According to E. Rossoni, it derives from a nickname based on the lucrative trade of the gold-beater (the one who beat gold sheets over wooden moulds or works of poor materials such as ceramic or metal to ennoble them). The Siena lineage was very rich and figured among the most important of the city; the Neapolitan lineage attained the title of marquis. In 1724, Monsignor Pietro Abbondio Battiloro was proclaimed bishop of Guardialfiera (Campobasso).

According to V. Blunda, it is a Sicilian surname of dialectal origin, linked to a luxury craft trade. It derives from the dialectal word battilòru, meaning "beater of gold sheets". The gold-beater was the craftsman who reduced gold to very fine sheets through patient hammering, material destined for the decoration of altarpieces, frames, bookbindings and liturgical vestments. The trade was well established in the large Sicilian cities, particularly Palermo and Messina, where there were specialised workshops in the service of the Church and the nobility.