50 Most Popular Women in the World [ Forbes List ]

Can you name the 50 most popular women in the World off the top of your head? Yes, some names are popping into your head already, but we doubt you can get fifty of them.

Don’t sweat it, just glean this list we have prepared and learned about the women the World can’t stop yammering about.

So we made a list below comprising of the 50 Most Popular Women in the World, take a seat back, relax as we take you on a cruise.

50. Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria is an American actress, entrepreneur, activist, model, and producer (trust us, she’s not the proverbial jack of all trades, master of none).

 

Her role in the T.V series Desperate Housewives shot her to stardom, and she has since starred in multiple movies and has received several Golden Globe Award nominations.

49. Kate Middleton

Kate is married to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge; hence, she’s a member of the British royal family.

She is focused on dealing with issues related to young children and mental health.

 

She’s also a fashion icon, named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2012 and 2013.

48. Adriana Lima

The Brazilian-born Lima is an actress and a model who burst into the limelight early on in life.

At the age of 15, she won the Supermodel of Brazil competition organized by Ford and went on to enjoy a long spell as a Victoria’s Secret Angel (1999-2018).

Her modeling adventures have paid nicely too, since 2014, she has been ranked as the World’s 2nd highest-paid model.

47. Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett is an American actress and singer who has several awards and nominations to show for her top-notch exhibitions in numerous movies, including the Avengers series, where she starred as Black Widow.

Her forays in acting have also yielded enormous monetary rewards to the extent that she was ranked as the World’s highest-paid actress in 2018.

ever since her debut on Marvel Comic Action Heroes Movies, her presence on the internet year in and out makes her boldly sitting pretty on this list of 50 Most Popular Women in the World.

46. Jennifer Aniston

The popular American actress is regarded as one of the greatest female characters in the history of American television.

Her forays in acting have earned her Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy and Screen Actors Guild awards.

45. Sarah Jessica Parker

The American-born actress, producer, and designer got her big break when she starred as Carrie Bradshaw on the popular HBO series Sex and the City.

Her impressive showings in the series helped her bag two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.

44. Ellie Goulding

Born Elena Jane Goulding, the British singer and songwriter have released several hit albums and singles, including the Grammy Award-nominated single “Love Me Like You do.”

Goulding has won numerous honors for her efforts, including four BMI London Awards, two Brit Awards, and one MTV Italian Music Award.

43. Carrie Underwood

After the American singer and actress won the fourth edition of the American Idol,

she then went on to win a whopping seven Grammy Awards, 11 Billboard Music Awards, 15 American Music Awards, and a host of other accolades.

But Carrie didn’t stop there, she delved into writing, and in 2020, she authored a fitness/lifestyle book that turned out to be a New York Times best-seller.

42. Jessica Alba

The American actress began acting at the age of 13 but didn’t get her big break until a few years after when she starred in the movie Honey.

 

From there onwards, she began to feature in Hollywood top movies, including Fantastic Four, Spy Kids, and Mechanic: Resurrection.

41. Hilary Duff

Hilary is an American actress, singer, and songwriter who chose a career in acting early. Having had her breakthrough via television series Lizzie McGuire, Hilary continued to star in several movies such as A Cinderella Story and Cheaper by the Dozen 1 and 2.

Her exploits as an actress earned her nominations for the People’s Choice Awards. She also dabbled into music and writing, where she co-authored a New York Times best-seller, Elixir.

40. Megan Fox

She’s an American actress and model who has featured in several top movies like Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Megan has also featured in magazines like Maxim and Rolling Stone.

She has won accolades like the Golden Raspberry Awards, Golden Schmoes Awards, and Scream Awards.

39. Lana Del Rey

Her birth name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant. Born in New York City, her breakthrough came with her debut single Video Games, and she has since gone on to release other equally

 

successful songs, including Young and Beautiful, the lead single for the film The Great Gatsby. So far, she has won 2 MTV Europe Music Awards, 2 Brits Awards, among others.

38. Emma Watson

The British actress started-out in acting by getting trained at the Stagecoach Theatre Arts in Oxford before going on to star as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series.

She has played significant roles in other notable movies, including Beauty and the Beast and Little Women, a movie nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Her on-screen exploits earned her an award as the British Artist of the Year in 2014.

37. Lindsay Lohan

Lohan is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur.

She’s another typical example of one who started early and hit top gear with lightning speed.

As a kid, she was part of the cast of the television soap opera Another World before playing a notable role in Walt Disney’s The Parent Trap, where her impressive showings shot her to stardom.

She has since been featured in other movies. Her exploits have also extended to the music and fashion industries.

36. Alicia Keys

The American singer, pianist, composer, and actress, Alicia Augelio-Cook Dean, is a big bag of talents and a genuine prodigy.

She was already composing songs at the age of 12 and was snapped up by record label Columbia Records at 15.

That kick-started a tremendously successful career that saw her bag 15 Grammy Awards, 17 NAACP Image Awards, 12 ASCAP Awards, and a host of others.

Keys is also actively involved in philanthropy and humanitarian deeds.

 

35 Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka is one of India’s most popular celebrities. The actress and singer began her walk to fame when she won the Miss World 2000 pageant.

She launched her acting career afterward in India and featured in movies like Aitraaz and Krrish.

Her talent also got her roles in Hollywood movies like Baywatch, Isn’t It Romantic, and the series Quantico.

Priyanka was named as one of the 100 most influential people in the World by Times in 2016.

34. Mariah Carey

Carey is an incredibly talented singer and songwriter who has also dabbled into acting and entrepreneurship.

She took the World by storm in 1990 when she signed with Columbia Records and immediately released an album that topped the U.S Billboard 200 for 11 straight weeks.

Her exploits would further earn her five Grammy Awards, nineteen World Music Awards, ten American Music Awards, and a plethora of other deserved accolades.

33. Meghan Markle

She’s a former actress who is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

The American starred in several television series, including Suits, where she played Rachel Zane. Markle is known for her strong advocacy for gender equality and interests in women-related matters.

32. Serena Williams

The American professional tennis player has enjoyed unprecedented success on the court. She has been ranked number one in the World eight separate times between 2002 and 2017.

 

The record-breaking superstar has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, four Olympic gold medals.

those stats are more than enough to have the Queen of Tennis, the Only Black Queen of Tennis and the Greatest Of All Time make among 50 Most Popular Women in the World.

31. Kristen Stewart

The World first caught a glimpse of her in the 2002 movie Panic Room.

Her role in that film would go on to earn her a nomination for a Young Artist Award in the category of Best Leading Actress in a Feature Film. From then on, she featured in several movies, including the hugely successful Twilight Saga series, where she played the role of Bella Swan.

So far she has received the BAFTA Rising Star Award, a Cesar Award, and many others

30. Kylie Jenner

Kylie is an American media personality who is a member of the Kardashian family and has featured in reality T.V series such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Life of Kylie. She has garnered wealth through her cosmetics line and many other sources.

As of March 2019, she was the World’s youngest billionaire, according to Forbes.

29. Hilary Clinton

She’s an American politician, lawyer, writer, and former first lady of the United States. Clinton then moved on to serve as a senator from New York and as the U.S. Secretary of State before running for president in 2016 as a Democrat. Unfortunately, she lost to Donald Trump. Presently, she’s the chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

28. Katy Perry

Born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, the American singer and songwriter rose to stardom in 2008 after releasing her second album, One of the Boys. She went on to drop many more hit songs and albums, including Teenage Dream and Prism.

Perry has many awards to her name, including five Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards, and Brit Award.

27. Reese Witherspoon

The American actress and entrepreneur have starred in many movies with her breakthrough coming in her roles in Cruel Intentions and Election. Witherspoon has seen her theatrical showings win her several awards, including an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Forbes also named her as one of the World’s Most Powerful Women in 2019

26. Demi Lovato

Born Demetria Devonne Lovato, the American singer, actress, and T.V personality carved out a spot for herself in people’s hearts through her exhilarating songs. Having started by featuring on the popular T.V series Barney and Friends, she ventured into music and has carted away several awards, including 14 Teen Choice Awards, one MTV Video Music Award, and many more.

25. Vanessa Hudgens

Hudgens became popular due to her role in Disney’s High School Musical series. The success of the movie provided the perfect pedestal for her to launch her musical career and also paved the way for more acting roles. She has featured in movies such as Sucker Punch, The Mysterious Island, The Princess Switch, and Bad Boys for Life.

24. Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoli hails from Colombia and is widely known for her musical expertise. At just 13, she joined Sony Music Colombia and went on to release several hit songs and win awards, including three Grammy Awards, twelve Latin Grammy Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, and she holds six Guinness World Records.

23. Paris Hilton

Born in New York City, Paris began her modeling career there before dabbling into other fields like acting, business, reality T.V, writing, and music. The American reality T.V star currently owns a chain of product lines, including perfumes, lingerie, handbags, watches, and footwear.

22. Ellen DeGeneres

The popular American comedian is not only well known for her satirical prowess, and her famous T.V. show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, but also her other endeavors, including writing, acting, and social commentary. Ellen has also bagged awards like Emmys (30), People’s Choice Awards (20), and the Golden Globes Carol Burnett Lifetime Achievement Award.

21. Christina Aguilera

The American-born singer and songwriter made a name for herself through her musical exploits. So far, she has bagged five Grammy Awards, one Latin Grammy Award, and was included on Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the World in 2013.

20. Heidi Klum

The German-American made her mark as a model and a businesswoman, although she dabbled into other ventures, including writing and acting. In 2011, she was sat in 2nd place on Forbes’ list of the World’s Top-Earning Models. Her journey into acting has seen her star in movies like Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives.

19. Angelina Jolie

She’s an American actress and filmmaker who has starred in several top movies, including Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and a host of others. She has a couple of awards to show for her on-screen efforts, including three Golden Globe Awards and one Academy Award. She’s also a renowned humanitarian.

18. Britney Spears

The American singer, songwriter, and actress is widely regarded as the “Princess of Pop” and rightly so. She has sold 100 million records globally, and she’s also acclaimed to be the best-selling female album artist of the 2000s. Alongside these records, she also has many awards to her name, including one Grammy Award, six MTV Video Music Awards and seven Billboard Music Awards.

17. Michelle Obama

A brilliant author and Lawyer, Michelle, served as the first African American First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 while her husband, Barack Obama, was president. Michelle played a prominent role in her husband’s campaigns as she delivered several keynote speeches in his support. She’s a strong advocate for education, poverty awareness, and a host of other social matters.

16. Madonna

The famous “Queen of Pop” is a familiar figure in the music industry. She started out by singing and playing the drums and the guitar in rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy before venturing out on her own, a move that yielded bountiful fruits.

According to the Guinness World Records, she’s the best-selling female recording artist of all time. She has also won seven Grammy Awards, twenty MTV Video Music Awards, and holds several records.

15. Selena Gomez

She’s an American singer, songwriter, and actress who caught the eyes of the World with her performances in children’s series, including Barney and Friends and Wizards of Waverly Place. Since then, she has starred in numerous movies and has also ventured into music. So far, she has won the Billboard Woman of the Year Award (2017) and once held the record as the most followed individual on Instagram.

14. Kesha

Kesha Rose Sebert is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. She came into the limelight in 2009 when she featured in Flo Rida’s hugely successful rap song “Right Round.” Kasha went on to two top albums in 2010, Animal and Rainbow, in 2017. Both ranked number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. She received awards like the MTV Europe Music Award for Best New Act in 2010.

13. Adele

Adele is a multiple award-winning British singer and songwriter who has enjoyed tremendous success in her musical career. She has released several successful albums, including 19, 21, and 25. Her trophy cabinet houses fifteen Grammy Awards, Eighteen Billboard Music Awards, nine Brit Awards, five American Music Awards, one Golden Globe Award, and many more.

12. Jennifer Lopez

Also known as J.Lo, she’s an American actress, singer, dancer, fashion designer, and businesswoman. She took to dancing at first but later went into acting where she enjoyed much success as she starred in movies like Ananconda and The Wedding Planner. J.Lo also ventured into the music along the line. She’s won awards like Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award and was named by Times as one of the 100 most influential people in the World in 2018.

11. Nicki Minaj

She was born in Trinidad and Tobago but raised in New York City. The rapper with the birth name Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty began her career in music after joining Lil Wayne’s record label, Young Money, in 2009.

She then went on to release widely accepted albums including Pink Friday and Queen. She has bagged multiple honors, including six American Music Awards, 11 BET Awards, and four MTV Video Music Awards.

10. Billie Eilish

Unlike many others atop this list, Eilish hasn’t been around for too long, but she’s sure moving fast! The American singer got the World’s attention in 2015 when she uploaded a song on Sound Cloud.

Ever since she has taken quantum leaps in her musical career. So far, she has already won five Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, and three MTV Video Music Awards.

9. Ariana Grande

Ariana became popular after starring in Nickelodeon’s T.V series, Victorious and Sam and Cat. She later ventured into music and has so far had a stellar career.

She has won numerous awards, including one Grammy Award, three American Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, and one Brit Award.

8. Cardi B

Her birth name is Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, and she’s an American rapper and television personality. Her rap songs have earned her several accolades, including the tag as one of the most influential female rappers of all Time (Forbes).

She has also received one Grammy Award, seven Billboard Music Awards, and four American Music Awards.

7. Taylor Swift

She’s an American singer and songwriter who began her career in music at the age of 14. Her works like Our Song, Love Story and You Belong with Me propelled her to the top of the American music industry.

These productions and others have also earned her accolades, including ten Grammy Awards, twenty-nine American Music Awards, twenty-three Billboard Music Awards, and many more.

6. Miley Cyrus

Miley is another American singer and actress who also began acting in a teens’ show. In her case, she starred in Disney’s series Hannah Montana.

She then proceeded into music and has so far released several hit songs. She sat in 62nd place on Billboard’s Top 125 Artists of All Time List in 2019 and was tagged MTV’s Artist of the Year in 2013.

5. Kim Kardashian West

Kim is an American media personality, model, and actress who has made a name for herself through reality T.V shows and a host of other related ventures.

Currently, she has a chain of beauty products connected to her name, and she’s also married to popular rapper Kanye West.

4. Oprah Winfrey

Here’s an old-timer you are probably familiar with. Oprah Winfrey has made a name for herself as a talk show host and T.V producer.

Her T.V show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, is widely televised and viewed.

She also has several records under her belt, including the tag as the richest African

American of the 20th Century and the most influential woman in the World (2007 ranking).

3. Lady Gaga

Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, Lady Gaga is a renowned American singer and songwriter. She became popular after her debut album The Fame was released in 2008.

She later ventured into acting after enjoying so much success in music.

So far, she has bagged one Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and eleven Grammy Awards, to mention but a few.

2. Beyoncé

She was shot to stardom in the late 1990s when she was featured as the lead singer of a hugely popular group, Destiny’s Child.

The American later ventured out on her own and enjoyed great success still. She has also dabbled into acting along the line.

 

Her incredible music career has yielded honors, including twenty-four Grammy Awards,

twenty-four MTV Video Music Awards, and tags as the most powerful female in

entertainment on Forbes’ 2015 and 2017 lists which is why queen B is on this list of 50 Most Popular Women in the World.

1. Rihanna – 50 Most Popular Women in the World

The Barbadian singer, songwriter, and actress are majorly adored for her musical dexterity.

This has seen her record incredible success in the music industry.

Rihanna has so far won nine Grammy Awards, thirteen American Music Awards, and twelve Billboard Music Awards.

She was appointed by the Barbadian government as an ambassador for the promotion of education, investment, and tourism.

All this adds up to why she is the number one most talked about among 50 Most Popular Women in the World.

Conclusion on the 50 Most Popular Women in the World

There you have it, our list of the 50 most popular women in the World, You can dig deeper into the histories of these fantastic females to learn more about how many of them fought their way to the top of their respective fields.