The name Grand Puy Lacoste comes from a combination of its location and the name of one of the original owners of the Pauillac estate. Puy is a French topographical term designating the elevations rising from the mostly flat surrounding landscapes found in numerous Bordeaux vineyards.

The second part of the estate's name, Lacoste, is the name of the family who owned the property from the start of the eighteenth century until the conclusion of the nineteenth century as you will see.