The authors agree that the surname derives from the name of the month of March, linked to the cult of the Roman god Mars. E. Rossoni specifies that these are dialect modifications of the diminutive of the medieval name Marzo or Marzia, themselves derived from the Latin Martius, Martia. The name of the month could refer to the birth of the founder of the line during that month, or else be linked to the historical figure Ancus Martius, the fourth king of Rome. F. De Laurentiis agrees in noting the link with the god Mars and the idea of "born in March".

Rossoni describes the geographical distribution of the various forms of the surname. Marzola has a presence in the Bologna, Ferrara, Rovigo, Padua and Venice areas, as well as in Rome and in Abruzzo. Marzoli is very widespread in Lombardy, in the Modena and Florence areas, in the Marche, in Lazio and in the Pescara area. Marzolla is recorded in the Rovigo, Latina and Bari areas. Marzulli is clearly of Puglia, especially of the Bari area, while Marzullo appears in Lazio, Campania, the Bari area, the Cosenza area and Sicily.