Wavy, flaming, flamberge, Flammen, flamboyant ... pick one.
Apart from two handers and rapiers, as well mentioned by Jim, you can/could see these wavy blades in cup hilted swords (Portuguese included), whore daggers and even hunting (plug) bayonets.
Hard to establish a real reason for the appearance of these blades; from mysticism to more effective thrust, you choose. Some say that the system was originated in sawtoothed blades to hack apart pole arms; otherd say that wavy blades make a better way to inflict wider wounds with a thrust while still keeping the blade light ... that being disputed lately. Also some pretend that it improves the parrying of opponents sword. You may even read that the purpose was to give it a better quality look.
You can also make a cocktail mixing two or more of such features.
As for who came first with such 'invention', the Asians or the Europeans, the hen and the egg dilemma, it could be one of these things that are so possible to occur in that, the thing occurred in either end at same or similar time; like the apperance of money, for one... primitive globalization to consider.
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