Why is French kissing called French kissing anyway? Well, the French kiss was first known as ‘maraîchinage’, a term to describe the prolonged and deep tongue kiss practised by the Maraîchins, inhabitants of Brittany, France in the 1920s. The name is derived from the idea that the French are sexually liberated and even promiscuous. Yet even though the French invented the French kiss, that does not mean they are all good at it. Like most of us, they need to train and maintain their techniques. And even the French sometimes need professional help to improve their love lives.