'iconophile' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'eikon', where 'eikon' meant 'image' or 'likeness', combined with the suffix '-phile' from Greek 'philos' meaning 'loving'.

'iconophile' was formed in English by combining the Greek-derived combining form 'icono-' (from 'eikon') with the productive modern suffix '-phile' (as in 'bibliophile' or 'audiophile'), producing a compound meaning 'lover of images'.

The original Greek elements literally meant 'image' and 'lover'; over time the compound has been used to denote a person who loves or collects images or icons, sometimes with the specific connotation of supporting religious images (as opposed to an iconoclast).