The authors agree that the surname derives from a personal name of the late medieval period, composed of cento ("hundred") and amore ("love"), used in a superlative sense to express the extraordinary affection towards a child: as if to say that he deserves a hundred loves.

E. Rossoni notes that the surname has presence in Sicily, concentrated in the Syracuse area —with localities such as Lentini, Carlentini, Augusta and Syracuse—, in the Catania area —Catania, Scordia, Acireale and Valverde— and in the Enna area —Troina and Regalbuto—. He also indicates that the variant Centamori is recorded in the Perugia area.

F. Miranda broadens the geographical distribution and specifies that it is an essentially Sicilian surname, with ramifications in other regions of Italy such as Lombardy, Tuscany, Piedmont, Lazio, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Liguria and Campania. In Sicily, Miranda also highlights presence in the Caltanissetta area, with localities such as Gela and Caltanissetta, and adds Misterbianco and Centuripe to the areas already noted by Rossoni.