Ronald Fisher introduced the term variance and proposed its formal analysis in a 1918 article on theoretical population genetics,The Correlation Between Relatives on the Supposition of Mendelian Inheritance.
ɹˈɑːnəld fˈɪʃɚɹ ˌɪntɹədˈuːst ðə tˈɜːm vˈɛɹiəns ænd pɹəpˈoʊzd ɪts fˈɔːɹməl ɐnˈæləsˌɪs ɪn ɐ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪtiːn ˈɑːɹɾɪkəl ˌɔn θiəɹˈɛɾɪkəl pˌɑːpjʊlˈeɪʃən dʒɪnˈɛɾɪks,ðə kˌɔɹɪlˈeɪʃən bᵻtwˌiːn ɹˈɛlətˌɪvz ɔnðə səpəzˈɪʃən ʌv mɛndˈiːliən ɪnhˈɛɹɪtəns.