vianney1786–1859 · 🇫🇷 France · Religious Figures100%
  56. 56RamakrishnaRamakrishna1836–1886 · 🇮🇳 India · Academics100%
  57. 57George Armstrong CusterGeorge Armstrong Custer1839–1876 · 🇺🇸 United States · Historical Figures100%
  58. 58Annette von Droste-HülshoffAnnette von Droste-Hülshoff1797–1848 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Musicians100%
  59. 59Aloysius BertrandAloysius Bertrand1807–1841 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers100%
  60. 60Juliette RécamierJuliette Récamier1777–1849 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers100%
  61. 61Gottlieb DaimlerGottlieb Daimler1834–1900 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists99%
  62. 62Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe1809–1849 · 🇺🇸 United States · Writers99%
  63. 63Maurice de GuérinMaurice de Guérin1810–1839 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers99%
  64. 64Mary ShelleyMary Shelley1797–1851 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers99%
  65. 65Anita GaribaldiAnita Garibaldi1821–1849 · 🇧🇷 Brazil · Politicians99%
  66. 66Kang YouweiKang Youwei1858–1927 · 🇨🇳 China · Politicians99%
  67. 67Charlotte BrontëCharlotte Brontë1816–1855 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Writers99%
  68. 68Mary Todd LincolnMary Todd Lincoln1818–1882 · 🇺🇸 United States99%
  69. 69Carl ZeissCarl Zeiss1816–1888 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists99%
  70. 70Sholem AleichemSholem Aleichem1859–1916 · Writers99%
  71. 71Johns HopkinsJohns Hopkins1795–1873 · 🇺🇸 United States · Founders99%
  72. 72Vincent van GoghVincent van Gogh1853–1890 · 🇳🇱 Netherlands · Artists99%
  73. 73Carl SpitzwegCarl Spitzweg1808–1885 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists99%
  74. 74Marie d'AgoultMarie d'Agoult1805–1876 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers99%
  75. 75Valentín Gómez FaríasValentín Gómez Farías1781–1858 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Politicians99%
  76. 76Moses HessMoses Hess1812–1875 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics99%
  77. 77Konstantin PobedonostsevKonstantin Pobedonostsev1827–1907 · Academics99%
  78. 78Marceline Desbordes-ValmoreMarceline Desbordes-Valmore1786–1859 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers99%
  79. 79Miguel MiramónMiguel Miramón1832–1867 · 🇲🇽 Mexico · Politicians99%
  80. 80Francis Scott KeyFrancis Scott Key1779–1843 · 🇺🇸 United States · Writers99%
  81. 81Kosta KhetagurovKosta Khetagurov1859–1906 · Writers99%
  82. 82Charles de FoucauldCharles de Foucauld1858–1916 · 🇫🇷 France · Historical Figures99%
  83. 83Laura MarxLaura Marx1845–1911 · Writers99%
  84. 84Maria UlyanovaMaria Ulyanova1835–1916 · Educators99%
  85. 85Agustina de AragónAgustina de Aragón1786–1857 · 🇪🇸 Spain99%
  86. 86Thérèse of LisieuxThérèse of Lisieux1873–1897 · 🇫🇷 France · Academics99%
  87. 87Dmitri MendeleevDmitri Mendeleev1834–1907 · Scientists98%
  88. 88Vasily PolenovVasily Polenov1844–1927 · Artists98%
  89. 89Emperor MeijiEmperor Meiji1852–1912 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Historical Figures98%
  90. 90StendhalStendhal1783–1842 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers98%
  91. 91Friedrich EngelsFriedrich Engels1820–1895 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics98%
  92. 92Kliment TimiryazevKliment Timiryazev1843–1920 · Scientists98%
  93. 93Honoré de BalzacHonoré de Balzac1799–1850 · 🇫🇷 France · Writers98%
  94. 94José de San MartínJosé de San Martín1778–1850 · 🇦🇷 Argentina · Politicians98%
  95. 95Italo SvevoItalo Svevo1861–1928 · Writers98%
  96. 96Joseph von EichendorffJoseph von Eichendorff1788–1857 · Writers98%
  97. 97Yan FuYan Fu1854–1921 · Writers98%
  98. 98Karl MarxKarl Marx1818–1883 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Academics98%
  99. 99Rosalía de CastroRosalía de Castro1837–1885 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers98%
  100. 100Ramón María Narváez, 1st Duke of ValenciaRamón María Narváez, 1st Duke of Valencia1800–1868 · 🇪🇸 Spain · Writers98%

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.