The authors agree that this surname derives from Césco, an apocopated and affectionate form of the name Francesco. E. De Felice describes it as an "aphaeretic" form —that is, with loss of the initial syllable— of a familiar and affectionate character, and notes its diffusion in the northeast of Italy, in the regions of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige.

E. Rossoni broadens this perspective by indicating that the set of related surnames derives directly or indirectly from that same aphaeresis of Francesco, with variants conditioned by the local dialect. He documents the transformation into a surname during the 16th century in Riva del Garda and in Cologna, in the Alto Adige. According to Rossoni, Céschi is concentrated in the Verona area; Ceschini, in the lower Trentino and in the province of Macerata; Ceschin, in the Treviso and Pordenone areas; Ceschina, in the Como area; Ceschino, possibly in the Turin area; and Cescon, in the Treviso and Venice areas.