E. Rossoni notes that Carone is characteristic of the region of Puglia, with secondary presence in Basilicata. He indicates that both Carone and Caronia —the latter typical of the Palermo area and the Trapani area, in Sicily— would derive from the Greek name Charones or from the place name Caronia, located in the Messina area. Rossoni also contemplates a third possibility: that the surname comes from a nickname related to the term "caronia" (carrion), documented by the historian Muratori as an appellative of medieval use.

P. Durante agrees in noting a Greek origin for the surname, associating it with a proper name, although without providing further details on the matter.