E. Rossoni proposes as the most probable origin that these are diminutive variants of the medieval name Ramus, documented in the Sienese charters of the year 1281. He adds as alternative hypotheses a derivation from nicknames linked to the word ramo ("branch"), or else from variants of the Late Latin name Armella.

Ramella is considered a surname of north-western Italy, with a presence especially marked in Piedmont (Biella, Novara, Alessandria, Cuneo) and in bordering areas of Liguria. Its origin is not single, but responds to two great historical lines that over time overlapped.

As the main hypothesis in Piedmont, a matronymic origin is put forward: the surname would derive from the medieval feminine name Armella/Armellina, documented in Piedmont from the 12th century. Ramella would originally mean "the children or the family of Armella."

As a second line, especially in Liguria and in rural spheres of alpine Piedmont, the surname derives from the term ramo: in a botanical sense (tree branch, vegetation), topographic (houses situated among groves) or genealogical (a secondary branch of a larger family). In this case, it would express belonging to a derived line or to a characteristic natural environment.

Among the direct variants are recorded Ramelli, Ramello and Ramellini, and among the forms documented in nearby or derived areas, Rametta —especially in Sicily, in the Avola and Syracuse area—, Ramini, Raminella, Ramolini and Ramoni (in Lazio and the Verbano area). With independent development and greater diffusion appears Ramazzotti, whose origin could be in the place name Ramazzano (in the Perugia area) or in the term ramazza ("broom"), which would suggest an old relation with a trade of cleaning or maintenance.

As to the distribution in Italy, the historical nucleus of Ramella is located in Piedmont (Biella, Novara, Alessandria, Cuneo) and Liguria. Ramelli expanded towards the Po plain, with a presence in Emilia (Piacenza and Parma). Ramellini is a reduced variant, localized in Novara and Milan. Rametta represents a reinterpretation and fixation in the south, in Sicily (Avola, Syracuse). Ramoni shows a possible parallel evolution in Lazio and the Verbano, and Ramazzotti appears in the centre-north as a variant of toponymic or occupational origin.