The authors agree that this surname derives from a nickname linked to the word re ("king"), although they differ in the interpretative nuances. E. Rossoni notes that the nickname indicated that the ancestor occupied a position of prominence —such as that of a ship's captain, or rais— or else alluded to imperious or haughty attitudes. F. Miranda, by contrast, classifies it as a patronymic with the article lo placed before it, and indicates that it originates in the fixing as surnames of names or bynames related to re: the newborn "king" of the family celebration, the one chosen "king" of festivities or companies, or the one who won that title in contests of arts and crafts. Miranda also notes that this surname belongs to a broader family which includes variants such as Re, Del Re, De Rege and De Regibus, these last derived from the Latin declension rex-regis.

As for its distribution, both authors agree that Lo Re is proper to Sicily. Miranda specifies its presence in the Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Palermo, Messina, Catania and Enna areas. Rossoni adds a specific pocket in the province of Brindisi. Rossoni further documents related variants in the region of Puglia: Lorè, more widespread, with a presence in Altamura and Monopoli in the Bari area, in Palagiano and Pulsano in the Taranto area, and in San Vito dei Normanni in the Brindisi area; and Lore, a very rare form, located in the Bari area.