G. Rohlfs places this surname within the framework of the Greek and Byzantine influence in southern Italy, locating it in Lucania —present-day region of Basilicata—, specifically in Senise. He relates it to the Greek surname Karavàs, as a reflection of the Byzantine presence in that area.

V. Blunda, on the other hand, links it to the Greek carabàs, meaning "boat builder", and documents it in Sicily. According to this author, the term designated the craftsman who made boats and functioned originally as a trade nickname before becoming a family surname. Blunda also relates it to the surname Carabotto, of a close etymon.

Both authors agree on the Greek origin of the surname, although they differ in the region of rooting and in the route of formation: Rohlfs points to a direct inheritance from Greek and Byzantine onomastics in Basilicata, while Blunda proposes an occupational motivation in Sicily.