'trendsetter' originates from the English words 'trend' and 'setter', where 'trend' meant 'a general direction in which something is developing or changing' and 'setter' referred to 'one who sets or establishes'.

'trendsetter' evolved from the combination of 'trend' and 'setter' in the 20th century to describe someone who initiates new styles or ideas.

Initially, it meant 'one who sets a trend', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.