The consulted works concur in tracing this surname to an anthroponymic origin — that is, it derives from a personal name rather than a place or occupation. A. Bongioanni and V. Blunda both identify that personal name as an ancient Germanic compound formed from the elements aud/od ("wealth," "patrimony") and berht ("illustrious," "famous"), yielding an overall meaning of "illustrious for his wealth" or "famous for his goods," within the Germanic onomastic tradition that spread through Italy in the early medieval period.

Bongioanni documents several medieval forms of the name, including Autpertus, Autpert, and Audipert, and traces their evolution into Italian variants such as Audiberti, Odiberti, Oberti, and Operti. Blunda confirms this origin and emphasizes the surname's presence across different historical contexts, noting that connections with figures of medieval relevance contributed to its diffusion and consolidation in various regions of Italy. It is also recorded that the surname derives from the given name Uberto, an Italian form belonging to the same Germanic etymological family.