Lists started to appear early first century B.C. Antipater of Zidon wrote, “I have gazed on the walls of impregnable Babylon along which chariots may race, and on the Zeus by the banks of the Alpheus, I have seen the hanging gardens, and the Colossus of the Helios, the great man-made mountains of the lofty pyramids, and the gigantic tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the sacred house of Artemis that towers to the clouds, the others were placed in the shade, for the sun himself has never looked upon its equal outside Olympus.” There were other Greek writers as well during this time that compiled similar lists though I do not think any had the modern complete list. Think of these as travel guides. The modern origin stems from renaissance ideas and “rediscoveries” of these texts.

Hope this helps!