vanity

Where it comes from

Vanity ordinarily means excessive pride in appearance or achievements; historically also emptiness or worthlessness. Vanity came through Anglo-French vanité from Latin vanitas, emptiness, futility, falsity, or foolish pride. Vanitas was formed from vanus, empty or lacking substance. Boasting and self-display could be condemned as empty or baseless, so the word's emptiness developed into foolish pride.

How the meaning developed

A vanity later named a dressing table through its association with grooming; the furniture was not the beginning of the word.