The toponym was suggested to Gerlache by Emil Racovitza, Romanian zoologist and botanist of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition, for Romanian scholar Grigore Cobălcescu, a geologist of European reputation.
The geographical designation was proposed to Gerlache by Emil Racovitza, a Romanian zoologist and botanist from the Belgian Antarctic Expedition, in recognition of Romanian scholar Grigore Cobălcescu, a renowned geologist.