'designee' originates from French, specifically the word 'désigné', ultimately from Latin 'designare', where 'de-' meant 'completely/away' and 'signare' meant 'to mark'.

'designee' changed from the French past participle 'désigné' (from Old French 'designer') and was adopted into modern English as 'designee', used as a noun meaning a person who has been designated.

Initially from Latin and Old French it carried the sense 'to mark out or point out'; over time it evolved into the noun meaning 'a person who has been appointed or designated'.