This question has had a few answers in the past --

• Why do maps universally have north as up?, answered by /u/khosikulu, focusing on developments in cartography in the early Modern period
• Why does the North direction almost exclusively get portrayed as the top of maps?, answered by myself, focusing on the ancient basis for the choice in Ptolemy's choice of orientation in the 2nd century CE

The topic has a long history, so there's plenty of room for filling in gaps and alternate perspectives, so other respondents would be most welcome to contribute here.