Were honeycomb panels based on honeycombs?

Honeybees routinely build honeycombs, these possessing striking geometric features. 
Honeycomb panels - especially Aluminum - are routinely used in Aerospace. They have an incredible strength-to-weight ratio. 
I always wondering if there's a relationship between the honeycomb panels so often used in aircraft and the honeycombs built by bees.  Aerospace, yacht and motor racing designers use the phrase ‘Build lightness into your design’. Our honeycomb sandwich enables a designer to do just that. The honeycomb form provides stiffness, strength and light weight, whilst still offering a degree of flexibility. The technical terms for this are ‘high out-of-plane shear strength’ and ‘high out-of-plane compression properties’ in relation to other design options.
And that is why the plane panels are called honeycomb. The bees did not know it was stronger, but evolution selects for what works the best. Humans that are smart enough realize nature provides lots of similar well proven designs.