"Popular representations" refers to how something or someone is portrayed or shown in a way that is liked or well-liked by a large number of people. Full definition
Nov 11, 1997: Added a page about popular representations of Neandertals. (talkorigins.org)
The material is very rich in what it reveals about popular representations of the General, and it is clear that his myth was already flourishing at the time of his death. (blog.politics.ox.ac.uk)
Despite the prevalence of the phrase «here be dragons» in popular representation of medieval and fantasy maps, the phrase only appears on two known historical maps: the 16th century Hunt - Lenox Globe and on a globe engraved on two conjoined halves of ostrich eggs (dated to 1504). (howtogeek.com)