The authors agree that this surname derives, directly or through patronymic forms with De or Di (which indicate "son of"), from aphaeretic dialectal forms of the name Francesco, probably the name of the first bearer of the surname or of his father. F. Miranda adds that it could also derive from the Latin word cicer ("chickpea"), linked to nicknames relating to the trade of cultivator or dealer of that product.

As for its distribution, E. Rossoni notes that the surname is widely spread in peninsular Italy, with presence especially in Emilia-Romagna (Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena areas), the region of the Marche, the north of Abruzzo, Lazio, the Naples area and Puglia (Bari and Taranto areas). The variants Cecio, De Cecio and Di Cecio are concentrated in the Caserta area —including Capua and Santa Maria Capua Vetere— and in Benevento. Miranda broadens the picture and indicates presence also in Lombardy, Tuscany, Umbria and Sicily, where it appears in the Messina, Ragusa and Enna areas.