A. Bongioanni notes that this surname shares its origin with Sigismondo, referring the reader to that entry for fuller treatment.

V. Blunda characterizes it as a Sicilian surname of Germanic origin, derived from the compound Gis Munda, formed by gis ("arrow, dart") and munda ("protection, guardianship"), with the overall meaning "protection of the arrow" or "defence with the shaft". Blunda sets these elements in the context of Lombard weaponry, in which the bow and arrow served a role complementary to the spear and the sword, reserved for specific contingents. He further notes that the combination of the missile weapon with the idea of protection reflects the Germanic conception of combat as an activity with a legal and ritual dimension, not merely a tactical one.