P. Durante notes that this surname is of Greek origin and derives from a proper name, without specifying which.

V. Blunda specifies that it comes from the Greek Dàrdanos, a form belonging to the ancient Greek onomastic repertoire that was preserved in the tradition of the Mediterranean. According to Blunda, this personal name was gradually transmitted until it crystallised as a surname in eastern Sicily, following the habitual route by which Greek proper names were transformed into surnames.