The authors agree that this surname derives from the Greek personal name Agapitos (from Greek ἀγαπητός), meaning "beloved" or "dear".

A. Bongioanni highlights the importance of the name in Italy through several historical figures: Pope Sant'Agapito, the "blessed Agapito" mentioned by Dante, and the Patriarch of the same name of Aquileia, successor of Sant'Ermagora. He notes that the form Agapit was in use in Friuli until the time of the poet Zorutti, and that from it derives a long series of Friulian surnames.

G. Rohlfs documents the surname in the Calabria area, specifically in the province of Catanzaro and in the area of Mileto, and links it to the Byzantine presence in southern Italy.