# Can you tell me about the name Didymus?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-about-the-name-didymus/308708>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 17, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-about-the-name-didymus/308708 "2005-06-17T14:51:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-about-the-name-didymus/308708/1 "2005-06-17T14:51:59Z")

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Didymus.  
I believe that is the spelling.  
I also believe that it is Greek.  
I have read it in reference to Saint Thomas, and as the first name of a police official in Zimbabwe.

Can anyone provide information on this name, meaning, significance, etc?

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**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-about-the-name-didymus/308708/2 "2005-06-17T15:02:24Z")

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According to my Bible Dictionary, the name means “twin” and is the Greek equivalent of Thomas.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-about-the-name-didymus/308708/3 "2005-06-17T15:06:23Z")

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According to Merriam-Webster, _didymos_ is the Greek word for testicle (_cf_ “epididymis”).

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**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-about-the-name-didymus/308708/4 "2005-06-17T15:17:18Z")

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> [@Earl Snake-Hips Tucker](#):
>
> According to Merriam-Webster, _didymos_ is the Greek word for testicle (_cf_ “epididymis”).

Things must be a lot different in Greece. In America, naming a kid “testicle” would be even worse than naming a son “Sue”. 😉

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**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-about-the-name-didymus/308708/5 "2005-06-17T15:22:53Z")

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> [@rfgdxm](#):
>
> Things must be a lot different in Greece. In America, naming a kid “testicle” would be even worse than naming a son “Sue”. 😉

On the other hand, how many Dicks and Peters do you know?

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**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-about-the-name-didymus/308708/6 "2005-06-17T21:30:38Z")

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They sure had a few words for “testicle”, them Greeks. ορχις is another, from which the flower the orchid got its name.