Jonnies, rubbers, protection, sheath - whatever you call them, condoms are a simple and easy way to avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. And by far the biggest name in town -reportedly accounting for around 40 per cent of the world market - is Durex.

But what does Durex actually mean? For some it seems obvious, with many claiming it means 'before sex' - that is when you're likely to reach for a box, after all.

But for the real meaning you have to look back almost 100 years.

Durex traces its history back to 1915, when the London Rubber Company was founded. And it was 14 years later, in 1929, that it changed its name to Durex.

The moniker is actually an acronym, standing for Durability, Reliability, Excellence - all qualities essential in a condom. The true meaning behind the Durex name was recently revealed by Preply, an online language class platform, MailOnline.com reports.

One person on Instagram said: "I thought it was an acronym for DURing sEX." Meanwhile on X, another user wrote: "What I learned today: The Durex name stands for DUrability, Reliability, EXcellence."

Helen Ward, a professor of public health at Imperial College London, added: "I didn't know that Durex stands for DUrability, Reliability, EXcellence."

The company's website says: "We have more than 80 years of experience of manufacturing condoms. So it's hardly surprising that Durex are the world's leading condoms.

"All our condoms use only fine quality raw materials. And every single one is electronically tested for holes and imperfections. We lead the way in innovation too."