When did Britain become Great Britain?

I got into a conversation the other day that has trickled slowly like a litter-choked stream.

It started when someone had responded to why America was the greatest country in the world, a fact ripped to shreds by Jeff Daniels character in his TV series Newsroom. You may have seen the clip that has done the rounds on social media. Here's the clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyzDRc34l2g

It then became a conversation about Britain. Why is it called 'Great Britain' and what does that mean?

You'd be surprised that many didn't know or were unsure. Some even gave their own made up hilarious versions of the truth such as 'it all started in Brittany'.

So here's why Britain was termed 'Great Britain' in a very concise way:

Britain became the 'Kingdom of Great Britain' in 1707 when England and Wales was unified with Scotland. The 'Great' was a term for its size, not whether it was wonderful or fantastic. Of course to some, it does mean illustrious and wonderful, but that's not the real reason.

In 1801, the Kingdom of Great Britain formed a union with the Kingdom of Ireland to become the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland'.