E. De Felice and E. Rossoni differ on the origin of the surname.

De Felice derives it from an original nickname of a mocking or pejorative tone ("a weak, vile man, who lets himself be ordered about or even kept by women"), or else from an occupational name ("the one who makes and sells ricotta"), from the term ricotta.

Rossoni, on the other hand, proposes that it derives from diminutive forms of the initial reduction of names such as Enrico, Federico, Alarico or Ulderico.

Rossoni further distinguishes the forms: Ricotta has a Sicilian area between the Palermo, Agrigento and Caltanissetta areas, one in the Potenza area and another in the Naples area; Ricotti seems of Pavese origin; Ricucci is typical of the Foggia area.