E. De Felice considers that it is a Sicilian surname formed from the second component of the place name Calascibetta, in the Enna area, which in turn is an adaptation of the Arabic name recorded in 851: Kalat-Šibet.

E. Rossoni agrees on the Sicilian character of the surname and on the possible relation with Calascibetta —through the suppression of the initial syllable (aphaeresis)—, but adds that it could also derive directly from the Arabic word Scibeth, which means "point" or "peak." Rossoni places its presence mainly in the Palermo, Caltanissetta and, above all, Agrigento areas.