Where Does the Name Nylon Originate?

The Myth of New York and London

There is a persistent story about where the word nylon comes from. According to this popular tale, the name was created by combining New York and London, the two cities where the material was supposedly developed or first marketed. The story has been repeated so often that many people accept it as fact.

This explanation is almost certainly wrong. While it makes for a neat origin story, the actual history of the name is messier and, in some ways, more interesting. The truth involves corporate marketing decisions, legal concerns, and a good deal of trial and error before the final name was settled upon.

The New York and London theory appears to have emerged shortly after nylon was introduced to the public in the late 1930s. It spread quickly and has shown remarkable staying power. But DuPont, the American chemical company that invented nylon, has consistently denied this explanation over the years.

How Nylon Was Actually Developed

Nylon was first synthesised on 28 February 1935 by Wallace Carothers, a research chemist working at DuPont's laboratories in the United States. Carothers led a team investigating polymers, which are long chain molecules that form the basis of many synthetic materials.

The material he created was a thermoplastic, meaning it could be melted and reformed. It was silky in texture but entirely synthetic, containing no organic fibres whatsoever. This was a significant achievement at the time, as most textiles were still derived from natural sources such as cotton, wool, or silk.

DuPont initially used nylon for toothbrush bristles, replacing the animal hair that had been used previously. The first nylon bristle toothbrushes went on sale in 1938. But the material soon found a much larger market.

Nylon stockings were first showcased at the 1939 New York World's Fair before becoming widely available in 1940. They caused something of a sensation. Silk stockings had been expensive and prone to runs, while nylon offered a more affordable and durable alternative. The stockings proved so popular that the word nylons became a common term for women's hosiery, a term still used in some places today.

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The Real Origin of the Name

According to DuPont's own accounts, the naming process was lengthy and went through several stages. The company considered hundreds of possible names before settling on nylon.

One early candidate was apparently No-Run, referring to the hope that stockings made from the material would not develop runs or ladders as easily as silk ones did. However, this name was rejected because DuPont could not guarantee that the stockings would never run, and making such a claim could have created legal problems.

Some accounts suggest the name went through various modifications from this starting point, possibly becoming Nuron, then Niron, and eventually Nylon. The changes were made partly to avoid trademark conflicts and partly to create a name that was easy to pronounce and remember. However, it should be noted that no definitive documentary evidence confirms this exact sequence, and the story may itself be a form of corporate folklore.

What does seem clear is that DuPont settled on a name that was essentially arbitrary. It was chosen because it was distinctive and did not resemble any existing trademarks too closely. The company did not pursue a strongly enforceable trademark for the word nylon, which allowed it to become a generic term for the material rather than a protected brand name. This was partly a practical matter, as similar words already existed, though it also meant the material would be widely discussed and recognised even as other manufacturers began producing their own versions.

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Nylon During Wartime

The timing of nylon's introduction coincided with the Second World War, which had a significant effect on how the material was used and perceived.

During the war, nylon production was largely redirected to military purposes. The material was used for parachutes, ropes, tents, and other equipment. Natural materials like silk and rubber were in short supply, and nylon helped fill the gap. In the United States, nylon stockings became scarce on the civilian market, and their return after the war was eagerly anticipated.

In Britain, the war years accelerated interest in synthetic materials more broadly. The country's textile industry, concentrated in Lancashire and Yorkshire, had long depended on imported raw materials such as cotton and wool. The disruption of supply lines during both world wars highlighted the strategic value of materials that could be manufactured domestically from chemical feedstocks. British chemical companies, including ICI, were already developing their own synthetic fibres, and nylon's success in America intensified these efforts.

After the war ended, nylon production expanded rapidly. The material found applications in clothing and textiles, carpets, tyre cords, mechanical parts such as gears and bearings, packaging materials, fishing lines and nets, and even musical instrument strings. The versatility of nylon comes from its combination of strength, flexibility, and resistance to wear. Different formulations can produce materials with varying properties, making it suitable for applications ranging from delicate fabrics to heavy industrial components.

Why the Myth Persists

Given that the New York and London story has been questioned repeatedly, it may seem odd that it continues to circulate. There are several reasons why this kind of false etymology tends to stick around.

First, the story is memorable and easy to understand. Combining two famous city names into a single word is a neat concept that people can grasp immediately. The actual explanation, involving corporate naming committees and trademark concerns, is less romantic and harder to summarise.

Second, the story has been repeated so often that it has acquired a kind of authority through sheer repetition. Many people first heard it from a teacher, parent, or other trusted source, and had no reason to question it.

Third, there is a general tendency to assume that words must have meaningful origins. The idea that a major product name was chosen somewhat arbitrarily can feel unsatisfying. People often prefer explanations that give words a clear and logical derivation, even when the reality is more haphazard.

This pattern is not unique to nylon. The word posh, for example, is often said to stand for Port Out, Starboard Home, referring to the shaded side of ships travelling between Britain and India. This explanation is almost certainly untrue, but it remains widely believed because it offers a satisfying narrative.

The lesson, perhaps, is that attractive stories are not always accurate ones. When it comes to word origins, the truth is often messier and less dramatic than the myths that grow up around them.

For those interested in the history of synthetic materials and their development in Britain, the Science Museum in London holds collections relating to the textile industry and the introduction of new materials in the twentieth century. These archives offer a window into how nylon and other synthetics transformed British manufacturing, from the factory floor to the high street, reshaping what people wore and how everyday goods were made.

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