The authors agree that this surname is of Sicilian origin and of a dialect character. E. Rossoni records two hypotheses: according to Caracausi, it would derive from a nickname based on the dialect term lanzafami, with the sense of "idler"; according to Rohlfs, by contrast, it would be a name compounded from the words lanza ("lance") and fame ("hunger").

V. Blunda develops this second reading and notes that the compound lanza-fàmi, literally "lance-hunger", mockingly evokes someone who spends the day without working, and that the surname may have originated in a behavioural nickname applied to a person known for his idleness.

As for its geographical distribution, Rossoni indicates that the surname is clearly rooted in Sicily, with a strong presence in the Catania area —including localities such as Trecastagni, Biancavilla, Acireale and Mascalucia, among others— and to a lesser extent in Messina and in the Caltanissetta area. The same author notes that the variant Lanzafami is practically unique and is probably the result of transcription errors made in civil registry offices in the region of Piedmont.