Many people believe that the name Befana is derived from the Italians' mispronunciation of the Greek word epifania or epiphaneia (Greek, επιφάνεια = appearance, surface, English: epiphany). Others point to the name being a derivative of Bastrina, the gifts associated with the goddess Strina. In the book Domestic Life in Palestine, by Mary E. Rogers (Poe & Hitchcock, 1865) the author notes:
ຫຼາຍຄົນເຊື່ອວ່າຊື່ Befana ແມ່ນມາຈາກການອອກສຽງຜິດຂອງຊາວອິຕາລີຂອງຄໍາພາສາເກຼັກ epifania ຫຼື epiphaneia (ກເຣັກ, επιφάνεια = ຮູບລັກສະນະ, ພື້ນຜິວ, ພາສາອັງກິດ: epiphany ). ຫລື ຊື່ແມ່ນຕົວກໍາເນີດຂອງ Bastrina, ຂອງຂວັນທີ່ກ່ຽວຂ້ອງກັບເທບທິດາ Strina. ໃນ​ປຶ້ມ ​Domestic Life in Palestine, ໂດຍ Mary E. Rogers (Poe & Hitchcock, 1865)