The authors agree that this surname may derive from the medieval name Turtora or Turtura, which designates the turtledove, a bird used as a Christian symbol of innocence and modesty. E. De Felice notes that the term already appears documented as Turtura in late Latin, and that in southern Italy the form turtura also circulated, while in the Emilian area the dialectal variant turturenna is recorded. Both authors also agree that, in some cases, the surname may derive from the place names Tortora, in the Cosenza area, or Tortorella, in the Salerno area.

E. Rossoni adds that the transformation into a surname is documented as early as the Middle Ages: the Codice Diplomatico della Lombardia Medievale records a related form in a deed of 1183. He also notes that the surname presents multiple independent stems of origin (ceppi), arisen in different regions without a direct relation between them. The variants Tortora and Tortorella are diffused throughout the centre-south, with a special presence in Campania; Tortorelli is concentrated in the Matera area; Tortoriello appears in the Naples and Salerno areas; Turtura is located in the Bologna area; and Turturiello is recorded in Naples, in the Salerno area and in the Potenza area.