1800, used in reference to the Russian tsars, then to Napoleon, from French autocrate, from Latinized form of Greek autokrates "ruling by oneself, absolute, autocratic," from autos "self" (see auto-) + kratia "rule," from kratos "strength, power" (see -cracy). The Greek noun was autokrator, and an earlier form in English was autocrator (1759). Earliest forms in English were the fem. autocratress (1762), autocratrix (1762), autocratrice (1767, from French).
