'autophotograph' originates from Greek elements: 'autos' and 'photographos', where 'autos' meant 'self' and 'phot-' (from 'photos') meant 'light' while '-graph' (from 'graphos') meant 'writing' or 'drawing'.

'autophotograph' is a modern English compound formed from the prefix 'auto-' + 'photograph'. 'Photograph' entered English in the 19th century (via French 'photographie' from Greek roots), and compounding with 'auto-' produced 'autophotograph' in later English usage as a formal term for a self-taken photograph.

Initially coined to denote a photographic image of oneself, the basic meaning has remained stable; in contemporary informal speech the concept is more commonly referred to as a 'selfie', while 'autophotograph' remains a more formal or technical term.