The surname Zita is interpreted, according to the main scholars, from possible diverse origins that combine religious tradition and formation from nicknames. A. Bongioanni links it with a female given name of uncertain etymology, diffused especially in the Lucca area thanks to the cult of a local saint of the 13th century, much venerated in that city and considered patron of the guild of maidservants. In this context, the surname would have arisen from that personal name, transmitted later as a hereditary surname.

For his part, E. Rossoni proposes a complementary interpretation, indicating that these surnames could derive from dialectal nicknames based on the terms zito and zita ('bridegroom', 'bride'), documented already in the 15th century. These nicknames, linked to social situations or personal characteristics, would have given rise to forms that over time became fixed as surnames.