Climax
Apr 20, 2026

PEOPLE LEFT MIND-BLOWN AFTER JUST REALIZING WHAT DUREX STANDS FOR AND IT'S NOT WHAT YOU'D EXPECT

People are only just realizing what the brand Durex stands for - and it's not what you'd expect.

The condom brand has dominated the global market for what seems like the dawn of time, but few know what it's name actually stands for.

In actuality, it's been around 110 years, starting out as the London Rubber Company in 1915 before acquiring the name Durex in 1929 and seeking new horizons as a condom brand in the 1950s.

According to its lengthy history page, Durex shared many world-firsts that revolutionized the market.

It was the first to develop and use electronic testing on its products, it made the first 'anatomically shaped' rubber and in the 1970s, became the first condom brand to go global and advertise in most countries.

Fast forward to the end of the 1990s and Durex boasted a global 'quality seal' as standard and a range of colorful, flavored and latex-free versions, followed by ribbed and dotted condoms and lubricants throughout the 2000s.

There's a lot to choose from these days (Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

There's a lot to choose from these days

Yet what many people don't know is that its name cleverly comes from a kind of acronym - and it's not 'During Sex' as many have been led to believe.

Instead, according to the BBC, the name actually tips a hat to the company's ethos: DUrability, REliability and EXcellence.

The revelation has left dozens of people around the world stunned, admitting they never knew or really questioned the unusual name.

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