The authors agree that the surname derives from the term that designates curly hair. F. De Laurentiis links it directly to the surname Ricci. F. Miranda specifies that both Rizzato and its variant Rizzati come from modifications of the term riccio ("curl"), in probable reference to a physical trait of the first bearer.

According to Miranda, the surname is spread throughout northern Italy, with a notable presence in Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Liguria and Tuscany, besides areas of the centre and south such as Lazio and Apulia. In Sicily, its presence is limited to the Messina, Palermo and Enna areas, this last only in the comune of Regalbuto.