- The brand name Kleenex was coined after the earlier brand Kotex. Kotex is said to derived from "cotton" and "texture," hinting that the product was soft like cotton. "Kleen" is a creative spelling of "clean." -Ex is likely just a created add-on. Perhaps it could be a new suffix for brand names, like Celebrex and Clerex. Kleenex has been widened to include all tissues in such a way that people come use the name of two competing brands while trying to specify one. (See example in Source.)
Kleenex
blending; noun
A specific brand of tissue; a general name for tissues
Etymology : Clean from Old English clæne; Kotex from the brand made in the 1920s - Etymology from etymonline
Source : Friend. "Get me some Angel Soft Kleenex at Target." (9/25/2013)
Last modified: 12 December 2013