Why are "ear lobes" called "ear lobes?"

Hmm..."ear lobe" does sound like one of those "imponderables," doesn't it?  Kind of like asking why they call a "toe" a "toe?"  Actually, there is a good reason why it is called an "ear lobe."  Let's take a look:

First, "ear."  From what I researched, "ear" just means "ear."  Though it comes from the old English eare, which is related to the Dutch oor (and German ohr,) which come from Latin "auris." Translated, "auris" doesn't mean anything cool or fancy...it just means "ear" (the organ related to hearlng.)

The "lobe" is the part you are more interested in, but even this doesn't exactly have a cool origin when connected to "ear lobe."  A lobe is, according to Webster's

"a roundish and flattish part of something, typically each of two or more such parts divided by a fissure, and often projecting or hanging."

So, as you can see, the little flattish part of skin that hangs from the ear itself is, by definition, a lobe.  There is no cool historical origin to the words "ear lobe."  It just follows their standard definition.

Hope this helped!