E. Rossoni notes that the surname seems to originate in the Palermo area and would derive from Angevin origins, from the Italianization of the Norman name Davis, which in turn comes from the Hebrew name David. Rossoni also documents the presence of the surname in the Verona area from the 14th century and in the Venice area, concretely in Caorle, in the 17th century.

In addition, Rossoni indicates that there are specific zones in the Rovigo area and in the Turin area where the surname could have a Sephardic Hebrew origin, deriving in these cases from an apocopated form of the name Davide.

F. De Laurentiis provides a complementary perspective: he notes that the base of the surname is the name of biblical tradition Davide, documented in Italy from the 8th century, corresponding to the prophet and second king of Israel —after Saul—, whose meaning is "beloved of God".