CELEBRITY
Joseph Merrick
1862 - 1890
Joseph Merrick
Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English artist known for his severe physical deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man", and then went to live at the London Hospital, in Whitechapel, after meeting Sir Frederick Treves, subsequently becoming well known in London society. Merrick was born in Leicester and began to develop abnormally before the age of five. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Joseph Merrick has received more than 8,102,933 page views. His biography is available in 41 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 39 in 2019). Joseph Merrick is the 17th most popular celebrity (down from 15th in 2019), the 362nd most popular biography from United Kingdom (up from 440th in 2019) and the 2nd most popular British Celebrity.
Joseph Merrick, also known as "The Elephant Man," was born in 1862 and died in 1890. He was born with a rare genetic condition called Proteus Syndrome. This condition caused him to have a severely deformed body and a large, lumpy head. He was exhibited as a human curiosity in freak shows across England and Europe.
Memorability Metrics
8.1M
Page Views (PV)
66.75
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
41
Languages Editions (L)
5.40
Effective Languages (L*)
3.73
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among CELEBRITIES
Among celebrities, Joseph Merrick ranks 17 out of 265. Before him are Simonetta Vespucci, Anna Nicole Smith, Jon Brower Minnoch, Empress Michiko, Maria von Trapp, and Buffalo Bill. After him are Tollund Man, Monica Lewinsky, Dodi Fayed, Black Dahlia, Anna Anderson, and Rosalia Lombardo.
Most Popular Celebrities in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsSimonetta Vespucci
1453 - 1476
HPI: 69.11
Rank: 11
Anna Nicole Smith
1967 - 2007
HPI: 68.60
Rank: 12
Jon Brower Minnoch
1941 - 1983
HPI: 67.83
Rank: 13
Empress Michiko
1934 - Present
HPI: 67.55
Rank: 14
Maria von Trapp
1905 - 1987
HPI: 67.45
Rank: 15
Buffalo Bill
1846 - 1917
HPI: 67.03
Rank: 16
Joseph Merrick
1862 - 1890
HPI: 66.75
Rank: 17
Tollund Man
400 BC - 384 BC
HPI: 66.72
Rank: 18
Monica Lewinsky
1973 - Present
HPI: 65.17
Rank: 19
Dodi Fayed
1955 - 1997
HPI: 64.91
Rank: 20
Black Dahlia
1924 - 1947
HPI: 64.88
Rank: 21
Anna Anderson
1896 - 1984
HPI: 64.66
Rank: 22
Rosalia Lombardo
1918 - 1920
HPI: 63.95
Rank: 23
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1862, Joseph Merrick ranks 16. Before him are Aristide Briand, Hilma af Klint, Niko Pirosmani, Victoria of Baden, William Henry Bragg, and Pyotr Stolypin. After him are Helene Schjerfbeck, Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Henri Pirenne, J. Bruce Ismay, Emilio Salgari, and Nikolai Yudenich. Among people deceased in 1890, Joseph Merrick ranks 10. Before him are Sitting Bull, Gyula Andrássy, William III of the Netherlands, Amadeo I of Spain, César Franck, and Duchess Helene in Bavaria. After him are Henri Nestlé, Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Richard Francis Burton, William Kemmler, Niels Gade, and John Henry Newman.
Others Born in 1862
Go to all RankingsAristide Briand
POLITICIAN
1862 - 1932
HPI: 67.99
Rank: 10
Hilma af Klint
PAINTER
1862 - 1944
HPI: 67.55
Rank: 11
Niko Pirosmani
PAINTER
1862 - 1918
HPI: 67.44
Rank: 12
Victoria of Baden
POLITICIAN
1862 - 1930
HPI: 67.02
Rank: 13
William Henry Bragg
PHYSICIST
1862 - 1942
HPI: 66.95
Rank: 14
Pyotr Stolypin
POLITICIAN
1862 - 1911
HPI: 66.75
Rank: 15
Joseph Merrick
CELEBRITY
1862 - 1890
HPI: 66.75
Rank: 16
Helene Schjerfbeck
PAINTER
1862 - 1946
HPI: 66.45
Rank: 17
Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne
COMPANION
1862 - 1938
HPI: 65.31
Rank: 18
Henri Pirenne
HISTORIAN
1862 - 1935
HPI: 65.26
Rank: 19
J. Bruce Ismay
BUSINESSPERSON
1862 - 1937
HPI: 64.86
Rank: 20
Emilio Salgari
WRITER
1862 - 1911
HPI: 64.06
Rank: 21
Nikolai Yudenich
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1862 - 1933
HPI: 63.53
Rank: 22
Others Deceased in 1890
Go to all RankingsSitting Bull
POLITICIAN
1831 - 1890
HPI: 72.54
Rank: 4
Gyula Andrássy
POLITICIAN
1823 - 1890
HPI: 71.08
Rank: 5
William III of the Netherlands
POLITICIAN
1817 - 1890
HPI: 71.05
Rank: 6
Amadeo I of Spain
POLITICIAN
1845 - 1890
HPI: 70.67
Rank: 7
César Franck
COMPOSER
1822 - 1890
HPI: 69.88
Rank: 8
Duchess Helene in Bavaria
NOBLEMAN
1834 - 1890
HPI: 68.01
Rank: 9
Joseph Merrick
CELEBRITY
1862 - 1890
HPI: 66.75
Rank: 10
Henri Nestlé
BUSINESSPERSON
1814 - 1890
HPI: 66.64
Rank: 11
Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
COMPANION
1811 - 1890
HPI: 65.40
Rank: 12
Richard Francis Burton
EXPLORER
1821 - 1890
HPI: 63.54
Rank: 13
William Kemmler
EXTREMIST
1860 - 1890
HPI: 63.20
Rank: 14
Niels Gade
COMPOSER
1817 - 1890
HPI: 63.19
Rank: 15
John Henry Newman
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1801 - 1890
HPI: 62.61
Rank: 16
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, Joseph Merrick ranks 362 out of 8,785. Before him are Christopher Nolan (1970), Colin Firth (1960), Benny Hill (1924), Philip Larkin (1922), Anthony Burgess (1917), and Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849). After him are Theresa May (1956), Arthur Balfour (1848), Henry Moore (1898), Francis William Aston (1877), Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (1660), and John Ruskin (1819).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsChristopher Nolan
FILM DIRECTOR
1970 - Present
HPI: 66.86
Rank: 356
Colin Firth
ACTOR
1960 - Present
HPI: 66.85
Rank: 357
Benny Hill
ACTOR
1924 - 1992
HPI: 66.82
Rank: 358
Philip Larkin
WRITER
1922 - 1985
HPI: 66.80
Rank: 359
Anthony Burgess
WRITER
1917 - 1993
HPI: 66.79
Rank: 360
Frances Hodgson Burnett
WRITER
1849 - 1924
HPI: 66.78
Rank: 361
Joseph Merrick
CELEBRITY
1862 - 1890
HPI: 66.75
Rank: 362
Theresa May
POLITICIAN
1956 - Present
HPI: 66.74
Rank: 363
Arthur Balfour
POLITICIAN
1848 - 1930
HPI: 66.73
Rank: 364
Henry Moore
SCULPTOR
1898 - 1986
HPI: 66.73
Rank: 365
Francis William Aston
CHEMIST
1877 - 1945
HPI: 66.70
Rank: 366
Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
POLITICIAN
1660 - 1744
HPI: 66.68
Rank: 367
John Ruskin
CRITIC
1819 - 1900
HPI: 66.65
Rank: 368
Among CELEBRITIES In United Kingdom
Among celebrities born in United Kingdom, Joseph Merrick ranks 2. Before him are Millvina Dean (1912). After him are Albert Pierrepoint (1905), Mary Mallon (1869), Alice Keppel (1868), Christine Keeler (1942), Daisy, Princess of Pless (1873), Mary Ann Bevan (1874), Jane Morris (1839), Louise Brown (1978), Domino Harvey (1969), and Rosemarie Frankland (1943).
Millvina Dean
1912 - 2009
HPI: 70.30
Rank: 1
Joseph Merrick
1862 - 1890
HPI: 66.75
Rank: 2
Albert Pierrepoint
1905 - 1992
HPI: 59.90
Rank: 3
Mary Mallon
1869 - 1938
HPI: 59.44
Rank: 4
Alice Keppel
1868 - 1947
HPI: 57.33
Rank: 5
Christine Keeler
1942 - 2017
HPI: 54.50
Rank: 6
Daisy, Princess of Pless
1873 - 1943
HPI: 53.86
Rank: 7
Mary Ann Bevan
1874 - 1933
HPI: 51.70
Rank: 8
Jane Morris
1839 - 1914
HPI: 51.63
Rank: 9
Louise Brown
1978 - Present
HPI: 40.70
Rank: 10
Domino Harvey
1969 - 2005
HPI: 39.63
Rank: 11
Rosemarie Frankland
1943 - 2000
HPI: 38.18
Rank: 12