They are called French fries because "to french something" is to cut it into thin slices. The French themselves don't call their fries "French".
French fries are called chips in some places because in France when you cut something they call it chips. So therefore, they call french fries chips in some places.
The British call "french fries" "Chips".
Chips
We call them chips because there basically chips of a potato. Similarly what you call chips or potato chips we call crisps because you fry them to a crisp... If anything you Americans should call your "fries" chips because they are chips and your "potato chips" crisps because there fried to a crisp! +++ Also [French] Fries are usually cut thinner than British chips, so are not quite the same thing.
Fish and chips ... really is fish and chips. The fish is usually cod/haddock in batter or breadcrumbs. Chips are (what Americans call) fries.
I believe it is England.
We call them 'chips' in other countries they are known as 'fries' or 'French fries' the confusion arises in America, American 'chips' are what the British call 'crisps' a very thin slice of potato deep fried until crisp and golden.
French fries (American Term) are called chips in the UK. If you ask for chips in the US you will get what the British refer to as crisps.
"French fries" is an Americanism, and no one knows who first used the term. In Britain they are called chips. What the British call crisps are called potato chips by the Americans. The French call French fries pommes de frits, i.e. fried potatoes.
potato chips because french fries soak up more oil
In Germany we have adopted the French term and call them (die) Pommes frites (pronounced 'pom-FRIT'). They are also nicknamed Pommes (now with a German pronunciation POM-muhs) in most of German or Fritten (pronounced FRIT-n) in areas closer to the Belgian/French border.
Use a Vietnamese/English dictionary...but in Australia they call French Fries potato chips.
The Australian term (not slang) for French fries is "chips".