The authors agree that this surname derives from the given name Candeloro or Candelora, formerly attributed to children born on the day of Candlemas, a Christian feast celebrated on 2 February, in which candles and tapers are blessed as a symbol of Christ, light of the world.

E. De Felice notes that the surname is peculiar to Sicily and southern Calabria, and adds that in Sicilian the feast is called cannilòra and in Calabrian candilòra. He also indicates that the Latin expression festa candelorum, "feast of the tapers", accounts for the popular ritual in which the blessed candles were lit to ask for graces and protection.

E. Rossoni broadens the geographical distribution of the surname and its formal variants. He records Candelora in Fano, in the Pesaro area, within the region of the Marche, and also in the Bari area, in Puglia. The variant Candelori and the form Di Candeloro appear in the Teramo area, in Abruzzo, while Candeloro is documented in the Chieti and Pescara areas, also in Abruzzo.