E. De Stefani documents this surname in Villamezzo —a frazione of Paularo, in the mountainous zone of the Carnia, province of Udine— from the beginning of the 16th century, as well as in Billerio, a frazione of Magnano in Riviera, in central Friuli. The etymology he holds interprets it as a nickname formed from the present participle of the Friulian revelâ, "to turn over, to turn around," applied to one who tilled the soil; in the alpine zones surnames formed in this way are not rare. As an alternative lead, he notes a connection with the Middle High German rëvelen, "to sew, to repair," and the noun rëveler, "shoemaker."

De Stefani also records the personal name Revelando in Friulian documents from the beginning of the 15th century. The ending in -(l)ando would suggest a Germanic origin, although the first part does not appear as an identified Germanic element in the repertoires consulted. In time, the form became a surname.

E. Rossoni, on the other hand, places it in the Magnano in Riviera and Tarcento area, and derives it from a dialect nickname linked to the particularly rebellious character of the ancestor who gave rise to the line.