Codespoti, very rare, is characteristic of the Reggio Calabria area and is due to a variant of the surname Codispoti, which is very widespread in the Catanzaro area, in Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio, Catanzaro and San Sostene, in Strongoli in the Crotone area and in Bovalino and Careri in the Reggio Calabria area. They would derive from nicknames based on the Greek verb oikodespoteô (to be master of a house), that is, to be despotes (lord, head of the household), probably to designate founders of the lineage of special relevance in their community.