Designation
late Middle English (in the sense ‘the action of marking’): from Latin designatio(n- ), from the verb designare (see designate).
wiktionary
Borrowed from Middle French designation, from Latin designatio. Morphologically designate + -ion
etymonline
designation (n.)
late 14c., designacioun, "notation, representation, action of pointing or marking out," from Old French designacion or directly from Latin designationem (nominative designatio) "a marking out, specification," noun of action from past participle stem of designare "mark out, devise, choose, designate, appoint," from de "out" (see de-) + signare "to mark," from signum "identifying mark, sign" (see sign (n.)).
Sense of "nomination, a selecting and appointing" is from c. 1600. Meaning "a descriptive name" which designates, originally especially an addition to a name of a title, profession, trade, or occupation, is from 1824.
