This is my humble opinion. Please leave feedback! I know there are probably people out there I should have included.
(All ages are as of 2013)
- Steve McConnell – He wrote the bible, Code Complete. Enough said. (Age:50)
- Linus Torvalds – He wrote and is the architect for one of the most used operating systems ever, Linux. Oh, he did Git also. (Age: 43)
- Kent Beck – TDD, Agile Manifesto Signatory, jUnit, XP. (Age: 52)
- Barry Boehm – Software Economics, COCOMO, Spiral Development (Age: 78)
- David Parnas – Invented Information hiding and de-coupling. (Age: 72)
- Grady Booch – Helped invent UML and RUP. Seminal person in Software Architecture. (Age: 58)
- Martin Fowler – Agile Manifesto Signatory, Refactoring, and wrote the classic Patterns of Enterprise ApplicationArchitecture. (Age: 50)
- Tim Berners-Lee – Invented the WWW for heaven’s sake. (Age: 57)
- Fred Brooks – Wrote THE classic, Mythical Man-Month and also a Turing award (Nobel Prize of Computing) winner. (Age: 81)
So, you’ll probably notice the list only has nine people (if you read this far). I’ve included the best for last because he is also the most controversial.
Bill Gates (Age: 57)
Now many people may be upset with this choice and say that he was a businessman. True, he was a businessman. But he was also a Software Engineer. He was a programmer (1, 2) and then a project manager, if you will, for MS-DOS; one of the most used operating systems ever. He was also the Chief Architect of Microsoft for a very long time when some of the most used programming languages (e.g. Visual Basic, C#) and products (e.g. Windows) were produced.
Woody Press 
Nice list. Brooch should be taken off the list BECAUSE of UML 😉
Booch … Autocorrect 😦
Yeah, I almost left Booch off, although not because of UML, but rather that was not enough for me to include him (I think they’re were 2 other inventors also). I think he has added to his legacy in recent years with all his writings on Software Architecture for IBM and IEEE Software. Also, he’s been a huge advocate for making software engineering a profession.
Not a big fan of UML, eh? Well, I can’t say I am either, BUT it is really the only codified modeling language that is somewhat widely known. Granted, at the end of the day I like “Boxes and Arrows” created in my Visio, but I have seen a few instances where sequence diagrams have helped out. Of course, class diagrams can be very handy at times.
U all r superb.but i also want to b a software engieer.like bill gates
cool post.i just needed that info.
John Carmack is one of the greatest software programmer of all times
But in traditional way;we should employ/call only MS/ME/MTech/BS/BE/BTech(Computer Engg / IT/Software Engg)/BSc/MSc(Computer Sc/ IT/Software Engg)/ BCA / MCA ( Bachelor/ Master of Computer Applications) degree holders as S/W Engineers from past two decades.Other degree holders-even BS/MS/BE/MTech(Electrical Engg/Electronic Engg) should not be recruited as or called as S/W Engineers.Note that;for past two decades;Programming (& Programmers) & S/W Engineering ( & S/W Engineers ) are regarded as two different subjects;former a part of later but not vice-versa.Thus S/W Enginner may even work as Programmer but Programmer can’t work as S/W Engineer.– Er. Sunil Pedgaonkar;India;Chartered Engineer(India);MIE(India);Consulting Engineer — CEAI ( FIDIC Associate ) Registered;Mob.91-9483368701 India
E-Mail:- Sunil dot A dot Pedgaonkar @ GMail.Com
Er. Ing. Sunil Pedgaonkar’s New E-Mail:- Er dot Sunil dot Pedgaonkar @ GMail Com
great work i need this info
Very nice list .. Restricting it to ten makes it very hard of course because you have to leave out some really great people … Honorable mentions could be Ken Thompson, John Carmack, Dave Cutler and Jeff Dean (or these guys could be on the list and 4 in yours could be honorable mentions 🙂 )
Yeah, John Carmack is quite a legendary programmer and Ken Thompson has made multiple contributions from Unix to C. I was unaware of both Cutler and Dean. I found the history of Cutler illuminating, especially as it pertain to Windows NT, but I don’t think Jeff Dean has risen to the level of being in this top ten list.
Add the name of Java Founder James Gosling…
I would add Dennis Ritchie before I would add James Gosling. Plus, I do think James shared some of the credit for Java more than Dennis for C, IMO.
nice post. i also want to become a S/W engineer and some day i will be in that list
Now that is the spirit! I hope to join you someday as well! 🙂
A Degree holder in concerned/related subject should be given first preference;first title&honour
— that is /should be universal law in today’s modern times — Er. SUNY(Er.Sunil Pedgaonkar);India
Chartered Engineer(India);MIE(India);Consulting Engineer(India)-CEAI(FIDIC associate)Regist-
-ered Mob. 91-9579950627 / 9483368701 E-Mail:- Er dot Sunil dot Pedgaonkar@GMail Com