The authors agree that the surname derives from the Latin word caneva, which designated a store or cellar. E. Rossoni interprets it as a nickname originating in that term, with the sense of "cellar" or "tavern". R. Brondolo specifies that it is a trade name, derived from canepa / caneva, which indicated the one who managed a store of provisions and goods, noting also that numerous place names come from this term.

As for the geographical distribution, Rossoni places the surname mainly in the area between Genoa and Alessandria, in Liguria, and in the Vicenza area, in the Veneto. Brondolo, for his part, mentions presence in Liguria and in Lombardy.