The surname Puddu is of nickname origin and derives from the Sardinian term puddu ("chicken," "rooster"), from the Latin pullus. On this point E. De Felice and E. Rossoni agree, noting that it is a byname already documented in the Middle Ages, with old forms such as Pullu in the Sardinian Condaghi.

E. De Felice further highlights its semantic correspondence with surnames such as Gallo, while E. Rossoni adds that the term could also have a symbolic value as "son" or "offspring," even with religious connotations in the local context. In this way, the surname reflects a designation based on the animal world and on figurative uses of language, consolidated early as a hereditary surname in Sardinia.