E. De Stefani proposes that the surname derives from the Latin personal name Sabatinus —in Friulian Sabadìn—, originally given to children born on Holy Saturday. Over time, that name shortened and generated in Friuli the dialectal forms Badìn, Bidìn and Bidinùs. The same etymon produced related surnames such as Sabbadini, De Sabbata, Sabidussi, Sabadello, Bidut, Bidini and Bidin, all independent derivatives of the same Christian name.

E. Rossoni, on the other hand, proposes a broader explanation: the surname would derive from an abbreviated form of a dialectal diminutive of the name or nickname Sabato, without restricting the origin to the Friulian sphere. Rossoni documents it in various areas: the Biella area, the Verbania area, Lombardy —especially the Brescia area—, the Bologna area, the Florence area, Arezzo and the Grosseto area, as well as in Lazio.

De Stefani, for his part, attests to the presence of the surname in Friulian localities such as Invillino, Esemon di Sotto, Reana del Roiale, Cormòns and Maniago, with documentary records from the 15th century. Both proposals agree in connecting the surname with the root Sabbat, linked to Saturday as a day of Hebrew origin later adopted by the Christian tradition.