The authors agree that this surname derives from the Latin mons / montis ("mountain"), whether as a generic designation of an upland locality or as a reference to specific place names containing that root, frequent throughout Italy. P. Canè defines it directly as a demonym, with the sense of "native of the mountains".

E. De Felice notes that at the base of the surname may be found both generic designations of a mountain locality and specific place names: Monte and Monti —very common throughout the Italian peninsula—, Montella (in the province of Avellino), Montecchi (in the provinces of Vicenza, Reggio Emilia, Pescara and Terni), Montigiano (in the province of Lucca), Montesano sulla Marcellana (in the province of Salerno) and Montesano Salentino —this last proper to the Salento area, that is, the southernmost zone of the region of Puglia, in southern Italy—. He adds that, in rare cases in Tuscany, this surname may reflect medieval hypocoristics such as Monte (from Buondelmonte) or Montese (from Chiaromontese).

F. De Laurentiis agrees with De Felice on the possibilities of formation and stresses that the surname is more frequent in Lombardy and in Emilia-Romagna. R. Brondolo, by contrast, prefers an alternative reading: the shortened form Mont of the name Raimondo, with a predominant presence in northern Italy.

The surname is held to have become established between the 13th and 14th centuries, and is recorded with a notable presence in Puglia, Calabria, Campania, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna and Liguria.