The epitheton is a compound of Latin spira (spiral) and embolus, referring to the long large embolus.
The generic name Podokesaurus is derived from Greek word podokes (ποδοκες) meaning "swift-footed", an epitheton often used by Homer in the Iliad to describe the hero Achilles, and sauros (σαυρος) meaning "lizard"; thus "swift-footed lizard".