unknown vs unknown quantity

unknown

noun
  • A person of no identity; a nonentity 

  • A variable (usually x, y or z) whose value is to be found. 

  • Any thing, place, or situation about which nothing is known; an unknown fact or piece of information. 

adj
  • Not known; unidentified; not well known. 

unknown quantity

noun
  • A person or thing whose nature or value is a mystery. 

  • Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see unknown, quantity. 

How often have the words unknown and unknown quantity occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )