Inside Google’s Top 5 People Searches of 2025

Google’s Top 5 People Searches of 2025: What They Reveal About Us

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Key Takeaways

• Politics dominated 2025 search behavior, led by New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and the fallout from the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
• Tragedy drove major spikes in interest, from the killing of Kirk to the death investigation linked to musician d4vd.
• Faith and global leadership were central themes, with the historic election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope.
• Searches reflected intense ideological divides, especially around free speech, activism, and political identity in the U.S.
• These trends offer a roadmap for content creators looking to align with real-time public curiosity around politics, culture, and religion.

Table of Contents

• Why Google’s 2025 People Searches Matter
• Zohran Mamdani: The Search for New Political Voices
• Tyler Robinson: Political Radicalization and Violence
• d4vd: Celebrity, True Crime, and Online Obsession
• Erika Kirk: Grief, Power, and Conservative Activism
• Pope Leo XIV: Faith, History, and Global Curiosity
• What These Searches Reveal About 2025 Audiences
• How to Dive Deeper Into These Topics

Why Google’s 2025 People Searches Matter

Each year, Google’s trends offer a snapshot of what captured our attention. In 2025, the top people searches—highlighted by reporting from LiveNOW from FOX—clustered around political upheaval, ideological conflict, tragedy, and religious change. Understanding these patterns can help readers, researchers, and content creators make sense of the cultural mood and anticipate what audiences care about next.

Zohran Mamdani: The Search for New Political Voices

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani ranked as Google’s most-searched person of 2025. Once a relatively unknown state lawmaker, he shocked the political establishment by defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in both the Democratic primary and the general election, also beating Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Mamdani’s rise checks multiple “interest triggers” for search users:

• Historic firsts: first Muslim mayor of NYC, first born in Africa, first of South Asian heritage, and the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century.
• Ideological contrast: a self-described democratic socialist winning in the media capital of the world.
• National implications: his win reshapes debates about urban policy, progressive politics, and representation.

For readers, this makes Mamdani a lens into questions like: How fast can political power shift? and What does generational change in leadership look like in practice?

Tyler Robinson: Political Radicalization and Violence

Tyler Robinson, 22, drew intense search interest after being charged with the shooting death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at a Utah college event. Charges include aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and committing a violent offense in front of children, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty.

Court documents paint a picture of a young man whose mother says he changed dramatically over a year, becoming more political, leaning left, and supporting pro-LGBTQ+ rights while clashing bitterly with his father’s opposing views. He reportedly described Kirk’s Utah Valley University event as “stupid” and accused him of spreading “too much hate.”

Users turn to search engines in such cases to understand motive, ideology, and warning signs. For analysts and educators, this case raises hard questions about polarization, online echo chambers, and the boundaries between dissent and violence.

d4vd: Celebrity, True Crime, and Online Obsession

Musician d4vd (David Anthony Burke) emerged as both a top people search and the No. 1 music search trend of 2025 after the body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was discovered in a car belonging to him. Multiple reports say he is considered a suspect in her death, though Los Angeles police have indicated they are “not close to making an arrest,” according to reporting amplified by TMZ and LiveNOW.

D4vd is already well-known for hits like “Here With Me” and “Romantic Homicide”, each drawing billions of Spotify streams, and for his 2025 album “Withered” and world tour. The combination of fame, a young victim, and an ongoing investigation creates a potent mix that keeps people searching for updates.

From a behavioral standpoint, this reflects how true crime, celebrity culture, and algorithmic recommendations intersect. Listeners hear a song, see a headline, and then search to connect the dots.

Erika Kirk: Grief, Power, and Conservative Activism

Erika Kirk became a major search figure in 2025 after the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk, in September. Far from retreating from public life, she stepped into an even more visible role, taking over as CEO of Turning Point USA and becoming a prominent conservative voice.

She has continued speaking at events—such as a Turning Point USA gathering at Ole Miss—and has become closely associated with Vice President JD Vance, whom she endorsed for president in 2028.

Her story hits several themes that tend to drive search interest:

• Personal transformation after tragedy
• Leadership change within powerful political organizations
• The future direction of conservative youth activism in America

For many users, searching her name is a way to understand how the movement around Turning Point USA is evolving after Kirk’s death.

Pope Leo XIV: Faith, History, and Global Curiosity

Pope Leo XIV, born Cardinal Robert Prevost, drew global attention—and search traffic—after being elected in May 2025 following the death of Pope Francis. As the first American pope, and a Chicago native born in 1955, his election is historically significant.

His background is rich and international:

• Joined the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977; solemn vows in 1981.
• Degrees in mathematics, divinity, and canon law, including a doctorate from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
• Extensive service in Peru starting in 1985: chancellor, seminary rector, canon law professor, and judicial vicar.
• Provincial prior of the Augustinians in Chicago (from 1999) and later prior general of the worldwide order until 2013.
• Bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo at Pope Francis’ request, then prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in 2023, overseeing episcopal appointments worldwide.
• Created a cardinal in September 2023.

In his first Christmas season as pontiff, Leo XIV called for “one full day of peace throughout the world” and presided over his first Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. These moments, widely covered by outlets like LiveNOW from FOX, help explain why millions turned to Google to ask: Who is this new pope, and what will his leadership mean for the Church and the world?

What These Searches Reveal About 2025 Audiences

Across all five names, a pattern emerges:

• Politics and power: Mamdani and Erika Kirk embody changing political leadership and ideological battles.
• Violence and tragedy: The cases of Tyler Robinson and Charlie Kirk, as well as the investigation involving d4vd, highlight how public grief and fear drive information-seeking.
• Spiritual and moral questions: Searches for Pope Leo XIV reflect a deeper desire to interpret global events through faith, ethics, and tradition.

For content creators, researchers, and engaged readers, these trends underscore a core insight: people turn to search engines not just for facts, but for meaning—to process shock, change, and uncertainty.

How to Dive Deeper Into These Topics

If you want to explore beyond headline-level coverage, consider:

• Comparing election data from recent mayoral and national races to see how figures like Mamdani fit into larger voting shifts.
• Following legal updates from court systems and reputable outlets on the Tyler Robinson and d4vd cases for verified developments rather than speculation.
• Reading primary texts like papal homilies, official Church documents, and speeches by leaders such as Pope Leo XIV to understand their theology and priorities.
• Watching long-form interviews with Erika Kirk and other movement leaders to see how narratives are being framed within American conservatism.

As you explore, treat search results as a starting point, not an endpoint. Cross-check sources, look for original reporting (such as LiveNOW from FOX), and seek out multiple perspectives—especially on polarizing topics.

Quote to remember:

“In a single year of searches, you can see a decade’s worth of tensions—over identity, power, belief, and the stories we tell ourselves about where the world is heading.”

Source: https://www.livenowfox.com/news/googles-top-5-people-searches-2025-politics-popes-tragedy