According to E. De Felice, Anastasi is a patronymic surname derived from the Christian personal name Anastasius, the Latin form of the Greek Anastásios. This name originates from the Greek noun anástasis, meaning “resurrection,” and was widely used in the Christian world to express the idea of spiritual rebirth in Christ and the hope of resurrection. It was especially common among early Christian converts and later became a hereditary surname.

De Felice notes that the surname is particularly widespread in southern Italy, especially in the Naples area, and throughout Sicily, while it is less common in other parts of the country.

E. Rossoni agrees with this origin and points out that the name is documented in the Historia Langobardorum by Paul the Deacon. He also suggests that, in some cases, the surname may have a toponymic origin connected with places such as Motta Sant'Anastasia or Sant'Anastasia.

F. Miranda expands this possibility by including other place names such as Sant'Anastasio in the Lucca area and Valle Sant'Anastasio in Puglia. He further notes that the surname is found in nearly all Sicilian provinces, with particularly strong concentrations in Catania, Messina, Trapani, Palermo, and Syracuse.

V. Blunda emphasizes that the Sicilian form preserves a Greek linguistic heritage rooted in the Byzantine liturgical tradition, where the concept of anástasis was closely associated with Easter and the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection.

Overall, Anastasi is a surname derived primarily from the Greek-Christian personal name Anastásios, meaning “resurrection,” although in some cases it may also reflect ancestral origins in places bearing the name of Saint Anastasia.