The authors agree that this is a toponymic surname derived from Polizzi, a locality of the province of Palermo. As to the etymology of the place name, E. Rossoni notes that it would come from the Greek term polis ("city"), to which an Arabic ending for localities would have been added, later modified into -izzi by the Sicilian dialect. F. Miranda agrees with this interpretation and specifies that Polizzi is a comune of the province of Palermo.

Both authors agree that the surname is typically Sicilian, with a presence throughout the island, especially in the Palermo, Caltanissetta, Catania, Messina and Trapani areas. Miranda broadens this distribution and also includes the Agrigento area —with localities such as Camastra, Burgio and Naro— and the Enna area, with a presence in Agira, Regalbuto and Sperlinga. Furthermore, Miranda notes that there are specific pockets of the surname outside Sicily, in regions such as Lombardy, Piedmont, Lazio, Tuscany and Liguria.