E. Rossoni proposes a Greek etymology based on the ancient verb πράττω (pratto), which means 'to toil' or 'to strive', with the sense of a very active and tireless person; a characteristic that, according to this author, would have been attributed to the founders of the family. Rossoni places the origin of the surname in the Reggio Calabria area.

G. Rohlfs agrees on the Greek-Byzantine origin of the surname, but derives it from the Greek adjective πρακτικός ('active'), and documents its presence in a broader territory: the cities of Catanzaro and Reggio Calabria, the Calabrian-Lucanian area —in particular Praia—, the province of Catanzaro (Pizzo, Tropea) and the province of Reggio Calabria (Bova, Montebello, Roccella). Rohlfs further extends the geographic distribution to the regions of Campania and Sicily. He also notes that Pratticò is a sister form of the surname, and warns that in Argentina it may appear without the accent, as Pratico.

Both authors agree on the Greek origin of the surname and on its semantic link with the idea of activity or dynamism, although they differ in the precise etymon: Rossoni points to a verb of action, while Rohlfs resorts to an adjective of more common use in late Greek, consistent with the Greek and Byzantine influence that historically characterized Calabria.