V. Blunda proposes a Sicilian dialect origin: the surname would derive from the word mùstica, which designates a ceramic jug or pitcher used for drinking water, a common piece on the peasant table. As a surname, it could have arisen from the trade of the potter specialized in making these vessels, or else from a nickname applied to one who carried or used them frequently.

P. Durante suggests, by contrast, a Greek origin, from the word mystikós, which points back to the idea of "initiate" or one belonging to the mysteries.

The two hypotheses are independent of each other and point to distinct motivations: the first, of a material and dialect character, belongs to the Sicilian onomastic tradition of surnames born from trades or everyday nicknames; the second connects the surname with ancient Greek, whose influence in southern Italy —especially in Sicily and Calabria— is documented from the time of Magna Graecia.