Most experts believe there was a Dr. Condom--or perhaps a Dr. Conton, who was fond of a method of birth control that is evident in the name.

The experts do not agree, however, on who he was. One theory is that he was in some way associated with the court of King Charles II. He may have been court physician to the king, and thus supplied His Majesty with the royal birth control devices. One version says that the king was so delighted with the invention that he made Condom a knight. Another source traces the word to a mid-17th century Colonel Condum of Britain's Royal Guards.

Some word watchers doubt there was a Dr. Condom at all. They claim condom is simply derived from the Latin "condus," which means receptacle. In any case, condom use predates the court of King Charles II. The first known published description and clinical trials of condoms were recorded by Gabrielle Fallopius. His sheath was made of linen.

There is a town in France called Condom, by the way. It's the center for the production of Armagnac, a type of brandy. Town officials say that they have to replace the sign bearing the name of their town five or six times a year. They are frequently stolen by British tourists. The French word for "condom" is "preservatif."