Saccarello is a rare surname, derived from the base surname Sacco with the diminutive or hypocoristic suffix -arello, comparable to other derivatives such as Saccani, Saccucci, Saccardo, Sachetto or Saccavino. The surname Sacco has two main origins: toponymic (provenance from localities called Sacco) or as an aphaeresis of the personal name Isacco.

The distribution of Saccarello points especially to the Italian western alpine arc: Monte Saccarello, situated on the boundary between Liguria, Piedmont and the French Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, is a well-known place name that could have originated the surname through geographic provenance, indicating someone coming from or resident in that mountainous zone. Sacco as a base surname is diffused especially in Piedmont, Campania, Lombardy and Calabria, which suggests a northern or western Italian nucleus also for Saccarello.