The surname Bottari and its variants —such as Bottaro, Bottarelli, Bottarini— have a clearly defined occupational origin. According to the information gathered by Surnames in Italy, they derive from the term bottaio or bottaro, meaning "cooper", that is, the craftsman devoted to the manufacture of barrels and wooden containers for the conservation of wine and other products.

This trade had a great importance in medieval and modern Italy, especially in wine-growing regions, where the cooper was fundamental for the production and storage of wine. The surnames arisen from this activity thus reflect an artisanal specialisation very widespread in the everyday life of the period.

Along the same lines, G. P. Holmes confirms this origin, noting that Bottaro derives from nicknames linked directly to the profession of cooper exercised by the ancestor. As a whole, both sources agree in pointing to an occupational origin, based on a traditional trade widely extended, which gave rise to various variants of the surname according to the regions and the local linguistic evolutions.