The authors agree that this surname derives from the personal name Ponzio, from the Latin nomen Pontius, the equivalent of the Spanish "Ponce" and the French "Ponce." Its transformation into a surname also gave rise to the variants Ponzi and Ponzio.

F. Miranda notes that the surname is diffused throughout Italy, with a notable presence in Lazio and Piedmont, as well as in Sicily, Campania, Apulia, Lombardy, Liguria, Calabria, Basilicata, Veneto and Tuscany. In Sicily it appears in almost all the provinces, especially in the Catania, Trapani, Palermo, Messina and Enna areas.