Shirin

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Persian
Meaning: “sweet.” شیرین
(SHEE-reen)

The name is from the Persian meaning, “sweet” and is a fairly classic female name in Iran. The name is found in an 800 year old epic romantic poem, Khosrow & Shirin, which recounts the exploits of an Armenian princess and her royal Persian lover. Her story may have been based on the eponymous favorite wife of the Sassanid King Khosrow II (c.628 CE).

Currently, Shirin is the 455th most popular female name in Germany.

The name is also used throughout Central Asia, including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Armenia.

Other forms of the name include:

• Şirin (Azeri/Kurdish/Turkish)

Wiebke, Viveka

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Frisian
Meaning: “war.”
Germ (VEEP-ke); Swe (VEE-vek-kah)

The name is derived from a Germanic element, wig, meaning, “war.” It was especially popular in Germany during the 1940s and became dated by the 1970s. It is currently experience a slight revival, coming in as the 470th most popular female name in Germany, (2011).

Its Swedish version of Viveka, (sometimes spelled Veveca, Vivica), gained attention in the English-speaking world through American actress, Vivica A. Fox (b.1964).

Other forms of the name include:

• Vibe (Danish)
• Vibeke (Danish/Norwegian)
• Viben (Danish)
• Vibeka (Faroese)
• Wibke (German)
• Viveka (Norwegian/Swedish)
• Vivikka (Norwegian)
• Wubbeke (Plattdeutsch)
• Wübbecke (Plattdeutsch)

Masculine forms include Wiebe (the 496th most popular male name in the Netherlands) and Wiebo.

Cosima

Gender: Feminine
Origin: German/Italian
Germ (KOH-zee-mah); It (KOH-zee-muh)

The name is a feminine form of Cosmas. It was introduced into Germany through Cosima Wagner (1837-1930) the daughter of Hungarian composer, Franz Liszt and the wife of German composer, Richard Wagner. She was the director of the Beyreuth Festival for 31 years.

Currently, Cosima is the 416th most popular female name in Germany, (2011). German supermodel, Claudia Schiffer, recently chose this name for her youngest daughter, Cosima Violet (b. 2010), as did writer and director Sofia Coppola the same year. It is also the name of Lady Cosima Windsor (b.2010) and Australian pop singer, Cosima De Vito.

Another German for is Kosima.

Pelin

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Turkish
Meaning: “wormwood.”
(PEL-een)

The name comes directly from the Turkish word for wormwood.

It is currently the 467th most popular female name in Germany, (2011).

Talea

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Frisian
Meaning: “noble.”
(TAH-leh-ah)

The name is derived from the Germanic element, adal (noble). It is sometimes used as a feminine form of Tale or Tole (a Frisian form of Thorleif), or it is viewed as the Frisian cognate of Adelheid.

Currently, Talea/Thalea is the 469th most popular female name in Germany, (2011).

The name is sometimes spelled Thalea. Masculine form is Tale.

Alara

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Turkish
Meaning: “red ornament.”

The name could actually have a few etymologies, but in Turkish it is a feminine name composed of the elements al (red) and ara (ornament; decoration). It is also the name of a river in Turkey.

In history, it was also borne by a Nubian king, (though in this case the name is of a completely different etymology) who is best known for being the first recorded prince of Nubia.

Alara is currently 471st most popular female name in Germany, (2011).

Sinja

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Frisian
Germ (ZEEN-yah)

The name could be a Germanized form of Sinya, a Russian diminutive of Euphrosyne. A more likely etymology is that it is from the German contraction of Gesina, the Frisian form of Gertrude, or it may be derived from the Frisian sin (sun). The name has also been sometimes correlated with a Bulgarian source, Sinia, (blue).

Currently, Sinja is the 456th most popular female name in Germany, (2011).

Other forms of the name include:

• Sinje
• Sintje
• Sünje
• Sünnje
• Süntje
• Sünja
• Synja
• Synje

Käthe

Gender: Feminine
Origin: German
(KATE-teh)

The name was initially a diminutive form of Katharina but is now used as an independent given name.

The name was borne by German painter, print-maker and sculptor, Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945).

Currently, Käthe is the 451st most popular female name in Germany, (2011).

Berfîn

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Kurdish
Meaning: “snow.”
(BER-feen)

The name comes directly from the Kurdish word for snow. Another form is Befrîn.

Berfîn is currently the 457th most popular female name in Germany, (2011).

Davina

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Scottish
(dah-VEE-nah)

The name is a Scots feminine form of David. It is currently the 429th most popular female name in Germany, (2011).

The name is borne by American R&B singer, Davina (b.1966) and British TV presentor Davina McCall (b.1967)