The authors differ both on the geographical origin and on the etymology of this surname. E. Rossoni considers it clearly peculiar to Puglia, with strong presence in Fasano, in the Brindisi area, and distribution also in the Taranto, Bari and Lecce areas, in addition to a small cluster in Rome. According to Rossoni, the origin could be a nickname derived from the ancient Greek kufon, meaning "light, empty", or the Italianization of the Norman name Koffen.

V. Blunda, on the other hand, presents it as a Sicilian surname of dialectal origin, derived from the word còfinu, which designates a large basket woven with strips of wood, wicker, reed or dwarf palm, used to transport products of the field, fish and provisions. For Blunda, the surname could have originated in the trade of the basket-maker or in a nickname applied to the one who habitually carried those baskets in markets and ports. Blunda also warns that the popular interpretation that associates it with the Italian còfano ("boot, chest") is a false etymology, foreign to the true dialectal etymon.