The authors agree that this surname belongs to the group of auspicious names that parents gave to their children, or that the officials of orphanages attributed to abandoned children with the same propitiatory purpose. The sense is transparent: "may the path of life be favourable to you".

F. Miranda specifies that the surname is distributed in numerous municipalities of Italy, with greater presence in Sicily, and also in Lombardy, Lazio and Piedmont. Within Sicily, he documents it especially in the Agrigento area —with localities such as Favara, Grotte and the city of Agrigento—, in the Caltanissetta area —with Gela and Serradifalco—, in the Palermo area —with Chiusa Sclafani and Cefalà Diana—, in the Catania area —with Caltagirone and Motta Sant'Anastasia— and in the Enna area, with Pietraperzia, Calascibetta and Regalbuto.

E. Rossoni agrees on the typically Sicilian character of the surname, noting as main areas those of Palermo, Agrigento and Caltanissetta. Rossoni also adds the variant Bellinvia, more specific to the Messina area.