The surname Zerbinato is interpreted, according to the main scholars, from an anthroponymic origin typical of the Venetan area. E. Rossoni notes that it is a patronymic form built with the suffix -ato, characteristic of that region, which would indicate "son of" or belonging to a family. In this case, the surname would refer to descendants of a Zerbi or Zerbino, personal names or nicknames from which the lineage would have originated.

For his part, F. De Laurentiis considers Zerbinato a variant of Zerbini, which reinforces the idea that it forms part of a same group of surnames derived from a common base (Zerbi/Zerbino), with different adaptations according to the zone and the evolution of the dialect.