silke

Silke is a term with at least two common uses in Europe. In Norwegian and Danish, silke is the word for silk, the natural fibre produced by the silkworm and used to make fabrics and textiles. It is cognate with the English word silk and appears in related Germanic languages with similar meaning. As a material, silk is valued for its sheen, softness, and strength, and has a long history in commerce and sartorial use.

Silke is also a feminine given name used in Germany, the Netherlands, and parts of Scandinavia. It has variants such as Silke and Sylke and has been used since the 20th century in many German-speaking and Dutch-speaking communities. The exact etymology is not firmly established; the name is often treated as a standalone form or as a variant of other names, possibly influenced by the word silk in Germanic languages. In naming practice, Silke is typically given to girls and may be shortened to nicknames such as Sil or Ske in informal contexts.

In modern usage, Silke appears primarily as a personal name in parts of Europe, while the material sense of silke remains common in Nordic languages. The two senses are distinct, though they share the same linguistic root related to the word for silk in various Germanic languages.