LINGUIST
William Jones
1746 - 1794

William Jones
Sir William Jones (28 September 1746 – 27 April 1794) was a British scholar and judge. Born in Westminster, London to Welsh mathematician William Jones, he moved to the Bengal Presidency where Jones served as a puisne judge on the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William and also became a scholar of ancient Indian history. As part of his research, he was the first to assert the kinship of the Indo-European languages. Jones also founded the Asiatic Society in Calcutta in 1784. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. William Jones is the 25th most popular linguist, the 758th most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 683rd in 2019) and the most popular British Linguist.
William Jones was the founder of the Royal Asiatic Society. He is most famous for his translations of Persian and Indian texts, as well as his work on Hindu law.
Memorability Metrics
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Among LINGUISTS
Among linguists, William Jones ranks 25 out of 214. Before him are Kūkai, Franz Miklosich, Edward Sapir, Antoine Meillet, Johann Martin Schleyer, and Algirdas Julien Greimas. After him are Johann Christoph Adelung, Sibawayh, Michael Halliday, Otto Jespersen, Pompeu Fabra, and Nikolai Trubetzkoy.
Most Popular Linguists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsKūkai
774 - 835
HPI: 70.88
Rank: 19
Franz Miklosich
1813 - 1891
HPI: 70.75
Rank: 20
Edward Sapir
1884 - 1939
HPI: 70.67
Rank: 21
Antoine Meillet
1866 - 1936
HPI: 70.24
Rank: 22
Johann Martin Schleyer
1831 - 1912
HPI: 69.72
Rank: 23
Algirdas Julien Greimas
1917 - 1992
HPI: 69.68
Rank: 24
William Jones
1746 - 1794
HPI: 69.58
Rank: 25
Johann Christoph Adelung
1732 - 1806
HPI: 68.86
Rank: 26
Sibawayh
760 - 797
HPI: 68.65
Rank: 27
Michael Halliday
1925 - 2018
HPI: 68.62
Rank: 28
Otto Jespersen
1860 - 1943
HPI: 68.47
Rank: 29
Pompeu Fabra
1868 - 1948
HPI: 68.45
Rank: 30
Nikolai Trubetzkoy
1890 - 1938
HPI: 68.16
Rank: 31
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1746, William Jones ranks 11. Before him are Tadeusz Kościuszko, Giuseppe Piazzi, Gaspard Monge, Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria, Robert R. Livingston, and Maurice Benyovszky. After him are Sophia Magdalena of Denmark, Giovanni Battista Venturi, George XII of Georgia, Antoine Quentin Fouquier-Tinville, Frederick Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, and Infanta Benedita of Portugal. Among people deceased in 1794, William Jones ranks 14. Before him are Camille Desmoulins, Élisabeth of France, Georg Forster, Alexandre de Beauharnais, André Chénier, and Georges Couthon. After him are Jacques Hébert, Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg, Nicolas Chamfort, Gregory Skovoroda, Augustin Robespierre, and Countess Palatine Maria Franziska of Sulzbach.
Others Born in 1746
Go to all RankingsTadeusz Kościuszko
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1746 - 1817
HPI: 76.24
Rank: 5
Giuseppe Piazzi
ASTRONOMER
1746 - 1826
HPI: 74.97
Rank: 6
Gaspard Monge
MATHEMATICIAN
1746 - 1818
HPI: 74.16
Rank: 7
Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria
POLITICIAN
1746 - 1804
HPI: 73.42
Rank: 8
Robert R. Livingston
POLITICIAN
1746 - 1813
HPI: 70.86
Rank: 9
Maurice Benyovszky
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1746 - 1786
HPI: 70.08
Rank: 10
William Jones
LINGUIST
1746 - 1794
HPI: 69.58
Rank: 11
Sophia Magdalena of Denmark
COMPANION
1746 - 1813
HPI: 68.45
Rank: 12
Giovanni Battista Venturi
PHYSICIST
1746 - 1822
HPI: 66.46
Rank: 13
George XII of Georgia
POLITICIAN
1746 - 1800
HPI: 65.97
Rank: 14
Antoine Quentin Fouquier-Tinville
POLITICIAN
1746 - 1795
HPI: 65.91
Rank: 15
Frederick Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen
POLITICIAN
1746 - 1818
HPI: 65.24
Rank: 16
Infanta Benedita of Portugal
POLITICIAN
1746 - 1829
HPI: 65.03
Rank: 17
Others Deceased in 1794
Go to all RankingsCamille Desmoulins
POLITICIAN
1760 - 1794
HPI: 73.53
Rank: 8
Élisabeth of France
NOBLEMAN
1764 - 1794
HPI: 72.41
Rank: 9
Georg Forster
BIOLOGIST
1754 - 1794
HPI: 72.07
Rank: 10
Alexandre de Beauharnais
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1760 - 1794
HPI: 72.02
Rank: 11
André Chénier
WRITER
1762 - 1794
HPI: 71.30
Rank: 12
Georges Couthon
POLITICIAN
1755 - 1794
HPI: 69.88
Rank: 13
William Jones
LINGUIST
1746 - 1794
HPI: 69.58
Rank: 14
Jacques Hébert
WRITER
1757 - 1794
HPI: 68.25
Rank: 15
Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg
POLITICIAN
1711 - 1794
HPI: 68.08
Rank: 16
Nicolas Chamfort
WRITER
1741 - 1794
HPI: 68.05
Rank: 17
Gregory Skovoroda
WRITER
1722 - 1794
HPI: 68.01
Rank: 18
Augustin Robespierre
POLITICIAN
1763 - 1794
HPI: 67.38
Rank: 19
Countess Palatine Maria Franziska of Sulzbach
POLITICIAN
1724 - 1794
HPI: 66.57
Rank: 20
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, William Jones ranks 758 out of 8,785. Before him are John Smith (1580), Steve Howe (1947), Michael Howard (1941), Annie S. D. Maunder (1868), Rowland Hill (1795), and Bryan Ferry (1945). After him are Gregory Bateson (1904), Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (1631), Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster (1310), Willibrord (658), Timothy Laurence (1955), and Eadred (923).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsJohn Smith
EXPLORER
1580 - 1631
HPI: 69.66
Rank: 752
Steve Howe
MUSICIAN
1947 - Present
HPI: 69.64
Rank: 753
Michael Howard
POLITICIAN
1941 - Present
HPI: 69.64
Rank: 754
Annie S. D. Maunder
MATHEMATICIAN
1868 - 1947
HPI: 69.62
Rank: 755
Rowland Hill
INVENTOR
1795 - 1879
HPI: 69.62
Rank: 756
Bryan Ferry
SINGER
1945 - Present
HPI: 69.61
Rank: 757
William Jones
LINGUIST
1746 - 1794
HPI: 69.58
Rank: 758
Gregory Bateson
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1904 - 1980
HPI: 69.56
Rank: 759
Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
POLITICIAN
1631 - 1660
HPI: 69.56
Rank: 760
Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster
WRITER
1310 - 1361
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 761
Willibrord
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
658 - 739
HPI: 69.54
Rank: 762
Timothy Laurence
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1955 - Present
HPI: 69.52
Rank: 763
Eadred
POLITICIAN
923 - 955
HPI: 69.51
Rank: 764
Among LINGUISTS In United Kingdom
Among linguists born in United Kingdom, William Jones ranks 1. After him are Michael Halliday (1925), Robert Morrison (1782), Henry Watson Fowler (1858), Daniel Jones (1881), Brian Houghton Hodgson (1800), John Chadwick (1920), John Florio (1553), James Legge (1815), Jane Ellen Harrison (1850), John Lyons (1932), and Henry Sweet (1845).
William Jones
1746 - 1794
HPI: 69.58
Rank: 1
Michael Halliday
1925 - 2018
HPI: 68.62
Rank: 2
Robert Morrison
1782 - 1834
HPI: 61.72
Rank: 3
Henry Watson Fowler
1858 - 1933
HPI: 59.76
Rank: 4
Daniel Jones
1881 - 1967
HPI: 59.56
Rank: 5
Brian Houghton Hodgson
1800 - 1894
HPI: 59.41
Rank: 6
John Chadwick
1920 - 1998
HPI: 58.99
Rank: 7
John Florio
1553 - 1625
HPI: 58.64
Rank: 8
James Legge
1815 - 1897
HPI: 57.76
Rank: 9
Jane Ellen Harrison
1850 - 1928
HPI: 55.48
Rank: 10
John Lyons
1932 - 2020
HPI: 55.20
Rank: 11
Henry Sweet
1845 - 1912
HPI: 54.71
Rank: 12