MATHEMATICIAN
William Oughtred
1574 - 1660
William Oughtred
William Oughtred (5 March 1574 – 30 June 1660), also Owtred, Uhtred, etc., was an English mathematician and Anglican clergyman. After John Napier discovered logarithms and Edmund Gunter created the logarithmic scales (lines, or rules) upon which slide rules are based, Oughtred was the first to use two such scales sliding by one another to perform direct multiplication and division. He is credited with inventing the slide rule in about 1622. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of William Oughtred has received more than 270,310 page views. His biography is available in 38 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 36 in 2019). William Oughtred is the 139th most popular mathematician, the 690th most popular biography from United Kingdom (up from 715th in 2019) and the 15th most popular British Mathematician.
William Oughtred is most famous for his invention of the slide rule, a device that allowed people to do math without using an abacus.
Memorability Metrics
270k
Page Views (PV)
62.53
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
38
Languages Editions (L)
8.91
Effective Languages (L*)
2.77
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among MATHEMATICIANS
Among mathematicians, William Oughtred ranks 139 out of 1,004. Before him are Jacques Hadamard, Aloysius Lilius, Sophus Lie, Mikhail Ostrogradsky, Oliver Heaviside, and Ernst Kummer. After him are Vincenzo Viviani, Harald Bohr, Andrew Wiles, Mary Jackson, Johannes Trithemius, and Émile Borel.
Most Popular Mathematicians in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsJacques Hadamard
1865 - 1963
HPI: 62.84
Rank: 133
Aloysius Lilius
1510 - 1576
HPI: 62.81
Rank: 134
Sophus Lie
1842 - 1899
HPI: 62.72
Rank: 135
Mikhail Ostrogradsky
1801 - 1862
HPI: 62.68
Rank: 136
Oliver Heaviside
1850 - 1925
HPI: 62.58
Rank: 137
Ernst Kummer
1810 - 1893
HPI: 62.56
Rank: 138
William Oughtred
1574 - 1660
HPI: 62.53
Rank: 139
Vincenzo Viviani
1622 - 1703
HPI: 62.52
Rank: 140
Harald Bohr
1887 - 1951
HPI: 62.46
Rank: 141
Andrew Wiles
1953 - Present
HPI: 62.46
Rank: 142
Mary Jackson
1921 - 2005
HPI: 62.45
Rank: 143
Johannes Trithemius
1462 - 1516
HPI: 62.42
Rank: 144
Émile Borel
1871 - 1956
HPI: 62.40
Rank: 145
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1574, William Oughtred ranks 4. Before him are Pope Innocent X, Handan Sultan, and Anne of Denmark. After him are Maria Anna of Bavaria, Robert Fludd, Maria Christina, Princess of Transylvania, Frederick IV, Elector Palatine, Wilhelm Kettler, Qin Liangyu, Feng Menglong, and Elisabeth of Lorraine. Among people deceased in 1660, William Oughtred ranks 9. Before him are Vincent de Paul, Gaston, Duke of Orléans, Judith Leyster, Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, Gevherhan Sultan, and Pieter Claesz. After him are Francesco Albani, Ayşe Sultan, Louise de Marillac, Alexandre de Rhodes, George II Rákóczi, and Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Electress of Brandenburg.
Others Born in 1574
Go to all RankingsPope Innocent X
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1574 - 1655
HPI: 74.75
Rank: 1
Handan Sultan
POLITICIAN
1574 - 1605
HPI: 72.24
Rank: 2
Anne of Denmark
COMPANION
1574 - 1619
HPI: 63.67
Rank: 3
William Oughtred
MATHEMATICIAN
1574 - 1660
HPI: 62.53
Rank: 4
Maria Anna of Bavaria
NOBLEMAN
1574 - 1616
HPI: 62.32
Rank: 5
Robert Fludd
OCCULTIST
1574 - 1637
HPI: 58.46
Rank: 6
Maria Christina, Princess of Transylvania
POLITICIAN
1574 - 1621
HPI: 58.21
Rank: 7
Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
POLITICIAN
1574 - 1610
HPI: 57.44
Rank: 8
Wilhelm Kettler
POLITICIAN
1574 - 1640
HPI: 57.25
Rank: 9
Qin Liangyu
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1574 - 1648
HPI: 57.00
Rank: 10
Feng Menglong
WRITER
1574 - 1645
HPI: 56.81
Rank: 11
Elisabeth of Lorraine
POLITICIAN
1574 - 1635
HPI: 55.33
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1660
Go to all RankingsVincent de Paul
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1581 - 1660
HPI: 71.93
Rank: 3
Gaston, Duke of Orléans
POLITICIAN
1608 - 1660
HPI: 65.81
Rank: 4
Judith Leyster
PAINTER
1609 - 1660
HPI: 63.71
Rank: 5
Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
POLITICIAN
1631 - 1660
HPI: 63.57
Rank: 6
Gevherhan Sultan
POLITICIAN
1605 - 1660
HPI: 63.43
Rank: 7
Pieter Claesz
PAINTER
1596 - 1660
HPI: 63.24
Rank: 8
William Oughtred
MATHEMATICIAN
1574 - 1660
HPI: 62.53
Rank: 9
Francesco Albani
PAINTER
1578 - 1660
HPI: 61.67
Rank: 10
Ayşe Sultan
POLITICIAN
1605 - 1660
HPI: 61.44
Rank: 11
Louise de Marillac
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1591 - 1660
HPI: 61.22
Rank: 12
Alexandre de Rhodes
LINGUIST
1591 - 1660
HPI: 61.13
Rank: 13
George II Rákóczi
POLITICIAN
1621 - 1660
HPI: 60.82
Rank: 14
Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Electress of Brandenburg
NOBLEMAN
1597 - 1660
HPI: 60.42
Rank: 15
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, William Oughtred ranks 690 out of 8,785. Before him are Dua Lipa (1995), Jessica Tandy (1909), Peter Finch (1916), Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon (1930), Jim Broadbent (1949), and Peter Shilton (1949). After him are Stephen Gray (1666), John Frederic Daniell (1790), Brian Josephson (1940), Harry Kroto (1939), Benjamin Hornigold (1680), and Charles Wheatstone (1802).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsDua Lipa
SINGER
1995 - Present
HPI: 62.57
Rank: 684
Jessica Tandy
ACTOR
1909 - 1994
HPI: 62.57
Rank: 685
Peter Finch
ACTOR
1916 - 1977
HPI: 62.55
Rank: 686
Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon
POLITICIAN
1930 - 2017
HPI: 62.55
Rank: 687
Jim Broadbent
ACTOR
1949 - Present
HPI: 62.54
Rank: 688
Peter Shilton
SOCCER PLAYER
1949 - Present
HPI: 62.54
Rank: 689
William Oughtred
MATHEMATICIAN
1574 - 1660
HPI: 62.53
Rank: 690
Stephen Gray
ASTRONOMER
1666 - 1736
HPI: 62.51
Rank: 691
John Frederic Daniell
CHEMIST
1790 - 1845
HPI: 62.49
Rank: 692
Brian Josephson
PHYSICIST
1940 - Present
HPI: 62.49
Rank: 693
Harry Kroto
CHEMIST
1939 - 2016
HPI: 62.48
Rank: 694
Benjamin Hornigold
PIRATE
1680 - 1719
HPI: 62.47
Rank: 695
Charles Wheatstone
PHYSICIST
1802 - 1875
HPI: 62.46
Rank: 696
Among MATHEMATICIANS In United Kingdom
Among mathematicians born in United Kingdom, William Oughtred ranks 15. Before him are Thomas Harriot (1560), John Wallis (1616), Brook Taylor (1685), John Couch Adams (1819), Colin Maclaurin (1698), and Oliver Heaviside (1850). After him are Robert Grosseteste (1175), Arthur Cayley (1821), James Joseph Sylvester (1814), James Gregory (1638), Michael Atiyah (1929), and Henry Briggs (1561).
Thomas Harriot
1560 - 1621
HPI: 65.18
Rank: 9
John Wallis
1616 - 1703
HPI: 65.10
Rank: 10
Brook Taylor
1685 - 1731
HPI: 65.03
Rank: 11
John Couch Adams
1819 - 1892
HPI: 64.82
Rank: 12
Colin Maclaurin
1698 - 1746
HPI: 62.94
Rank: 13
Oliver Heaviside
1850 - 1925
HPI: 62.58
Rank: 14
William Oughtred
1574 - 1660
HPI: 62.53
Rank: 15
Robert Grosseteste
1175 - 1253
HPI: 62.19
Rank: 16
Arthur Cayley
1821 - 1895
HPI: 62.00
Rank: 17
James Joseph Sylvester
1814 - 1897
HPI: 61.54
Rank: 18
James Gregory
1638 - 1675
HPI: 60.69
Rank: 19
Michael Atiyah
1929 - 2019
HPI: 60.12
Rank: 20
Henry Briggs
1561 - 1630
HPI: 59.59
Rank: 21