Podkogel was attested in written sources as Kogol in 1436 and Gugalitsch in 1484, among other names.[4] The name is a fused prepositional phrase that has lost case inflection, from pod 'below' + kogel 'rounded peak'.[5] In this case, it refers to the settlement's location below Kogelj Hill (elevation 600 meters or 2,000 feet), which rises northeast of the village.