E. Rossoni notes that this surname is of Jewish origin and derives from a translation of the Hebrew term kohanim ("priests"), from which in turn comes kohen, the term that designates the religious officiant and that gives rise to the Hebrew surname Cohen. The surname presents zones of presence in Milan and in Turin. The variant Sacerdoti, also of Jewish origin, is recorded in Milan and in Rome.

R. Brondolo, on the other hand, considers it a name assigned to people of Jewish origin, but links it to a translation of the Hebrew term Levi, and places it in northern Italy.

Both authors agree on the Jewish character of the surname; the discrepancy lies in the Hebrew etymon of reference: Rossoni associates it with kohanim and Brondolo with Levi. It should be noted that, in the Jewish tradition, kohanim and Levi designate two distinct priestly lineages, which could explain that the surname Sacerdote arose as a translation of both terms in different communities.