E. De Felice, E. Rossoni and P. Regati agree that the surname derives from the place name Sanguineto —frequent in Liguria—, a name given to localities characterized by shrubs of sanguine or bloody dogwood.

De Felice specifies that the place name Sanguineto is common in Liguria, in the province of Genoa, near Chiavari, and that Sanguinetto appears in the province of Verona. He notes that Sanguinetti, in the north-east, is frequently a surname of Jewish families.

Rossoni adds that both surnames are typically of the region of Liguria, although Sanguinetti is rarer and has secondary nuclei also in Emilia, Sardinia and Piedmont. He considers possible a derivation from the place name Sanguineto in the vicinity of Finale Ligure, although he judges it more probable that they derive from the term sanguineto, which designates a wood of dogwoods. He documents the transformation into a surname in Milan in the 17th century and in Vignola, in the Modena area, in 1643.

Regati agrees on the toponymic base and places it near Chiavari.