The authors agree that this is a Sicilian surname of dialectal origin, derived from the Sicilian word tinàgghia, meaning "pincers". E. Rossoni notes that the term probably alludes to a tool linked to the trade of the original family stem, and locates its main stems in the Palermo and Agrigento areas.

V. Blunda specifies that tinàgghia designates the tool with articulated jaws used by blacksmiths and carpenters, and broadens the interpretation of the nickname: it could have been applied both to someone devoted to smithing and to a person known for clinging firmly to their convictions.