The surname Ascari is interpreted, according to the main scholars, from an anthroponymic origin linked to an old personal name of Germanic root. E. De Felice notes that it is the surname-formation of names such as Anscarius or Ascherius, documented from the 10th century, in turn derived from Germanic forms such as Anskar. This name is composed of the elements ans- ("divinity, god") and gaiza or gaira ("spear, javelin"), so its original meaning can be interpreted as "divine spear" or "protected by the divinity". The surname spread mainly in north-central-western Italy, in keeping with the historical presence of Germanic peoples in that region.

Along the same lines, E. Rossoni confirms this origin, indicating that these surnames derive from the medieval name Anscarius, a direct heir of the Germanic Anskar. He also highlights the importance of this name in the Christian tradition through Saint Anschar, archbishop of Hamburg in the 9th century, which contributed to its diffusion in medieval Europe.

V. Blunda, on the other hand, for the Sicilian variant proposes an Arabic origin with a double possible etymology. On the one hand, he derives it from the etymon ašqar ("blond, reddish"), a descriptive nickname linked to the colour of the hair or complexion. On the other, it could go back to the etymon ‘askarī ("soldier, man of the army"). He notes that both origins coexist and it is not always possible to distinguish which applied to each family.