The authors agree that this surname is of Sicilian origin and presents a distribution concentrated mainly in the western part of Sicily, with presence in the Agrigento, Trapani, Palermo and Messina areas, and minor nuclei in other regions of Italy.

As for the etymology, the authors propose different hypotheses. E. Rossoni suggests that the surname could derive from a nickname originated in an alteration of the Greek term fanerá (φανερά), meaning "open, clear, visible", possibly from an ancient place name that designated an open place. F. Miranda gathers that same hypothesis and adds a second, attributed to D. Macris: that the origin could be in the medieval Greek term fanári (Φανάρι), with the sense of "lantern" or "lighthouse".

V. Blunda proposes a different route: the surname would come from the Sicilian dialectal word fanàra, which designated both the torch of domestic use and the maritime lights employed on the Sicilian coasts. According to Blunda, the surname could have originated in the trade of the port lamplighter or as a nickname applied to someone of striking presence.