The Most Popular Icons, Ranked

Choose the icons you think is the most popular!

Author: Gregor Krambs
Updated on Apr 26, 2024 06:15
People often find it helpful to see which icons stand out in the public eye, as it aids in making informed choices or simply staying updated with trends. Ranking these icons based on popularity can provide a snapshot of current preferences and interests across various categories. This listing process helps highlight which icons have garnered the most admiration and attention at any given time. By participating in the voting process, individuals contribute directly to the dynamic nature of these rankings. Each vote can shift the balance, adding to the excitement of watching your favored icons rise in the standings. This interactive approach not only ensures that the rankings are reflective of widespread opinions but also engages the community in a meaningful way.

What Are the Most Popular Icons?

  1. 1
    63
    votes
    The heart symbol is widely recognized as a representation of love and affection. It has been used in various contexts, such as in cards, gifts, and social media.
    The heart symbol, represented by a stylized red heart shape, is a widely recognized icon used to convey emotions such as love, affection, and compassion. It is primarily used in the context of expressing romantic feelings and is commonly associated with Valentine's Day. The heart symbol has transcended cultural boundaries and has become a universal symbol of love and care.
    • Origin: Ancient Egypt, where it was believed to represent the organ of the soul.
    • Appearance: Stylized representation of a red heart, typically with a cleft at the top.
    • Symbolism: Love, affection, romance, compassion, care.
    • Universal Recognition: Widely recognized and understood across different cultures and languages.
    • Usage: Primarily used in the context of expressing romantic feelings and love.
  2. 2
    30
    votes

    Smiley face

    Harvey Ball
    The smiley face is a simple icon that conveys happiness, positivity, and friendliness. It has become a universal symbol of positivity and is often used in messaging and social media.
    The 'Smiley face' is a simple and widely recognized icon that represents happiness, joy, or friendliness. It typically consists of a yellow circle with two dots for eyes and a curved line for a mouth, forming a smiling expression.
    • Creation Year: 1963
    • Color: Yellow background with black eyes and mouth
    • Expression: Smiling
    • Features: Circular shape
    • Usage: Expressing happiness, joy, or friendliness
  3. 3
    17
    votes
    The star symbol is commonly used to represent success, achievement, and excellence. It is also used in various contexts such as in flags, logos, and awards.
    The 'Star' icon is a widely recognized symbol resembling a five-pointed star. It is commonly used across various cultures, industries, and contexts as a representation of excellence, importance, or achievement.
    • Shape: Five-pointed star
    • Symbolism: Excellence, importance, achievement
    • Popularity: One of the most popular and widely recognized symbols worldwide
    • Historical Significance: Used across ancient civilizations and religions
    • Cultural Significance: Used in flags, national emblems, and logos of various countries
  4. 4
    11
    votes
    The checkmark symbol is well-known as a representation of approval or completion. It is often used in forms, to-do lists, and evaluations.
    The checkmark is a symbol used to indicate a correct or successful action or item. It typically consists of a simple mark resembling a V or a tic.
    • Symbol: V or tic
    • Placement: Usually at the end or beside an item
    • Color: Usually black or white
    • Size: Varies, but typically small to medium
    • Origin: Popularized in Western culture
  5. 5
    20
    votes

    WiFi signal

    The WiFi Alliance
    The WiFi signal symbol is used to represent wireless connectivity. It has become a ubiquitous symbol in modern technology and is often used in devices and gadgets.
    The WiFi signal icon is a commonly recognized symbol representing the availability of wireless network connectivity.
    • International Recognition: The WiFi signal icon has gained widespread recognition globally, symbolizing the presence of wireless network connections.
    • Standardized Design: The WiFi signal icon is typically represented by a set of curved lines resembling radio waves, forming a rounded shape.
    • Three Lines: The icon typically consists of three curved lines, with the middle line being the longest.
    • Parallel Orientation: The three lines of the WiFi signal icon are typically parallel to each other, symbolizing a stable connection.
    • Signal Strength Variations: The WiFi signal icon can have variations indicating signal strength, such as more or fewer bars or a partially filled icon.
  6. 6
    14
    votes
    Power button
    Evan-Amos · Public domain
    The power button symbol is widely recognized as a representation of turning on or off electronic devices. It is often used in computers, TVs, and other electronic devices.
    The power button is a symbol or physical button used to turn on or off electronic devices. It typically represents the action of supplying or cutting off power to the device.
    • Shape: Circle with a vertical line
    • Color: Typically depicted in white
    • Background: Often placed on a contrasting background color
    • Size: Varies based on the device and design
    • Symbolism: Conveys the concept of power on/off
  7. 7
    14
    votes
    The play button symbol is used to represent playing audio or video content. It is often used in media players, streaming services, and social media.
    The 'Play button' is a symbol widely recognized as the control to initiate audio or video playback.
    • Shape: Typically a right-facing triangle pointing to the right
    • Color: Usually displayed in white on a colored background
    • Size: Varies, commonly between 24x24 to 48x48 pixels
    • Appearance: Simple geometric shape
    • Usage: Commonly seen on multimedia players, websites, and mobile devices
  8. 8
    10
    votes
    The pause button symbol is used to represent stopping or pausing audio or video content. It is often used in media players, streaming services, and social media.
    The Pause button is a common icon used in media players and other digital devices to temporarily stop the playback of audio or video content.
    • Design: The Pause button is typically represented as two parallel vertical bars. The top bar is usually shorter than the bottom bar.
    • Function: Pressing the Pause button halts the playback of audio or video content, allowing the user to resume from the same position later.
    • Appearance: The Pause button is often colored in contrasting tones to the background or surrounding icons, making it easily distinguishable.
    • Location: The Pause button is commonly found in media players, video streaming platforms, DVD/Blu-ray players, TV remotes, and other playback devices.
    • Size: The size of the Pause button can vary depending on the device and context, but it is typically small to fit within the user interface.
  9. 9
    5
    votes
    The refresh button symbol is used to represent refreshing or reloading content. It is often used in web browsers, email clients, and other software.
    The 'Refresh button' is a graphical user interface (GUI) element used to reload or refresh the current web page or content. It is commonly represented by a clockwise rotating arrow icon.
    • Appearance: Clockwise rotating arrow icon
    • Functionality: Reload or refresh the current web page or content
    • Location: Usually found in web browsers, next to the address bar or as part of the browser's navigation toolbar
    • Keyboard shortcut: F5 key on Windows, Command+R on Mac
    • Common usage: Used for updating the displayed content to fetch the latest version of a web page, data, or media
  10. 10
    9
    votes
    Shopping cart
    Wanzl Metallwarenfabrik · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Shopping cart

    Sylvia Peters
    The shopping cart symbol is used to represent adding items to a virtual shopping cart in online shopping. It has become a ubiquitous symbol in e-commerce and is often used in online stores.
    The shopping cart is an iconic symbol used in e-commerce websites and applications to represent a virtual cart where users can add products or items for purchase. It serves as a visual metaphor for the act of online shopping and managing items before proceeding to checkout.
    • Purpose: Provides a visual representation of a virtual cart for online shopping.
    • Design: Typically depicted as a small, stylized cart or basket with wheels.
    • Positioning: Usually located in the top right corner of a webpage or app interface.
    • User Interaction: Allows users to add, view, and remove items from the cart.
    • Persistence: Retains selected items even when users navigate across different pages.

Missing your favorite icons?

Graphs
Discussion

Ranking factors for popular icons

  1. Cultural impact
    The extent to which the icon has influenced and shaped cultural norms, values, and trends. This could include factors such as the icon's presence in popular culture, the arts, and various cultural movements.
  2. Recognizability
    The ability of people from diverse backgrounds and age groups to identify and connect with the icon, suggesting a widespread familiarity and understanding.
  3. Timelessness
    The continued relevance and appeal of the icon across different generations and time periods, including the potential for it to remain popular in the future.
  4. Representation
    The degree to which the icon reflects or represents significant aspects of society, such as ethnic, gender, or sexual diversity, as well as important social issues and values that resonate with a wide audience.
  5. Emotional connection
    The ability of the icon to evoke strong emotions, memories, feelings, or associations, which contribute to a sense of personal connection and attachment.
  6. Commercial success
    The financial success and marketability of the icon, including factors such as sales of merchandise, album sales, box office success, or other revenue streams that indicate the icon's widespread popularity and economic impact.
  7. Media presence
    The coverage, attention, and influence the icon receives in various media forms such as television, radio, print, and digital platforms, which can help to increase their visibility and recognition.
  8. Longevity
    The icon's ability to maintain their popularity, influence, and appeal over a long period of time, including the potential to make successful comebacks or reinventions.
  9. Awards and accolades
    The recognition and honors the icon has received for their achievements, contributions, or impact in their respective field, which can help to establish their credibility and status.
  10. Innovation
    The extent to which the icon has contributed new ideas, concepts, styles, or approaches that have had a significant and lasting impact on their field or industry.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most popular icons. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or Icon is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

  • 2654 views
  • 193 votes
  • 10 ranked items

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each Icon once every 24 hours. The rank of each Icon is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

More information on most popular icons

Icons have become an integral part of our daily lives. From the icons on our phones and computers to the symbols we see on road signs and advertisements, these small images communicate information quickly and efficiently. In fact, icons are so ubiquitous that we often don't even realize we're using them. But what are the most popular icons? Which ones have become so ingrained in our culture that we recognize them instantly? In this article, we'll explore the world of icons and uncover the most popular ones out there.

Share this article