The surname Occhi and its variants derive from nicknames formed from the Italian term occhio ("eye"), used to describe physical or perceptual characteristics of the individual. On this point E. De Felice and F. De Laurentiis agree, noting that these bynames allude to evident traits such as the colour, form or size of the eyes, as well as to the expression of the gaze or the quality of the sight.

Along the same lines, E. Rossoni indicates that these surnames may derive both from the direct form and from diminutives, linked to physical particularities of the ancestor —such as an especially sharp sight or, in some cases, eyes of smaller size—, thus confirming the descriptive origin of the surname within the Italian onomastic tradition.