G. Rohlfs identifies this surname as of Greco-Byzantine origin, present in the Catanzaro area and in the Reggio Calabria area, as well as in localities of their provinces such as Crotone, Vallelonga, Palmi, Polistena and the Aspromonte; he likewise notes a presence in the region of Campania. He derives it from the Greek μαραθιώτης, which designated the "native of Μαραθία", a place name that in turn means "place of fennel". Rohlfs reads it as a reflection of the Byzantine presence in southern Italy.

P. Durante proposes a different etymology, likewise of Greek base, but derives it from amaurós phyè, with the sense of "black nature". This reading has no relation to Rohlfs's toponymic account and the two must be considered separately, since the sources offer no elements for reconciling them.