'iconophilia' originates from Greek roots, specifically the word 'eikōn' and the element 'philia', where 'eikōn' meant 'image' and 'philia' (from Greek 'philos') meant 'love'.

'iconophilia' formed in Modern English from the Greek root 'eikōn' (which passed into Medieval and Modern Latin/French as 'icon') combined with the Greek-derived suffix '-philia' ('love, fondness'), resulting in the modern English formation 'iconophilia'.

Initially the Greek root 'eikōn' referred simply to an 'image' or 'likeness', and the combined formation has retained the core sense of 'fondness or love of images' into modern usage.