The authors agree that this is a typically Sicilian surname, with a presence in the provinces of Catania, Palermo, Messina and Enna, although it is also recorded in other regions of northern and central Italy, such as Lombardy, Tuscany, Veneto, Piedmont, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, Trentino-Alto Adige and Campania.

F. Miranda notes that the surname derives from forms such as Prestigiovanni or Prestigianni, all linked to the term preste, which designates a priest, and to the name Giovanni. Taken together, the surname would come to mean "priest named Giovanni." Miranda indicates that preste comes from the Latin presbyter, "priest."

G. P. Holmes supplies that the first element, presti, is of Norman origin, and combines it with Janni, a dialectal form of Giovanni, resulting in the idea of "priest Gianni." This precision about the Norman origin of the element presti complements Miranda's analysis.