ANTHROPOLOGIST
David Graeber
1961 - 2020
David Graeber
David Rolfe Graeber (; February 12, 1961 – September 2, 2020) was an American anthropologist and left-wing anarchist social and political activist. His influential work in social and economic anthropology, particularly his books Debt: The First 5,000 Years (2011), The Utopia of Rules (2015), Bullshit Jobs (2018), and, with David Wengrow, The Dawn of Everything (2021), and his leading role in the Occupy movement, earned him recognition as one of the foremost anthropologists and left-wing thinkers of his time. Born in New York to a working-class family, Graeber studied at Purchase College and the University of Chicago, where he conducted ethnographic research in Madagascar under Marshall Sahlins and obtained his doctorate in 1996. He was an assistant professor at Yale University from 1998 to 2005, when the university controversially decided not to renew his contract. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in 43 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 40 in 2024). David Graeber is the 39th most popular anthropologist (down from 38th in 2024), the 4,054th most popular biography from United States (down from 3,584th in 2019) and the 11th most popular American Anthropologist.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of David Graeber by language
Among ANTHROPOLOGISTS
Among anthropologists, David Graeber ranks 39 out of 93. Before him are Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring, Henry Fairfield Osborn, Franco Basaglia, Pierre Clastres, Cheikh Anta Diop, and Marcel Griaule. After him are Mikhail Mikhaylovich Gerasimov, Edwin H. Colbert, John Lloyd Stephens, Georges Vacher de Lapouge, Paolo Mantegazza, and Lubor Niederle.
Most Popular Anthropologists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsSamuel Thomas von Sömmerring
1755 - 1830
HPI: 62.17
Rank: 33
Henry Fairfield Osborn
1857 - 1935
HPI: 62.13
Rank: 34
Franco Basaglia
1924 - 1980
HPI: 62.09
Rank: 35
Pierre Clastres
1934 - 1977
HPI: 61.87
Rank: 36
Cheikh Anta Diop
1923 - 1986
HPI: 61.87
Rank: 37
Marcel Griaule
1898 - 1956
HPI: 61.48
Rank: 38
David Graeber
1961 - 2020
HPI: 60.81
Rank: 39
Mikhail Mikhaylovich Gerasimov
1907 - 1970
HPI: 60.56
Rank: 40
Edwin H. Colbert
1905 - 2001
HPI: 60.48
Rank: 41
John Lloyd Stephens
1805 - 1852
HPI: 60.08
Rank: 42
Georges Vacher de Lapouge
1854 - 1936
HPI: 59.92
Rank: 43
Paolo Mantegazza
1831 - 1910
HPI: 59.80
Rank: 44
Lubor Niederle
1865 - 1944
HPI: 59.80
Rank: 45
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1961, David Graeber ranks 126. Before him are Kazuki Takahashi, Elizabeth McGovern, Ignazio Cassis, Guido Westerwelle, Jonas Jonasson, and Carey Lowell. After him are Tite, Ferenc Gyurcsány, Bernard Werber, Tom Araya, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Dragiša Binić. Among people deceased in 2020, David Graeber ranks 222. Before him are Flavio Cotti, Alfred Körner, Armando Manzanero, Claude Bolling, Sonja Ziemann, and Gene Deitch. After him are Pentti Linkola, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, Millie Small, José Bonaparte, McCoy Tyner, and Jack Sherman.
Others Born in 1961
Go to all RankingsKazuki Takahashi
COMIC ARTIST
1961 - 2022
HPI: 61.06
Rank: 120
Elizabeth McGovern
ACTOR
1961 - Present
HPI: 61.05
Rank: 121
Ignazio Cassis
POLITICIAN
1961 - Present
HPI: 61.04
Rank: 122
Guido Westerwelle
POLITICIAN
1961 - 2016
HPI: 61.02
Rank: 123
Jonas Jonasson
WRITER
1961 - Present
HPI: 60.94
Rank: 124
Carey Lowell
ACTOR
1961 - Present
HPI: 60.83
Rank: 125
David Graeber
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1961 - 2020
HPI: 60.81
Rank: 126
Tite
SOCCER PLAYER
1961 - Present
HPI: 60.76
Rank: 127
Ferenc Gyurcsány
POLITICIAN
1961 - Present
HPI: 60.72
Rank: 128
Bernard Werber
WRITER
1961 - Present
HPI: 60.66
Rank: 129
Tom Araya
MUSICIAN
1961 - Present
HPI: 60.63
Rank: 130
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
ACTOR
1961 - Present
HPI: 60.63
Rank: 131
Dragiša Binić
SOCCER PLAYER
1961 - Present
HPI: 60.61
Rank: 132
Others Deceased in 2020
Go to all RankingsFlavio Cotti
POLITICIAN
1939 - 2020
HPI: 60.93
Rank: 216
Alfred Körner
SOCCER PLAYER
1926 - 2020
HPI: 60.91
Rank: 217
Armando Manzanero
MUSICIAN
1935 - 2020
HPI: 60.87
Rank: 218
Claude Bolling
MUSICIAN
1930 - 2020
HPI: 60.85
Rank: 219
Sonja Ziemann
ACTOR
1926 - 2020
HPI: 60.83
Rank: 220
Gene Deitch
FILM DIRECTOR
1924 - 2020
HPI: 60.82
Rank: 221
David Graeber
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1961 - 2020
HPI: 60.81
Rank: 222
Pentti Linkola
WRITER
1932 - 2020
HPI: 60.80
Rank: 223
Abderrahmane Youssoufi
POLITICIAN
1924 - 2020
HPI: 60.76
Rank: 224
Millie Small
SINGER
1947 - 2020
HPI: 60.75
Rank: 225
José Bonaparte
ARCHAEOLOGIST
1928 - 2020
HPI: 60.72
Rank: 226
McCoy Tyner
MUSICIAN
1938 - 2020
HPI: 60.70
Rank: 227
Jack Sherman
MUSICIAN
1956 - 2020
HPI: 60.68
Rank: 228
In United States
Among people born in United States, David Graeber ranks 4,054 out of 20,380. Before him are John Powell (1947), Lawrence Eagleburger (1930), Gene Deitch (1924), Jesse Ventura (1951), Dan Castellaneta (1957), and Ada Blackjack (1898). After him are Frank McCourt (1930), Sam Giancana (1908), Mira Sorvino (1967), Luther Burbank (1849), Morgan Taylor (1903), and Colleen Hoover (1979).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsJohn Powell
ATHLETE
1947 - 2022
HPI: 60.83
Rank: 4,048
Lawrence Eagleburger
POLITICIAN
1930 - 2011
HPI: 60.82
Rank: 4,049
Gene Deitch
FILM DIRECTOR
1924 - 2020
HPI: 60.82
Rank: 4,050
Jesse Ventura
POLITICIAN
1951 - Present
HPI: 60.82
Rank: 4,051
Dan Castellaneta
ACTOR
1957 - Present
HPI: 60.81
Rank: 4,052
Ada Blackjack
EXPLORER
1898 - 1983
HPI: 60.81
Rank: 4,053
David Graeber
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1961 - 2020
HPI: 60.81
Rank: 4,054
Frank McCourt
WRITER
1930 - 2009
HPI: 60.80
Rank: 4,055
Sam Giancana
EXTREMIST
1908 - 1975
HPI: 60.80
Rank: 4,056
Mira Sorvino
ACTOR
1967 - Present
HPI: 60.80
Rank: 4,057
Luther Burbank
BIOLOGIST
1849 - 1926
HPI: 60.80
Rank: 4,058
Morgan Taylor
ATHLETE
1903 - 1975
HPI: 60.80
Rank: 4,059
Colleen Hoover
WRITER
1979 - Present
HPI: 60.80
Rank: 4,060
Among ANTHROPOLOGISTS In United States
Among anthropologists born in United States, David Graeber ranks 11. Before him are Clifford Geertz (1926), Marvin Harris (1927), Edward T. Hall (1914), Ann Dunham (1942), Marshall Sahlins (1930), and Henry Fairfield Osborn (1857). After him are Edwin H. Colbert (1905), John Lloyd Stephens (1805), Ralph Linton (1893), Gayle Rubin (1949), James C. Scott (1936), and Helen Fisher (1945).
Clifford Geertz
1926 - 2006
HPI: 69.27
Rank: 5
Marvin Harris
1927 - 2001
HPI: 64.16
Rank: 6
Edward T. Hall
1914 - 2009
HPI: 64.09
Rank: 7
Ann Dunham
1942 - 1995
HPI: 63.41
Rank: 8
Marshall Sahlins
1930 - 2021
HPI: 63.24
Rank: 9
Henry Fairfield Osborn
1857 - 1935
HPI: 62.13
Rank: 10
David Graeber
1961 - 2020
HPI: 60.81
Rank: 11
Edwin H. Colbert
1905 - 2001
HPI: 60.48
Rank: 12
John Lloyd Stephens
1805 - 1852
HPI: 60.08
Rank: 13
Ralph Linton
1893 - 1953
HPI: 58.92
Rank: 14
Gayle Rubin
1949 - Present
HPI: 57.14
Rank: 15
James C. Scott
1936 - 2024
HPI: 57.12
Rank: 16
Helen Fisher
1945 - 2024
HPI: 56.04
Rank: 17

























































