 Middle Dodd is properly the northern ridge of Red Screes, but was given the status of a separate fell by Alfred Wainwright in his "Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells" and that convention is followed here.His decision was based on its being "…the most striking object in a fine array of mountain scenery…"

The fell is named as the middle one of three Dodds when viewed from Hartsop, the others being (Low) Hartsop Dodd and High Hartsop Dodd.The names thus refer to position in the valley rather than height.