The surname Noto and its derivatives, such as Nota, Noti, Note, Notini, Notaro and probably others, have their origin in the place name Noto, a locality in the province of Syracuse, Sicily. Noto is the name of a Sicilian city located in the province of Syracuse, known for its Baroque historic centre, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2002.

The place name Noto derives from the ancient Greek name Netum or Neiton (in ancient Greek Νέτον or Νεῖτον), which means "place of poisons", referring to the marshy waters, which were considered unhealthy and were therefore associated with the presence of snakes and other venomous animals.

The name Netum was later Latinized as Nettum and then as Nota.

The surname Noto is mainly distributed in Italy, present in several regions, especially in Sicily, but also in Lombardy, Piedmont, Calabria, Campania and others. It is not, however, particularly common; in fact, it does not figure in the list of the 100 most common Italian surnames.

Illustrious families with the surname Noto

The Noto family represents an old and illustrious line of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, endowed with noble virtues that have been transmitted over the centuries and have spread through several regions of Italy.

According to historical sources, such as the notes of the celebrated 17th-century historian and genealogist Filadelfo Mugnos, the first known members were the Palermitan knights Nicolò and Giacomo (di) Noto, father and son, natives of the city of Noto.

The Historical-Heraldic Dictionary of the noble and notable Italian families, extinct and flourishing, by Giovanni Battista di Crollalanza, mentions the Noto families, including the Noto family of Malta, which had an ancient and prestigious ancestry. Its coat of arms is composed of a silver shield with a black lion. It also refers to the Noto family of Palermo.