The people most Googled this year weren’t just celebrities; they were flashpoints in viral moments that hijacked the internet for days or weeks at a time. From political firestorms and AI personalities to reality-TV figures crossing into real-world controversy, search trends in 2025 reveal who stopped the scroll and forced the world to ask, ‘Wait, who is this?’ These are the names that defined the year, not by longevity, but by the sheer speed at which curiosity spread.The PlayersTime analysed Ahrefs’ global search volume data for the top 100 most searched individuals worldwide, alongside the top 10 most-searched personalities in 20 selected countries.Donald Trump is the world’s most searched person with 16 million average global searches per month, followed by Elon Musk and Taylor Swift with 11 million and 8.1 million, respectively. Surprising entries on the list include criminals such as the man accused of murdering the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Luigi Mangione, and the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis. Six of the top 10 most-searched public figures globally are American celebrities, highlighting the United States’ cultural and political influence around the world.The World's 10 Most Googled People in 2025:Donald Trump - 15.96 million average monthly searchesElon Musk - 10.96 million average monthly searchesTaylor Swift -8.09 million average monthly searchesCristiano Ronaldo -7.76 million average monthly searchesSabrina Carpenter -6.88 million average monthly searchesAnthony ‘Romeo’ Santos - 6.80 million average monthly searchesBianca Censori -5.88 million average monthly searchesLamine Yamal -5.76 million average monthly searchesMusic is the most represented field on the list, accounting for five out of the top ten names, including female pop icons like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter, the lead vocalist of the former bachata group Aventura, Anthony ‘Romeo’ Santos, each amassing between 6 and 8 million global searches every month. Sport ranks surprisingly lower, represented by football’s most enduring superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (7.76 million searches) and 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal (5.76 million monthly searches). What’s just as remarkable is the geographic imbalance, as six of the top ten are from the United States, highlighting how American politics, tech, and entertainment dominate global attention. Europe makes only a small appearance through Portugal and Spain, and Australia’s Bianca Censori is the lone representative from Oceania. The list skews heavily toward entertainment: aside from Trump and Musk, most names derive their influence from Music, Fashion, or Sports. This concentration suggests that global visibility is shaped less by geographic diversity and more by the international reach of U.S.-centric media ecosystems. Beyond the glitz of global searches, the top 100 celebrities reveal a striking gender divide across fame. While Film, Television, and Music feature a mix of male and female stars sharing the spotlight, Sports, Politics, and Business are spheres dominated by men; fashion and the British Royal family remain firmly in female hands. Film & TV leads overall with 112.37 million monthly searches, followed by Music at 93.32 million, and these showcase a relatively balanced mix of male and female stars – 44% male and 56% female in Film & TV, and 46% male and 54% female in Music.
