List of prolific inventors

Inventor		Pats	Fams	Fam %	Pat Yrs	Yrs	Pat /Yr	Inv /Pat	Pat Residence	Majority Assignment
Shunpei Yamazaki	[1]	6212	2782	44.8%	1972—2023	51.5	121	3.6	Japan	Semiconductor Energy Laboratory
Kia Silverbrook	[2]	4747	1311	27.6%	1994—2014	20	237	1.6	Australia	Silverbrook Research
Kangguo Cheng	[3]	2695	1468	54.5%	2004—2023	19	142	3.9	USA	IBM
Tao Luo	[4]	2606	2181	83.7%	2006—2023	17.4	150	5.6	USA	Qualcomm
Frederick E. Shelton IV	[5]	2073	1014	48.9%	2005—2023	18.3	113	4.5	USA	Ethicon
Lowell L. Wood, Jr.	[6]	1990	1323	66.5%	1971—2023	52	38	8.8	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Roderick A. Hyde	[7]	1888	1252	66.3%	2001—2023	22.5	84	8.7	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Peter Gaal	[8]	1851	1429	77.2%	2002—2023	21.2	87	5.9	USA	Qualcomm
Wanshi Chen	[9]	1788	1399	78.2%	2009—2023	14.5	123	5.7	USA	Qualcomm
Junyi Li	[10]	1777	1499	84.4%	2002—2023	20.9	85	5.2	USA	Qualcomm
Chen-Hua Yu	[11]	1595	901	56.5%	1996—2023	27.4	58	4.9	Taiwan	TSMC
Hanbyul Seo	[12]	1507	1119	74.3%	2012—2023	11.5	131	3.8	South Korea	LG
Jun Koyama	[13]	1472	618	42.0%	1991—2023	32.3	46	3.1	Japan	Semiconductor Energy Laboratory
Gurtej Singh Sandhu	[14]	1412	583	41.3%	1991—2023	32.2	44	2.5	USA	Micron
Paul Lapstun	[15]	1303	246	18.9%	2000—2023	22.7	57	2.5	Australia	Silverbrook Research
Shou-Shan Fan	[16]	1290	1078	83.6%	2006—2023	17.5	74	4.2	China	Hon Hai
Xiaoxia Zhang	[17]	1248	1103	88.4%	2009—2023	14.8	84	5.5	USA	Qualcomm
Clarence T. Tegreene	[18]	1244	902	72.5%	2000—2023	22.9	54	10.1	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Esmael H. Dinan	[19]	1242	564	45.4%	2006—2023	17.3	72	3.6	USA	Ofinno
Alexander Reznicek	[20]	1210	721	59.6%	2006—2023	17.5	69	3.9	USA	IBM
Sarbajit K. Rakshit	[21]	1145	934	81.6%	2013—2023	10.8	106	3.4	India	IBM
Leonard Forbes	[22]	1109	411	37.1%	1975—2019	43.3	26	2.6	USA	Micron
Edward K. Y. Jung	[23]	1109	794	71.6%	1996—2023	27.4	40	8.0	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Satoshi Seo	[24]	1108	532	48.0%	2002—2023	20.8	53	4.1	Japan	Semiconductor Energy Laboratory
Kijun Kim	[25]	1090	773	70.9%	2013—2023	9.8	111	4.6	South Korea	LG
Thomas Edison	[26]	1084	NA	NA	1869—1933	63.9	17	1.0	USA	Thomas Edison
Rick Allen Hamilton II	[27]	1059	713	67.3%	1999—2023	24.5	43	4.2	USA	IBM
Jing Sun	[28]	1041	896	86.1%	2012—2023	10.8	96	5.9	USA	Qualcomm
Joonkui Ahn	[29]	1024	670	65.4%	2013—2023	10.3	99	4.7	South Korea	LG
Suckchel Yang	[30]	1008	649	64.4%	2013—2023	10.3	98	4.7	South Korea	LG
Donald E. Weder	[31]	1000	395	39.5%	1978—2015	37.1	27	1.1	USA	Weder Family Trust
George Albert Lyon	[32]	993	NA	NA	1901—1965	64.5	15	1.0	Canada	Lyon George Albert
Michael J. Sullivan	[33]	989	532	53.8%	1989—2023	34.2	29	3.8	USA	Acushnet Holdings
Marta Karczewicz	[34]	989	818	82.7%	2000—2023	22.8	43	4.0	USA	Qualcomm
Jordin T. Kare	[35]	986	640	64.9%	1992—2023	30.7	32	9.1	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Jay S. Walker	[36]	977	421	43.1%	1998—2023	25.1	39	5.2	USA	Walker Digital
Jason K. Resch	[37]	960	490	51.0%	2009—2023	14.1	68	4.2	USA	IBM
Ruilong Xie	[38]	950	706	74.3%	2013—2023	10.7	89	4.2	USA	IBM
John F. O'Connor	[39]	949	NA	NA	1901—1935	33.9	28	NA	USA	William H. Miner
Yunjung Yi	[40]	938	676	72.1%	2015—2023	7.9	119	3.3	South Korea	LG
Ahmadreza Rofougaran	[41]	935	456	48.8%	2002—2023	21.3	44	6.4	USA	Broadcom
Melvin De Groote	[42]	925	NA	NA	1924—1966	41.8	22	NA	USA	Petrolite
Shan Liu	[43]	917	666	72.6%	2013—2023	10.1	91	3.4	USA	Tencent
Nathan Myhrvold	[44]	904	612	67.7%	1994—2023	29.1	31	11.1	USA	Intellectual Ventures
William H. Eby	[45]	896	892	99.6%	1994—2023	29.3	31	1.2	USA	Monsanto
Francis H. Richards	[46]	894	NA	NA	1899—1930	30.8	29	NA	USA	Francis H. Richards
David R. Hall	[47]	892	739	82.8%	1985—2023	38.2	23	3.8	USA	Hall Labs
Juan Montojo	[48]	891	715	80.2%	2004—2023	19.6	45	6.9	USA	Qualcomm
Mark Malamud	[49]	885	690	78.0%	1997—2023	25.9	34	7.5	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Tingfang Ji	[50]	874	649	74.3%	2006—2023	17.2	51	6.9	USA	Qualcomm
Jason L. Harris	[51]	868	541	62.3%	2011—2023	12.8	68	6.0	USA	Ethicon
Robert W. Lord	[52]	865	681	78.7%	2003—2023	19.4	45	7.6	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Royce A. Levien	[53]	854	666	78.0%	1997—2023	25.9	33	6.8	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Hajime Kimura	[54]	843	277	32.9%	2002—2023	20.9	40	2.6	Japan	Semiconductor Energy Laboratory
Muriel Y. Ishikawa	[55]	838	560	66.8%	2002—2023	21.2	40	11.1	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Michael K. Gschwind	[56]	834	442	53.0%	2001—2023	22	38	2.6	USA	IBM
Takahiro Nishi	[57]	833	321	38.5%	2001—2023	22.1	38	6.3	Japan	Panasonic
Clifford A. Pickover	[58]	827	546	66.0%	1992—2023	31.6	26	3.9	USA	IBM
Lee D. Whetsel	[59]	817	128	15.7%	1991—2023	32.5	25	1.1	USA	Texas Instruments
Hongyuan Zhang	[60]	817	455	55.7%	2009—2023	14.4	57	3.9	USA	Marvell
Chih-Chao Yang	[61]	812	500	61.6%	2003—2023	19.7	41	3.4	USA	IBM
Devendra K. Sadana	[62]	798	448	56.1%	1983—2023	40.5	20	4.3	USA	IBM
Salman Akram	[63]	781	289	37.0%	1995—2023	28.1	28	2.9	USA	Micron
Seungmin Lee	[64]	776	578	74.5%	2014—2023	9	86	3.5	South Korea	LG
SungDuck Chun	[65]	775	469	60.5%	2007—2023	15.9	49	3.8	South Korea	LG
Warren M. Farnworth	[66]	774	289	37.3%	1990—2020	24.4	32	2.8	USA	Micron
Bruce B. Doris	[67]	763	434	56.9%	1995—2023	28.7	27	4.2	USA	IBM
Jeyhan Karaoguz	[68]	756	371	49.1%	1996—2020	23.8	32	4.6	USA	Broadcom
Carleton Ellis	[69]	753	NA	NA	1902—1946	43.1	17	NA	USA	Ellis Foster Co
Ali Khakifirooz	[70]	749	405	54.1%	2011—2023	12	62	4.2	USA	IBM
John M. Santosuosso	[71]	737	466	63.2%	2001—2023	21.4	34	3.9	USA	IBM
Hideo Ando	[72]	733	123	16.8%	1983—2020	36.7	20	3.1	Japan	Toshiba
George Spector	[73]	723	723	100%	1974—1998	24.6	29	2.1	USA	George Spector
Austin L. Gurney	[74]	718	182	25.3%	1999—2022	21.6	33	2.9	USA	Genentech
Xue Dong	[75]	713	701	98.3%	2010—2023	12.8	56	7.4	China	BOE
Hsien-Wei Chen	[76]	712	363	51.0%	2005—2023	18.6	38	3.5	Taiwan	TSMC
Tetsujiro Kondo	[77]	700	528	75.4%	1987—2021	34	21	3.8	Japan	Sony
Elihu Thomson	[78]	696	NA	NA	1899—1935	35.9	19	NA	USA	GE
Lisa Seacat DeLuca	[79]	696	505	72.6%	2009—2023	14.7	47	2.7	USA	IBM
Youngdae Lee	[80]	695	549	79.0%	2014—2023	9.5	73	3.1	South Korea	LG
Gregory J. Boss	[81]	693	474	68.4%	2008—2023	15.6	44	4.2	USA	IBM
Shougo Sato	[82]	691	274	39.7%	1992—2023	31	22	1.8	Japan	Brother
Stuart C. Salter	[83]	691	647	93.6%	2009—2023	13.8	50	4.8	USA	Ford
Jean-Philippe M. Vasseur	[84]	690	558	80.9%	2006—2023	17.5	39	2.6	France	Cisco Systems
Justin T. Mason	[85]	685	681	99.4%	2008—2023	14.9	46	1.0	USA	MS Technologies
Irwin Gerszberg	[86]	680	312	45.9%	1994—2023	29.2	23	6.8	USA	AT&T
Eric C. Leuthardt	[87]	674	457	67.8%	2006—2023	16.7	40	9.1	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Frederick A. Ware	[88]	662	219	33.1%	1981—2023	41.9	16	2.8	USA	Rambus
Paul S. Henry	[89]	656	301	45.9%	1978—2023	44.9	15	6.3	USA	AT&T
Chung-Shi Liu	[90]	655	372	56.8%	2000—2023	23.8	28	6.1	Taiwan	TSMC
William I. Wood	[91]	653	259	39.7%	1981—2013	32.2	20	5.2	USA	Genentech
Simon R. Walmsley	[92]	651	171	26.3%	1995—2012	17.2	38	3.2	Australia	Silverbrook Research
Jae Hoon Chung	[93]	650	381	58.6%	2010—2023	13	50	4.5	South Korea	LG
Satoshi Nagata	[94]	639	609	95.3%	2011—2023	12	53	4.0	Japan	NTT
Edward J. Nowak	[95]	635	410	64.6%	1979—2021	41.1	15	3.0	USA	IBM
Audrey D. Goddard	[96]	630	154	24.4%	1997—2023	26.2	24	5.3	USA	Genentech
Hui-Ling Lou	[97]	626	341	54.5%	1997—2023	26.2	24	3.9	USA	Marvell
Woosuk Ko	[98]	623	234	37.6%	2015—2023	8.4	74	3.4	South Korea	LG
Kie Y. Ahn	[99]	622	234	37.6%	1970—2013	42.7	15	1.9	USA	Micron
John D. Rinaldo, Jr	[100]	620	483	77.9%	2002—2023	20.6	30	8.0	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Anthony K. Stamper	[101]	620	341	55.0%	1998—2023	25.2	25	3.4	USA	IBM

This table is usually updated every Tuesday evening in US Eastern time, and is current as of October 24, 2023.

The columns are defined as follows:

• Inventor: The name of the inventor.
• Pats: The number of utility patents that have been issued. Only utility patents (or the international equivalent) are listed, as a utility patent is a patent for an invention. Not all patents are for inventions. Other patent types include: design patents for the ornamental design of an object; plant patents for plant varieties; and reissue patents, where a correction is made to an already granted patent. This list does not include patent applications (patents pending) as there is no guarantee that a patent application actually describes a novel invention until the patent is granted.
• Fams: The number of patent families, which in USPTO data includes an original or continuation-in-part patent by itself or with one or more continuation or divisional patents based on the original or continuation-in-part patent. This is different than global patent families that represent a patent filed in more than one jurisdiction. "NA" signifies the inventor was active prior to digital records.
• Fam %: The percentage of original and continuation-in-part patents that are in the inventor's patent portfolio [Fams column divided by Pats column, rounded to first decimal as a percentage]. "NA" signifies the inventor was active prior to digital records.
• Pat Yrs: The first and last year in which an inventor received a patent issuance.
• Yrs: The number of years from first issuance to most recent issuance, rounded to first decimal based on dates.
• Pats /Yr: The average number of patents received per year [Pats column divided by Yrs column, rounded].
• Inv / Pat: The average number of inventors listed on the inventor's most recent 50 patents as of September 7, 2021 or on the date the inventor was added to the table if later. "NA" signifies the inventor was active prior to digital records.
• Pat Residence: The country of inventor's residence listed in their most recent patent issuance.
• Majority Assignment: The entity that has the most patents assigned from an inventor's portfolio. This is current and not original assignment. It is usually, but not always an indication of which company the inventor worked at for the majority of their patent activity.

This table is a sortable list of the most prolific inventors as measured by utility patents granted. It does not include other types of invention, such as inventions that were never applied for nor granted, for which there is no known source. Nor does the table attempt to measure the significance of an inventor and their inventions. The significance of inventions is often not apparent until many decades after the invention has been made. For recent inventors, it is not yet possible to determine their place in history.

Rankings of prolific inventors have been published at various times. However, until the patent records were digitized, these lists were very tedious to prepare, as many thousands of patent records had to be checked manually. Even after digitization, it is still not a simple process. While the USPTO keeps statistics for annual rankings of inventions assigned to companies, it no longer publishes rankings of individual inventors. The last such list was published by the USPTO in 1998.[Info 1] Also, patents predating 1976 have not yet been digitized in the USPTO records. This means that patents before 1976 will not be included in a USPTO search by inventor name, and the number of patents granted before 1976 must be added to current searches.

• Timeline of historic inventions
• List of inventors
• List of top United States patent recipients