Who was Kleenex tissue named after?
Kleenix was not named after anyone. Here is the explanation from the Kimberly-Clark/Kleenix web site. To explain how KLEENEX facial tissue got its name, it is necessary to go back to 1920 and the development of our first consumer product, KOTEX feminine napkins. Our KOTEX trademark was derived from the words ‘cotton texture,’ and met our requirements for being short, easy to say, easy to remember, and easy to explain. KLEENEX tissue was originally designed in 1924 as a cold cream {remover;} hence, the ‘Kleen’ portion of the word was coined to convey the cleansing purpose. We then added the ‘ex’ from KOTEX in order to convey what was the beginning of a family of products. In 1930, the name was changed from KLEENEX cleansing tissue to KLEENEX facial tissue. The trademark KLEENEX was registered with the U.S. Patent Office. The KLEENEX trademark identifies KLEENEX as a brand name which may only be used to designate products manufactured by Kimberly-Clark.
