F. Miranda notes that this surname, together with its variant Paffumi, derives from a dialect modification of the medieval Greek name Pachymios. G. P. Holmes agrees in noting its origin in a given name of medieval Greek, without adding further information.

According to Miranda, the surname is concentrated mainly in Sicily, with a presence in the provinces of Catania, Messina, Enna, Palermo and Syracuse. In the Enna area it is documented in particular in the municipalities of Piazza Armerina and Regalbuto. Outside Sicily, it appears in specific areas of Lombardy, Lazio, Piedmont, Calabria, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia and Liguria.