Today, every Thomas, Tom and Tommy you know shares a name day with the Greek tradition. Alongside them is the rarer Greek name Erotiis, a name most people will only encounter through Greek family and community circles, while Thomas travels easily through English, French, Spanish, Italian and far beyond.
Thomas comes into English through Latin Thomas and Greek Θωμᾶς, from Aramaic t’oma, meaning “twin.” The Greek New Testament also preserves the parallel name Didymos, which means the same thing in Greek, so the idea of doubleness sits at the centre of the name from the start. Erotiis, from Greek Ερωτηΐς, is a distinctly Greek formation tied to eros and eroto, the old Greek language of love and desire, giving it a lyrical, classical texture even now.
In the New Testament, Thomas the Apostle, also called Didymus, was remembered as “the Twin,” and became famous for first doubting the resurrection of Jesus and then openly confessing his faith when he saw the wounds after the Crucifixion. Early Christian tradition also linked him with journeys eastward, especially to India and Upper Mesopotamia, where he was said to have spent years preaching before later traditions placed some of his relics in Ortona, Italy. That story is why this name belongs to this date.
So today’s wishes can travel in a wide circle: to the uncle Tom who always wants one more fact before he is convinced, to the co-worker Thomas whose careful mind misses nothing, and to the old school friend Tommy you have not texted in months. And for Erotiis, the name feels at home with the cousin who brings warmth into every room, or the neighbour whose affection for people is generous and unmistakable.
Chronia Polla! to everyone celebrating today, Greek and non-Greek alike. If you know a Thomas, Tom or Tommy, this is a good day to send a quick happy name day message and share a small Greek custom they may never have known was also theirs.
