The authors differ on the origin of the surname. E. Rossoni derives it from an affectionate form of the Latin name Arius, or from the Late Latin name Arinus, documented in the Amphitheatrum Seriorum Iocorum. He notes presence in Marsala —Trapani area— and in Palermo, while the form Arino appears linked to the Naples area.

V. Blunda, on the other hand, proposes a Greek origin from eirène, "peace", a term that designates peace and concord and that was preserved in Greek onomastics as a feminine personal name. According to Blunda, the Sicilian surname would have originally functioned as a name of positive connotation or as a nickname applied to a female ancestor for her serene character, later becoming a family surname.