'effigy' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'effigies,' where 'ex-' meant 'out' and 'fingere' meant 'to shape or form.'

'effigies' transformed into the French word 'effigie,' and eventually became the modern English word 'effigy' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'a likeness or representation,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.