The surname Repetto is considered to have its roots in the medieval period and may be related to the Latin term repeto ("to repeat, to ask again or to begin again"). A historical interpretation suggests that it could have been used in a medieval context to refer to people who were forced to change location frequently, perhaps because of exile or other circumstances.

A document of 1270 mentions a man named Giovanni Repetto as "a man who has repeatedly changed his house," which would suggest a direct connection between the surname and the practice of exile. This could indicate that the surname Repetto was assigned to those who, for various reasons, had to begin again in a different place.

The presence of the surname is considered especially notable in the communities of Liguria, with the families Repetto, Repetti and Repetta of Genoa, which also have coats of arms.

Among the derived surnames are recorded Repetto, Repetti, Repetta, Repettini, Repettato, Repettonato, Repettinetti, Repettino, Repettone and Repettucci.

P. Regati agrees on the Latin origin and specifies that the surname seems to derive from repeto, translated as "to go against, to assault, to take up again."