The authors agree in noting the Greek origin of the surname, derived from the term δάσκαλος / dàskalos, which means "teacher". It is a surname arisen as a professional nickname applied to the one who exercised teaching.

G. Rohlfs places its presence in the provinces of Catanzaro and Reggio Calabria, and also notes its Neapolitan character. He points out that in Greece related forms survive such as Dàskalos and Daskalòpulos, and considers Dàscoli a sibling form of D'Ascoli.

V. Blunda specifies the historical context of origin: the nickname would have arisen in the educational or ecclesiastical environment of Byzantine Sicily during the medieval period, applied to the one who performed the function of teacher or instructor in that cultural tradition.