Meaning & History
Derived from the Gaelic word caileag meaning "girl", or possibly from the related word cailleach meaning "old woman", which is also the name of a Scottish and Irish mythological figure (see Beira) and comes from Old Irish caillech "veiled (one)", from caille "veil", an early loanword from Latin pallium "a cloak" (i.e., the ecclesiastical garment worn by nuns).