The authors agree that the surname originates in a dialect term, coming from the dialect word scàndola, which designates a "small board for roof covering" or wooden shingle, related to the Bergamasque term schintù, "spur, splinter"; both words derive from a hypothetical Lombard *skint, comparable to the German verb schinden, "to flay." As a related surname, Scandolera is mentioned, with a presence documented in the Val Seriana, in the Bergamo area.

E. Rossoni proposes a different etymology: all the surnames of this family —Scandella, Scandellari and Scandelli— would derive from nicknames linked to the word scandella, which designates a drop of oil in a liquid. Rossoni further specifies the geographic distribution: Scandella is specific to the Bergamo area, Scandellari is typical of the Bologna area and Scandelli corresponds to the Crema area. The same author notes that already in the 13th century various families with this surname are documented in the valleys of the Bergamo area.