Its generic name comes from Greek and means "two-winged fruits".

The greatest diversity of Dipterocarpus species occurs on Borneo, with many endemic to the island.

The oldest fossil of the genus, and Dipterocarpaceae, is from the latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Intertrappean Beds of India.

[4] The genus is of considerable importance as timber trees and for producing resinous oil.

[5] D. turbinatus, gurjan, is a major commercial timber species found in the Andaman islands.