E. De Felice considers that this surname is the adaptation of the Slovenian and Croatian name Stanko, a hypocoristic of Stanislav, equivalent to the Spanish "Estanislao". He places its presence especially in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with a focus on Trieste.

F. Miranda agrees in noting the northern origin of the surname and its probable derivation from the personal name Stanislaus, in its Slovenian variant Stanko and Polish Stanislav, meaning "perennial glory". However, Miranda adds a second hypothesis: adapted into Italian-Venetan as stanco —according to M. Francipane—, the surname could also derive from a nickname referring to a tired or exhausted person. He further notes that the variants of this surname, such as Stancovich, are more frequent in Friuli and Slovenia.

As for its geographical distribution, Miranda documents the presence of the surname in various regions of Italy. The main nucleus is located in the Campania region, particularly in the Avellino, Naples and Salerno areas. Smaller nuclei are also recorded in Sicily, Lombardy, Lazio, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Apulia and Piedmont. Within Sicily, the surname appears in the Catania area —in localities such as San Giovanni La Punta, Misterbianco and Paternò—, in the Enna area —in Gagliano Castelferrato, Troina and Regalbuto—, in the Syracuse area —in Melilli and Augusta—, and also in the Caltanissetta and Messina areas.