Francis Xavier

About Francis Xavier

Francis Xavier (1506–1552) was a pioneering Catholic missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He achieved significant global cultural impact, particularly in Asia, earning him a high Historical Popularity Index rank of #995. Xavier was instrumental in spreading Christianity across Portuguese Asia, pioneering missions in India, the Malay Archipelago, and Japan, making him one of history's most active evangelists outside of Europe during the early Age of Exploration.

In the modern digital sphere, however, his historical importance is not fully reflected in 2025 internet attention. Francis Xavier accrued approximately 435K annualized Wikipedia pageviews last year. This level of attention puts him in a curious position when compared to other influential figures; for instance, Musa I of Mali, ranked significantly higher in historical importance at #244, only garners about 18K views, while Karl Benz (#193 importance) receives around 55K views. Francis Xavier's attention gap of approximately 1x suggests his current online presence is relatively proportional to his historical rank, yet the low absolute view count contrasts sharply with figures much lower on the HPI.

His 2025 trajectory indicates a slight decline in contemporary interest, with pageviews dropping by 22.9% year-over-year and momentum falling by 18% between Q1 and Q3, suggesting his digital footprint is currently diminishing rather than expanding.