Umberto Eco

About Umberto Eco

Umberto Eco (1932–2016) was a towering figure of 20th and early 21st-century intellectual life, primarily recognized as an Italian semiotician, philosopher, literary critic, and novelist. His high Historical Importance Index (HPI) rank of #673 stems from his profound impact on literary theory, his philosophical explorations of signs and symbols, and the global success of his novels, most notably The Name of the Rose. Eco’s work synthesized complex academic concepts into accessible, culturally significant narratives, ensuring his place among history's most influential writers.

In terms of modern internet attention, Eco's profile is relatively stable but modest when contrasted with his historical standing. He accrued approximately 425K Wikipedia pageviews in 2025, placing his Attention Gap at about 1x, suggesting his online visibility generally aligns with his established, though specialized, historical importance. For comparison, his views are less than half those of contemporaries like Toni Morrison (#706 importance, 782K views) or Ursula K. Le Guin (#915 importance, 812K views), who share his field but command significantly higher modern search interest.

Despite a slight 0.8% year-over-year decline in interest, Eco showed a positive trend in the first three quarters of 2025, with a +5% momentum increase from Q1 to Q3, suggesting a recent, albeit small, resurgence in global curiosity regarding his legacy.