'puzzler' originates from English, formed by adding the agent suffix '-er' to 'puzzle' ('puzzle' + '-er').

'puzzle' appeared in English in the late 16th century (c. 1580s); it likely developed within English (possibly influenced by an earlier verb 'pose' meaning 'to perplex') and acquired the noun senses 'a perplexing question' and then the agentive form 'puzzler' in later Modern English.

Initially, 'puzzle' (the verb) meant 'to perplex'; over time the noun 'puzzle' came to mean 'a perplexing problem or question', and 'puzzler' came to mean 'one who perplexes' or 'something that is perplexing'.