The authors agree that the surname derives from a nickname linked to the peacock, attributed to someone who appeared handsome, showy or vain. E. De Felice notes that the base term is pavone, with the old or regional variant paone and the feminine pavonessa or paonessa, and that the predominant figurative sense is that of a "vain person, one who is pleased with themselves or displays the merits of others." F. Miranda adds that the nickname became a given name during the Late Middle Ages, before turning into a surname.

Both authors agree that the surname may also have a toponymic origin, derived from localities such as Pavone Canavese, in the Turin area, or Pavone del Mella, in the Brescia area. Miranda further adds the locality of Pavona, in the Rome area. De Felice specifies that the toponymic variant is more characteristic of northern Italy.

The surname has independent origins in different regions of Italy. Miranda indicates that it is present throughout the country, with a greater concentration in Sicily, Abruzzo, Apulia, Lombardy, Lazio, Calabria and Campania. In Sicily it appears in every province, with a particular frequency in the Catania, Messina, Ragusa, Syracuse, Palermo and Caltanissetta areas.