The authors agree that this is a toponymic surname, derived from Mineo, a locality in the province of Catania, in Sicily. E. De Felice notes that it is very frequent in Sicily and links it directly to that place name. E. Rossoni specifies its distribution within the island: besides the Catania area —with a presence at Caltagirone, Maletto, Randazzo and Paternò—, he records important areas at Palermo and Bagheria, as well as at Trapani, Erice, Marsala, Mazara del Vallo and Favignana.

F. Miranda broadens the analysis with historical and etymological data: Mineo corresponds to the ancient Menai or Menainon (Greek Μεναινων), homeland of the Sicel king Ducetius, whose Greek etymology would mean "camp of the soldiers". The surname would allude to the first bearer native to that place. Miranda also extends the geographical distribution to Syracuse, Floridia, Acate, Pozzallo, Ragusa and several municipalities of the Enna area, such as Agira, Centuripe, Leonforte and Regalbuto. Outside Sicily, he notes a scattered presence in Lombardy, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Piedmont.