The authors agree that this surname derives from the name of the Spanish region of Galicia, linked to the cult of the sanctuary of Santiago de Compostela. It was originally attributed to those who had made the pilgrimage to that place, and over time it became a surname.

E. De Stefani adds that the name Galizia was also adopted as a feminine name before its transformation into a surname, and that it is documented as a personal name in Aquileia from the 13th century. The zones of presence are concentrated in Lombardy, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with specific nuclei in Moggio and Amaro, both localities in the Carnia, a mountainous zone of the north of Friuli in the province of Udine.

R. Brondolo agrees on the pilgrim origin of the term, without adding additional information on geographical distribution beyond northern Italy in general terms.