'theophany' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'theophaneia', where 'theos' meant 'god' and 'phainein' meant 'to show'.

'theophany' passed into Late Latin as 'theophania', entered theological and ecclesiastical usage in medieval Latin and Middle English, and eventually became the modern English word 'theophany'.

Initially it meant 'a manifestation or appearance of a god', and over time it has remained largely consistent but has been used more precisely in Christian theological contexts to refer to God's visible revelation to humans.