F. Miranda and G. Rohlfs agree that this surname has a Greek origin and that it is a variant of Celona, with a base that refers to the Greek word χελώνη ("tortoise"). Miranda notes that Cilona and Celona are surnames of Greek origin, derived from the term chelone, and suggests that the name would allude to a nickname of the first bearer related to that animal. Rohlfs, for his part, specifies that the route of transmission passed through the Calabrian dialect celòna, and qualifies the surname as of Greek-Byzantine origin.

As for the geographical distribution, both authors agree that the surname is present in Sicily and Calabria. Rohlfs locates it specifically in the Catanzaro area —including Crotone— and in the Reggio Calabria area, with mentions of Seminara and Palmi. Miranda broadens the Sicilian picture by indicating presence in the provinces of Messina, Agrigento, Catania, Palermo and Enna, and adds that the surname extends also to regions of northern and central Italy, such as Lombardy, Lazio, Piedmont, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Abruzzo and Veneto.