According to F. Miranda and G. P. Holmes, Barbagallo is a surname derived from a descriptive nickname based on the physical appearance of an ancestor. The first element, barba (“beard”), comes from a very ancient Indo-European root found in numerous European languages and has long been associated with virility, maturity, wisdom, and authority.

F. Miranda explains that the surname most likely originated as a nickname referring to a distinctive beard or other notable physical characteristic. He also suggests that it may have alluded to a hairstyle resembling the crest of a rooster.

The source Surnames in Italy proposes a complementary interpretation, linking the second element, gallo (“rooster”), to a person whose appearance, posture, or behavior recalled that of a rooster. In this sense, the surname may have referred to someone with a particularly striking beard, hairstyle, or proud bearing.

Regarding its distribution, F. Miranda notes that Barbagallo is especially characteristic of eastern Sicily, particularly the province of Catania, although it is found throughout Sicily and, to a lesser extent, in other parts of Italy. G. P. Holmes documents the surname as early as the 18th century, including references to the writer Benedicti Barbagallo.

Overall, Barbagallo is a Sicilian surname derived from a nickname connected with a beard, hairstyle, or physical appearance, preserving a colorful medieval description of an ancestor whose look or demeanor made a lasting impression.