The authors agree that the surname derives from a nickname based on the Latin adjective latus, with reference to physical characteristics of the ancestor. E. Rossoni specifies that it alludes to stoutness, while F. De Laurentiis broadens the semantic field: he notes that latus meant "long, extensive, broad" and that the term had also acquired the figurative value of "ready, clear".

De Laurentiis further proposes a second hypothesis: the surname could derive from the given name Latino, which worked in two senses. On the one hand, it functioned as an ethnic demonym —especially in border areas or those of Byzantine influence— to distinguish the descendants of Latin peoples from Germans, Byzantines or Slavs. On the other, it could reflect the figurative value that the adjective latino had acquired over time.

As for its geographical distribution, Rossoni notes the presence of the surname in Galluccio, in the Caserta area, and in the region of Apulia, in particular in Ruffano, in the area between the provinces of Taranto and Lecce.