E. Rossoni and V. Blunda propose different explanations for the origin of the surname Giammarinaro, although both agree on its deep roots in Sicily.

E. Rossoni suggests that the surname originated as a nickname given to an ancestor named Giovanni who worked as a sailor. Under this interpretation, the name combines the personal name Giovanni—often shortened in dialectal forms—with the occupational designation marinaro (“sailor” or “seaman”). Rossoni documents the surname in the Trapani area from the second half of the 18th century, including references to the affluent Giuseppe Giammarinaro. He identifies its main area of distribution in western Sicily, particularly in Trapani, Mazara del Vallo, Marsala, Campobello di Mazara, Castelvetrano and Salemi.

V. Blunda, on the other hand, proposes an occupational origin based on the Sicilian dialect term giammaritàru, meaning “maker of clay tiles and bricks.” In this interpretation, the suffix -àru identifies a craftsman or worker engaged in a specific trade. The surname would therefore have originated among artisans involved in the production of roofing tiles and construction ceramics, a traditional activity documented for centuries in Sicilian centers such as Caltagirone and Santo Stefano di Camastra.

Blunda further notes that Giammarinaro belongs to the same lexical and occupational sphere as surnames such as Giaramida and Ciaramidaro, which are likewise associated with roofing materials and ceramic craftsmanship.

Although the two interpretations differ in their motivation, both point to a Sicilian origin. The surname may preserve the memory of a sailor named Giovanni, or alternatively of a family connected with the traditional craft of tile and brick making, reflecting the maritime and artisanal heritage of western Sicily.