The surname Alcamo is of mainly toponymic origin and is linked to Sicily. According to E. De Felice, it derives from the place name Alcamo (province of Trapani) and from its ethnonym Alcamése (or in local form Alcamise), indicating the geographical provenance of the founder of the lineage.

For his part, E. Rossoni proposes a double possibility: in many cases it agrees with the toponymic origin linked to Alcamo, but he also suggests that it could derive from the Arabic name Alqamah, which would reflect the Arabic linguistic and cultural influence in Sicily during the Middle Ages.

Taken together, the interpretations agree in pointing to an origin linked to the Sicilian sphere, with a mainly geographical base, although in some cases there could be an anthroponymic root of Arabic origin, typical of the island's historical context.