The authors agree that this surname is of Greek origin, although they differ on the exact root and meaning. E. Rossoni proposes two hypotheses: a derivation from the Greek krea ("meat"), which would indicate the trade of butcher, and —as the more probable option— a derivation from the Greek choreos ("artist, dancer, person of the spectacle"). Rossoni also confirms that it is a Calabrian surname linked to the Greek surname Koréas.

G. Rohlfs classifies it as a surname of Greek-Byzantine origin and relates it to the Greek surname Κορέας, without specifying a concrete lexical meaning. He documents it in Reggio Calabria and in the Catanzaro area, with presence in localities such as Sersale, Taverna and Petilia Policastro.

P. Durante offers a different interpretation: he notes that the Greek etymon could refer to "place" or to "dance" —this last with reservations—, and also mentions that some researchers postulate a recent Asian origin, a hypothesis that the author himself presents with caution.

V. Blunda, for his part, proposes the Greek root coyrèas with the meaning of "barber", interpreting the surname as a professional nickname applied to the one who exercised that trade. Blunda places it in the context of the Sicily of Byzantine influence.

As a whole, the sources point to a surname of Greek-Byzantine substrate rooted mainly in Calabria —with specific documentation in the Catanzaro area—, although the divergence between the authors regarding the original meaning reflects the difficulty of establishing a single etymology for this type of surname of Hellenic heritage in southern Italy.