E. De Felice identifies this surname as of Sephardic Jewish tradition, introduced into Italy by Jews coming from Spain or from countries of the Mediterranean, with notable presence in Milan. Its base is the Arabic name Habib, meaning "dear, beloved, friend".

E. Rossoni broadens the picture by distinguishing variants and origins according to the region. The forms peculiar to the Italian peninsula —Cabib and Cabibbe— are of Sephardic Hebrew origin, while the Sicilian ones —Cabibi and Cabibbo— derive from Arabic. In all cases, the surname arose from the transformation into a surname of the personal name of the founding ancestor of the lineage, from the medieval form Cabibbe or Cabibbo, an Italianisation of the Arabic or Hebrew name Habib, with the sense of "love" or "beloved", frequently in a religious sense.

As for its geographical distribution, Rossoni places Cabib in the coastal area between Tuscany and Liguria; Cabibbe with a secondary cluster in Milan; Cabibbo in the Ragusa area —in particular in Comiso, Vittoria and Santa Croce Camerina— and in Rome; and Cabibi in Lucca Sicula, in the Agrigento area.