Originally a local nickname of somebody who "steals grapes" from vineyards. In Genoa pittà means "to pick" and uga is "grapes" (uva in ). It is typical of the Genoa region.

The surname Pittaluga is of nickname origin and derives from a Genoese dialect expression. On this point E. Rossoni and P. Regati agree, linking it with the locution pittâ l'ûga, which means 'to peck at the grapes'.

This expression could have given rise to a nickname related to rural activities, especially the grape harvest or work with grapes, although it could also have had a figurative or ironic value. In this way, the surname reflects a designation arisen in the Ligurian dialect sphere, later fixed as a hereditary surname.