In the 20^th century, trivia was revived becoming "trivialities, bits of information of little consequence," from the title of a popular book "More Trivia" by U.S.-born British aphorist.

The Latin trivia (tri-via) meaning "place where three roads meet" was, in transferred use, "an open place, a public place." The adjectival form, trivialis, meant "public," hence "common, commonplace."