The authors agree that this surname has an origin related to Greek, although they diverge on the precise etymology. E. Rossoni proposes several hypotheses: it could derive from the Greek name Chiros, from ethnic forms of the city of Chiros in Greece or of Chirus in Romania, or —and he considers this the most probable option— from nicknames based on the Greek term chiros ("hand"), perhaps to indicate particular physical characteristics of the founders of the lineage.

V. Blunda, on the other hand, derives it from the Greek cyres, relating it to the Byzantine onomastic repertoire linked to the lexical sphere of Greek courtesy, in parallel to the family of surnames compounded with kyr-, which means "lord".

As for the geographical distribution, Rossoni notes two main areas of presence: one in Piedmont, with concentration in Turin, Alpignano and Barge, in the Cuneo area; and another in the Lecce area —in the southernmost end of the region of Puglia—, especially in Sanarica and Muro Leccese. The derived forms Chirini, Chiro and Chirotti are practically unique. Chirolli, also almost unique, records some presence in the Naples area. Chirollo, for its part, presents its own area in that same area, with representation in Afragola and Castello di Cisterna.