According to E. De Felice, this is a rare surname, typical of the Salento area —that is, the southernmost zone of the Apulia region, in southern Italy—, formed from the place name Zollino (province of Lecce), which indicates an origin linked to the family's place of provenance.

For his part, E. Rossoni agrees with this interpretation and notes that the surname would derive precisely from the Lecce place name Zollino, considered the probable place of origin of the founding ancestors. In this sense, it is a clear example of a toponymic surname, arisen to identify those who came from that locality.