The term "meme" was coined by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene." Dawkins used the term to refer to a unit of cultural transmission, analogous to a gene, that spreads from person to person within a culture.

 

The concept of memes in the context of the internet and social media emerged in the 1990s and early 2000s, as people began sharing and remixing images, videos, and other forms of media online. As social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter became more popular, memes became an increasingly common way for people to express themselves and participate in online culture.

One way that memes are created is by taking advantage of trending keywords and topics on Google search trends. When a particular keyword or topic is trending, people may create and share memes that reference or incorporate that keyword or topic. This can help to spread the meme rapidly, as people search for information related to the trending keyword or topic and come across the meme in their search results or social media feeds.

Some popular examples of memes that originated from trending keywords and topics on Google search trends include the "What in Tarnation" meme, which originated from a spike in searches for "tarnation" after a Super Bowl commercial featuring a cowboy using the word aired in 2017, and the "Bernie Sanders Mittens" meme, which originated from a photo of Senator Bernie Sanders wearing mittens at President Joe Biden's inauguration in January 2021.