The name Great Borne only really applies to the fell's summit area with most West Cumbrians actually referring to the fell as Herdus. However Bill Birkett in his Complete Lakeland Fells gives Great Borne and Herdus the status of separate fells, with Herdus' summit standing half a kilometre west of Great Borne with an altitude . The meaning of Great Borne translates from the French language meaning Great Boundary as in the 13th century the fell denoted the edge of the Loweswater forest, an alternative meaning has been put forward as Great Stream from the southern Old English language with bourne meaning a stream flowing from a spring.