The surname Argirò is of Greek-Byzantine origin and is found mainly in Calabria, especially in the localities of Ferruzzano, Riace and San Luca, in the province of Reggio Calabria. It also presents historical presence in the provinces of Cosenza and Catanzaro. Its origin is linked to the Greek term argyrós (ἀργυρός), meaning "silvery", "argent" or "of silver", a word that still survives in Greece as the surname Argyròs.

According to E. Rossoni, the surname derives from the Byzantine personal name Argyros, Latinised as Argirus, documented in medieval sources of the 12th century related to the city of Bari. This interpretation reinforces the connection with the Greek adjective argyrós and with the onomastic tradition of Byzantine origin widespread in southern Italy.

The transformation of the personal name into a surname is documented at least from the 16th century in Sinopoli, in the province of Reggio Calabria, which confirms its long presence in the region.

For his part, V. Blunda considers that the surname arose as a nickname derived directly from the Greek term argyró ("silvery"). In this case, it would have been used to describe some physical characteristic of the ancestor, such as a light complexion, grey hair or some feature symbolically associated with the sheen of silver, later becoming a hereditary surname.

Taken together, the various interpretations agree in relating the surname to the Greek root argyr- ("silver"), whether through an old Byzantine personal name or a descriptive nickname linked to the physical appearance of its bearer.