E. De Felice and E. Rossoni agree that the surname was formed from the place name Sala, widely represented with various determinations in numerous Italian regions.

De Felice specifies that, for Milan and upper Lombardy, where the surname is very common, the most relevant place names are Sala al Barro and Sala Comacina, in the province of Como.

Rossoni holds that Sala would seem specific to the central-western part of northern Italy, although a zone would also seem to exist in the west of Sicily, and that Della Sala is specific to Avellino and its province. He cites as examples Sala Comacina and Sala al Barro (in the Como area), Sala Biellese (in the Biella area), Sala Monferrato (in the Alessandria area) and Salaparuta (in the Trapani area). He adds as a possibility a derivation from the Lombard word sala ("manor house").

According to the edict of King Rothari of 643 —the code of the Lombard laws—, sala indicated "manor house," "country house" and "stable." He notes that there are many place names that have preserved the denomination sala, such as Sala al Barro, Sala Comacina, Sala di Calolziocorte or Sala di Vassena. He clarifies that, given the diffusion of the place name, this does not allow the identification of a single line of origin of the families with this surname, which is well rooted in the territory.