'non-iconic' originates from the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') combined with the adjective 'iconic', which ultimately derives from Greek 'eikōn' meaning 'image' (via Late Latin and Old French).

'iconic' entered English via Late Latin 'iconicus' and Old French forms related to 'icone'/'icone'; the negative prefix 'non-' has long been used in English to negate adjectives, and the modern compound 'non-iconic' arose in contemporary English by combining these elements.

Initially, the components referred literally to 'not an icon' or 'not an image'; over time the compound evolved to mean more specifically 'lacking resemblance between sign and referent' or 'not characteristic of an icon' in fields like semiotics and art criticism.