The surname Paba is of nickname origin and derives from the Sardinian term paba, the equivalent of papa ("pontiff"). On this point E. Rossoni notes that it is a byname applied in relation to this religious title, probably to indicate a person of authority or linked to the ecclesiastical sphere.

E. Rossoni further mentions a possible alternative interpretation linked to the term pala ("slope" or "shoulder"), although he considers it less probable from the historical point of view. In this way, the surname reflects mainly a nickname of a religious character, later consolidated as a hereditary surname in the Sardinian sphere.