The surname Zola is interpreted, according to the main scholars, from a multiple origin, with possible roots both toponymic and anthroponymic. E. De Felice notes that it may derive from various place names frequent in northern Italy, such as Zola Predosa (in the province of Bologna) or Zolla (in the Trieste area), which would indicate a geographical provenance. In these cases, the surname would identify families originating from those places or linked to them.

The same author adds a second way of formation, especially in the regions of the Venezie, where Zolo (feminine Zola) would be an aphaeretic hypocoristic of Anzolo or Angiolo (feminine Angiola), that is, an abbreviated form arisen from the loss of the initial syllable. Likewise, he mentions that in old Venetan zòla could mean "little kid (goat)", which opens the possibility of an origin from nicknames linked to the rural world.

For his part, E. Rossoni simplifies this interpretation by indicating that the surname would derive from variations of the name Angiola, reinforcing the anthroponymic origin. As a whole, the surname Zola reflects a complex formation, where derivations of personal names, geographical references and nicknames may coexist, all typical of the linguistic and cultural context of northern Italy.