Nicotine is named after Jean Nicot, the French ambassador to Portugal who brought tobacco and smoking to the French court in the mid-sixteenth century as a medicine.
Nicotine is named after the tobacco plant Nicotiana tabacum, which in turn is named after Jean Nicot de Villemain
He sent tobacco and seeds to Paris in 1560, presented it to the French King, and who promoted their medicinal use.
Smoking was believed to protect against illness, particularly the plague.
Source: wikipedia.com
