The authors agree that the surname probably derives from an aphaeretic form —that is, with loss of the initial syllable— of the name Francesco, in which the initial letters fr- were lost, referring to a first bearer of that name.

E. Rossoni notes that the surname is documented in Scandiano from at least the second half of the 16th century, with presence in the Reggio Emilia area and in the Modena area. F. Miranda broadens the geographical distribution and indicates that it is very well known in Emilia-Romagna, with extended presence in regions such as Lombardy, Lazio, Piedmont, Campania, Liguria, Veneto and Tuscany, as well as in Sicily, in localities of the provinces of Palermo and Enna.