The consulted works concur in identifying Oberti as a surname of anthroponymic origin, derived from the medieval given name Oberto or Uberto, documented in Italy from the early Middle Ages. It is a name of Germanic root attested from at least the eighth through eleventh centuries, with early variants such as Operto, Audiperto, and Uberto, each reflecting different linguistic traditions of Lombard and Germanic origin.

E. De Felice and E. Rossoni both trace the etymology to the Germanic compound Audhalberht, formed from audha- ("wealth," "power") and -bertha ("bright," "illustrious"), yielding the sense of "illustrious or famous for his power or wealth." Rossoni further proposes a possible connection with the Franco-German name Hug(u)berth — cognate with the French Hubert — thus broadening the interpretative range within Germanic onomastics. It is recorded under the form Audalbert, preserving the same general meaning.

Geographically, De Felice and Rossoni situate the surname primarily in northwestern Italy. In the area of Piedmont, the related forms Oberto, Audiberto, Operti, and Operto are noted as characteristic, while in Liguria the forms Oberti and Obertello predominate. The surname's distribution extends as far as Tuscany.