The surname Bellato belongs to the family of surnames formed on the root bell-, with possible derivations both toponymic and descriptive. According to E. Rossoni, it may derive from the numerous Italian place names containing the root bell-, or from a nickname based on the adjective bello ("beautiful"), used to describe a person by their appearance or by positive qualities associated with beauty. This type of nickname was very frequent in the Middle Ages and gave rise to numerous surnames.

In this sense, the surname could have identified both people coming from certain places and individuals recognised for physical or symbolic traits. The root bell- is widely spread in Italian toponymy, which reinforces the possibility of multiple independent points of origin.

For his part, F. De Laurentiis proposes a more direct interpretation, noting that it belongs to the same onomastic family as the form Bèlli. Taken together, the various interpretations agree in pointing to an origin linked to the root bello, whether as a nickname, personal name or geographical reference, with a wide diffusion in Italy.