元首
げんしゅ · genshu · JLPT N1 · noun
ruler
👑 元 = origin/first + 首 = head: the head of a state, its top ruler
元 means first or origin, and 首 means head. A 元首 is the head of a state, the highest ruler. The same 首 appears in 首相, prime minister, another top leader.
元 — 二 (two) + 兒 variant 儿 (legs/person)
元 originally depicted a person with the head emphasized on top, meaning 'head' or 'origin'. From this came the extended senses of 'first', 'beginning', and 'primary'. It was later borrowed as the name of the Yuan dynasty and the modern Chinese currency unit.
首 — hair 丷 over face 自 (eye + nose)
首 is a pictograph of a head, originally drawn with hair on top and a face below (containing the eye element 目). It meant 'head' literally, then extended to 'chief, leader, first' since the head is the topmost and foremost part of the body.