Despite their name, French braids do not have a French origin. The oldest image containing those braids is from 6,000-year-old rock art on the Tassili n’Ajjer mountain range in Algeria. Some ancient Greek art also features these braids. It is not surprising that they are so universal and pop up frequently throughout history. They are an excellent way of neatly accounting for all of the hair on your head, getting it out of the way when you are doing strenuous activity, and helping to frame your face. The only reason Americans tend to call this style “French” is likely because of an association with French fashion trends. A short story published in 1871 mentioned a French braid hairstyle.