E. De Stefani notes that the surname derives from the father's name, from the affectionate form Cecco —in Friulian, Cec—, an abbreviation of the given name Francesco, coming from the Latin Franciscus. This name enjoyed great diffusion from the 12th century with the figure of Saint Francis of Assisi, and over time became a surname.

E. Rossoni agrees on the origin but broadens the perspective: the surname and its variants would derive from dialectal modifications of that same apocopated form of Francesco. Rossoni identifies for De Cecco a main zone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, another in the Chieti area and another in the Rome area. He also notes that Di Cecco is very rare and peculiar to central-southern Abruzzo, while Di Cicco is typical of the strip that covers Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise and the north of Campania.

De Stefani provides greater detail on the rooting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia: he records specific zones in Osoppo, Gemona and Buttrio —in the province of Udine—, and in Fanna and Maniago —in the province of Pordenone—. The variant Cecco appears also in other zones of the Italian peninsula, such as in the Trentino and in the Naples area.