G. Rohlfs places this surname in the Greco-Byzantine sphere. He documents it in the Reggio Calabria area —city and province, including Palmi, Oppido and the Mèlito area— and also in Sicily. He derives it from the Greek λογοθέτης, a title designating a high official of the Byzantine administration, with the meaning "administrator". Rohlfs notes that in Greece it survives as a surname in the form Logothetis, and records the variants Lagoteta and Laguteta.

P. Durante agrees on the Greek origin and on its derivation from logothetes, with the same meaning of "administrator", without adding further information.