Possible Sicilian surname, typical e Sicilian commune ro (Agrigento).

The sources propose different etymologies for this surname. E. Rossoni holds that all the variants derive, directly or through dialectal modifications, from the medieval name Venerius, linked to the goddess Venus. The most famous figure associated with this family was the doge of Venice Antonio Venier (1382–1400).

V. Blunda, on the other hand, proposes for the Sicilian variant a different dialectal origin: it would come from the word vènnari, meaning "Friday", a day whose name derives from the Latin dies Veneris. The onomastic motivation would have been the date of birth, and the surname could have arisen from a nickname applied to one who was born on that day of the week.

As for the geographical distribution, Rossoni notes that the variant Venere is located in Apulia; Veneri, in the Verona and Mantua area, with a possible secondary nucleus in Tuscany; Venier is typically Venetan; Venieri corresponds to the Ravenna area; Veniero is concentrated in the Naples area —specifically in Piano di Sorrento and Meta— and in Palermo; and Venir appears in Friuli, in localities such as Basiliano, Majano and Udine.