According to one theory, it was called 'Tsutsumi no Monogatari' because various stories (monogatari) were wrapped (tsutsumi) so that the stories might not come apart; then it was related to a real person, Tsutsumi Chunagon (FUJIWARA no Kanesuke) and in the end became 'Tsutsumi Chunagon Monogatari.'
複数の物語をばらけないように包んでおいたため「つつみの物語」と称され、それがいつの間にか実在の堤中納言（藤原兼輔）に関連づけられて考えられた結果「つつみ」中納言物語となったのではないか。