The authors agree that this surname has its base in the personal name of Germanic origin, of Frankish tradition, Altiero, and that its main distribution is concentrated in southern Italy, with special presence in the Naples area.

E. De Felice offers the most detailed etymological analysis: the first element can be either *alda-, with the sense of "old, wise, expert", or *audha-, "power, might, wealth"; the second element is *haria-, "army", which over time lost its specific meaning and came to function as a formative suffix. The variants Autiero and Otiero appear more frequently in northeastern Sicily, and the name is documented in Genoa in the 12th century as Auterius. De Felice notes that French intermediation would explain the forms in Au- and in O-, given that in France the surnames Autier, Authier and Odier are common. The surname is rare and almost sporadic in Liguria, Emilia and Tuscany.

S. Vannozzi agrees on the Germanic base and notes that the surname comes from the medieval name Altiero, with the variant Ottiero, whose meaning is "skilful" and "powerful thanks to arms". Vannozzi indicates presence in the Molise region.

V. Blunda stresses that the surname spread throughout Italy, including Sicily.