The surnames Rolandelli, Rolandi, Rolandini, Rolandino and Rolando are considered to have their origin in Italy, specifically in the regions of Liguria and Piedmont. They all derive from the medieval name Rolandus, which in turn comes from the Frankish name Roland, composed of the Germanic roots hrod ("glorious") and land ("land, country"). This name was popular in the Middle Ages, as its mention in historical documents such as the Codice Diplomatico della Lombardia Medioevale of the 12th century shows.

Rolandelli is a surname typical of Liguria, particularly in the Genoa, La Spezia, Sestri Levante, Chiavari and Lavagna areas. Rolandi is rarer and is found mainly in the Alessandria, Pavia and Milan areas. Rolandini is extremely rare and is located in the Alessandria area, as is Rolandino, which is probably a variant due to transcription errors. Rolando is more common in Piedmont and western Liguria, with a significant presence in Cuneo, Alessandria, Asti, Turin and Genoa; it also has important nuclei in Campania and Rome.

Historically, the Rolando family was notable in Piedmont, where they were lords of Campo and Romano, as well as co-lords of Castellamonte and Villarbasse.

The surnames go back to the medieval name Rolandus, derived in turn from the Frankish personal name Roland, from the Germanic roots hrod ("glorious") and land ("country"). Traces of Rolando are found in the Codice Diplomatico della Lombardia Medioevale of the 12th century. The Rolando were lords of Campo and Romano, and co-lords of Castellamonte and Villarbasse; among the notable figures is the Turin physician Luigi Rolando (1773–1831). Roland is typically of the valleys, with its original trunk in Torre Pellice (Turin), where traces are found as early as the 15th century.

V. Blunda, for the Sicilian variant, derives it from the Germanic compound Hroth Nanthaz, with the meaning of "bold through glory" or "famous brave one," formed from hroth ("glory, fame") and nanthaz ("bold, daring").

Blunda recalls that Roland, a paladin of Charlemagne, nephew of the emperor and prefect of the Breton march, died in the battle of Roncesvalles (15 August 778) during the withdrawal of the Frankish expedition through the Pyrenees. That historical episode was transfigured in the Chanson de Roland, composed around 1100, the first great literary monument in Old French and the foundational model of the medieval European epic genre.