 The specification of "nel Sannio" is derived from the fact that the village is located in the ancient territory of Samnium, which was inhabited by the Italic tribes known as the Samnites.The name Cantalupo is thought either to derive from the Greek "Kata-Lupon", meaning "in the middle of the woods", or from the Bulgarian "Kan-Teleped", meaning "chief residence".The latter explanation is favoured due to the well-established Bulgar presence in the territory of Samnium going back at least to the 7th century.