Google releases most searched words in 2017

Every year in December, Google releases its rankings for the top and most popular searches of the year, as a way for us to look back and see what major things and events had the biggest impact on our world. 

For 2017, Google says it saw a huge increase in searches that began with "how" while the top five searches include Hurricane Irma, iPhone 8, iPhone X, a guy, and Meghan Markle.

These searches include the likes of "how do wildfires start", "how far can north korean missiles go", "how to help flood victims", and much more. Searches like these are said to have seen an increase of ten times compared to any other year prior, and while many of them are a result of natural disasters, tensions between nations, and controversial world leaders, Google reminds us to look at these searches as a way of people wanting to better understand the world and help push things forward.

With that said, the top 10 global searches for 2017 are as follows:

1. Hurricane Irma
2. iPhone 8
3. iPhone X
4. Matt Lauer
5. Meghan Markle
6. 13 Reasons Why
7. Tom Petty
8. Fidget Spinners
9. Chester Bennington
10. India National Cricket Team

The iPhone 8 was what we all called the iPhone X long before we knew what Apple would call its 2017 iPhones. That explains why iPhone 8 ranks above iPhone X:

On the consumer technology side of things, the top 10 global searches include:

1. iPhone 8
2. iPhone X
3. Nintendo Switch
4. Samsung Galaxy S8
5. Xbox One X
6. Nokia 3310
7. Razer Phone
8. Oppo F5
9. OnePlus 5
10. Nokia 6

When looking at the top 10 searches for consumer technology in the United States, there are two other Android phones that make an appearance with the Pixel 2 coming in at eighth place and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 at tenth.

The top six names in the People category included four men publicly disgraced over sexual-harassment allegations, plus President Trump’s former national security adviser, who has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

1. Matt Lauer
2. Meghan Markle
3. Harvey Weinstein
4. Michael Flynn
5. Kevin Spacey
6. Bill O’Reilly

Check out the complete search rankings for 2017 over at Google Trends.