Shirin

Meaning of Shirin

The name Shirin, of Persian provenance, derives from the Middle Persian term Šīrīn, signifying “sweet” or “pleasant,” and occupies a storied position in Iranian cultural history. It first achieved widespread recognition through its association with the Sasanian-era princess who, as queen and heroine of Nizami Ganjavi’s epic romance Khosrow and Shirin, came to embody ideals of devotion and resilience; this literary legacy has sustained the name’s resonance across Persianate societies for centuries. Phonetically, Shirin is realized in standard Persian as /ʃiːˈriːn/ (“shee-REEN”), featuring an initial voiceless postalveolar fricative [ʃ], a series of long high-front vowels [iː], an alveolar trill [r] and a concluding nasalized vowel quality. In the contemporary United States, Shirin remains relatively uncommon—registering 12 occurrences and a rank of 938 in 2024—underscoring its appeal to parents seeking a designation that combines historical depth, semantic precision and cross-cultural distinction.

Pronunciation

Persian

• Pronunced as shee-REEN (/ʃi:ˌri:n/)

• Shireen
• Sherin
• Sherine
• Shirene
• Shareen