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Meaning
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Pronunciation
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Caitlin Clark (2002-) is a professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. She was drafted first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft after setting the NCAA scoring record while playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2020-2024.
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The name Caitlin, a staple of millennial names, has drastically declined in popularity in recent years. In fact, only 80 girls in the US were named Caitlin last year. In contrast, old lady name Mildred was given to 109 girls.
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Caitlin Cooke is one of the main characters from a Canadian cartoon called 6teen she loves fashion and shopping and works at a lemonade stand.
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Pretty.
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I think it’s a pretty name. This is my favorite spelling.
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Caitlin is a nice way to spell this name.
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Never liked this name. The spelling is horrendous. There was a Caitlin who lived across the street from us and her family was trash. Catherine is a much better name.
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I personally love the name 'Caitlin', it is my middle name. Please vote up if it works in my name; Faye Caitlin...
If you think it sounds wrong then vote down, I need to know.. heh.
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If you think it sounds wrong then vote down, I need to know.. heh.
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In two different middle/high school classes there were 3 Caitlins, spelled 3 different ways. This name is spelled so many ways there are some memes about 100+ spellings.
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I honestly find it hilarious to see my name spelled 144 different times in a meme, although I do wish that the name did not have so many variations. I have had so many horrible spellings of my name by teachers, friends, and even strangers. So far, the worst misspelling I've had was "Catelinn" and the grammar detection on my computer is even telling me it's spelled wrong. The worst spelling, in my opinion, that I have ever seen is Keightlinne... They couldn't just have one n and no e. I used to get upset about it when I was younger, but now, as anyone who has had their name spelled incorrectly a lot, I honestly expect someone to spell it wrong. Also, if you haven't already, look up "Caitlin spellings" and go to images. It's quite funny.
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Elegant but I actually prefer Kate or Katehrine\Catherine.
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My name is Caitlin. Even though my name is Caitlin I honestly don't like the name. When I'm writing my name on something it just looks plain. I like Katelyn much more.
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Well I only like the name if it is in the original Irish spelling. C & all I’s.
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Horrible. Catherine is MUCH nicer.
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Hmmm... too boring. Maybe try Katelyn?
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This is my name. Irish people I've met pronounce it "kayt-lin" (despite that allegedly being the English way!), whereas some Scots and English say "kat-lin". However, I'm Scottish and most Scots do tend to say "kayt-lin", but interestingly there are people from various countries who say "kat-lin". This includes people I've worked with from Syria, Italy, Portugal, India and South America. A lot of French say it more like "kat-eh-leen", which is probably closer to the medieval French "Cateline". There were at least 3 other Caitlins in my year in high school.
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My name is Caitlin Alana. People have always spelt it wrong because of all of the absurd and ridiculous spellings people pull out of their asses lol. If you don't spell it this way (the original) stay away from me.
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Not a fan. Very dated!
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I love the pronunciation Kayt-leen! Classic and beautiful. The only thing would be that it would be mispronounced a whole lot where I live. I would definitely use it though if it wasn't for pronunciation issues!
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My favorite spelling of the name, but I'm still not too keen on it.
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I love it pronounced "Kate-lynn" and not the Irish way. I prefer Kathleen to Caitlin pronounced the Irish way.
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I really like Caitlin and its variant spellings. I also love Katrina, Kathleen, Kathlyn, Karen, Karin, Katherine, and other related names. Caitlin and its variants are somewhat popular in my area, but that's okay. If you want to name your child Caitlin or a variant spelling, be aware that there might be another Caitlin in her class, and she might have to specify which Caitlin she is. :)
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This is my name and I never really knew another Caitlin, no matter the spelling of the name, till middle school.
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I much prefer this spelling to Kaitlyn, Caitlyn, etc.
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Never mind, I don't really like Caitlyn anymore. I sort of like Kaitlin though. I still think this name is pretty, but it's rather common.
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I think it's an okay sounding name, but knowing it's a mispronunciation of an Irish name makes me not like it as much. Name meanings and history aren't the be all and end all, but they're not irrelevant to me either. It makes it seem like kind of an Irish wannabe American name, even though this spelling is technically accurate.
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Love this name. I had a doll as a kid named Caitlin or as I called her, Katie (Katy at first because I didn't really know how to spell). It's a fun name overall. It's just like naming your daughter Emily, Megan, or Deanna. It's beautiful.
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I like the English pronunciation most. My favorite variations/nicknames are Cait or Caiti.
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It's a pretty and cute name. I honestly don't like the other spellings (Caitlyn is alright though).
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Caitlin is a pretty name. This name is on my list.
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Such a pretty name. It ages really well too!
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In 2018, 22 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Caitlin who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 478th most common female first name for living U.S. citizens.
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Very very common here in Australia. I personally don't like this name, however I think this is the nicest spelling.
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Caitlin is a character in the TV series Totally Spies!. She is one of Mandy's minions and is Alex's rival.
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Caitlin Glass is an American voice actress, ADR director, and script writer at Funimation, New Generation Pictures and Bang Zoom! Entertainment who provided voices for a number of English versions of Japanese anime series and video games. Glass's most notable role is as Winry Rockbell in the English-language adaptation of the anime Fullmetal Alchemist. In both English adaptations, she was cast as Winry, even though she never thought to audition for the role. Glass tried out for Al, Rose, Lust, and Hawkeye; it was her audition for the character of Rose and her previous "hyper" voice in the Spiral series that won her the role, after reading only a single line of Winry's dialogue. Glass reprised her role in the second anime series, Brotherhood. Her other notable roles include Nefertari Vivi in One Piece, Kaori Misaka in Kanon, Yakumo Tsukamoto in School Rumble, Saya Minatsuki in Black Cat, Accela Warrick in Solty Rei, Eleonora Viltaria in Lord Marksman and Vanadis and Satellizer L. Bridget in Freezing. She can also be heard in Negima!, Kodocha, The Galaxy Railways, Sakura Taisen: Ecole de Paris, and Lupin III OVAs. In addition to her voice work at Funimation, she has also done work for New Generation Pictures and Bang Zoom! Entertainment in California.
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This is my sister-in-law's name. She was born in 1994. She doesn't like her name very much. It always gets misspelled.
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I am very proud to be a true blue Caitlin, the Gaelic Catherine. I feel sorry for anyone who has contracted the name through false pretenses, I am sorry your parents were extremely uneducated. Caitlin IS the proper spelling and as many "Caitlin's" I know I am proud to say I am the only true one! I appreciate my heritage and am proud of it! Suck it Katelyn or Caitlyn or Catlyn or however your parents screwed it up, they should have done some research!
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My name is Caitlin Elizabeth. I was born in 1969, way before it became popular. I never thought it would become so common. As a child I would gladly have changed my name to something easy to pronounce and spell. I longed to have a key chain or magnet with my name on it. My name was butchered by teachers on a daily basis. Had I realized at the time that clearly the teachers were doing it on purpose I might have felt better knowing it only made them look stupid. Otherwise, how does a teacher mispronounce a name day in and day out? Anyway, fast forward 30 or 40 years and every 3 year old at the grocery store is Caitlin, Katelyn or whatever. My parents named me after Caitlin Thomas, a poet and Dylan Thomas' wife. The pronunciation my parents used was like cat Lynn. I changed it to the more common pronunciation to make my life simpler. It got old correcting people especially at a time when unusual names were well, unusual. Plus, I worked in telephone sales and pronouncing it like Katelynn sounded better on the phone. Cat Lynn sounded to me like a hick name, unsophisticated. The Welsh pronunciation puts the accent on the lin to sound more like cat leen, but we Americans, my folks included, aren't that chic. All I will suggest is not to name your kid a name that needs to be pronounced in a different language to sound right.
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This is a beautiful name, and it is sad that spellings like Katelyn and Kaitlynne are so popular, as someone with the traditional spelling will have her name misspelled most of the time. This spelling probably won't be as associated with Caitlyn Jenner as the others.
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Hello, my name is Caitlin and because that's my name, I know the meaning. Caitlin (Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, etc.) means 'pure' and is the Irish variation of Catherine.
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My name is Caitlin. I'm 23 and the only Caitlin I know. It's a lovely name and I'm very happy my mam picked it for me as I suit it. People are too judgmental about names. It's nothing to do with anyone else what your parents called you.
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Please give this name a break, there are so many different spellings of the name and I've known so many Caitlin's it's extremely tacky and trashy.
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My name is Caitlin, and I'm pretty happy with it. Sometimes I don't think it fits me really. But I still really like it.
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I named my youngest daughter Caitlin after the wife of the poet Dylan Thomas. I often resent it when I see it spelled a different way or discover the parents chose the name after some romance novel or tv soap opera. Caitlin Thomas was a poet in her own right. I believe my generation (the hippies) latched onto Dylan and other Irish names as a result of enlightened English teachers who taught us to love his poetry and all of Irish literature. Yes, I know Dylan Thomas was Welsh. No offense meant. My children are both a bit unhappy that though they are in their 30's, their names became so popular. There was no internet in the 1980s... sometimes it seems names just float on the zeitgeist and suddenly there's a boom. Sorry girls.
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Caitlin spelled this way is one of my top ten feminine names. It sounds good on a child (and you could always make the diminutives C/Kate and C/Katie out of it) but will age well and can fit an adult.
However, there are, as some users have said, too many different spellings of this name. Caitlyn, Kaitlyn, Katelyn, Q'8-llynne... argh! Caitlin is the original spelling, and while it peaked in popularity the earliest (1988), the overall most popular spelling of this name is Kaitlyn. In my opinion, Caitlin is the only legitimate spelling, and if you just have to be creative, go with Katelyn because then it is spelled the way it sounds.
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However, there are, as some users have said, too many different spellings of this name. Caitlyn, Kaitlyn, Katelyn, Q'8-llynne... argh! Caitlin is the original spelling, and while it peaked in popularity the earliest (1988), the overall most popular spelling of this name is Kaitlyn. In my opinion, Caitlin is the only legitimate spelling, and if you just have to be creative, go with Katelyn because then it is spelled the way it sounds.
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Love the name spelled this way.
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This is my name and I think it sounds very cheerful and suits me well, even if it's really popular. The original spelling looks prettier than all the other variations.
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Ha, watch this spelling become increasingly popular and obnoxiously trendy all because of some repulsive He-she.
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My name is Caitlin. To all the other Caitlin's out there (and Kaitlin's, kaitlyn's, Caitlyn's etc) forget the haters. There's a reason this name got so popular that it wound up overused and spelled dozens of ways and that's because it's a pretty name :) I love my name. Only thing that sucks is everyone spells it differently (and no one ever spells it Caitlin). It's kinda fun to see which misspelling I'm gonna get next though, haha.
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I am proud of the spelling of my name and although the PRONUNCIATION is overused, the spelling is what makes you different. We are all diverse, do not tell me I am any less of a person simply because you don't like how I spell my name. Not your name, not your concern. -°- people these days... I spell my name Caitlynne and love it- if you don't- no one CARESSSSSSS.
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My name is Caitlin. I have never disliked my name. I can't imagine having another name. As I have gotten older, and had two children, I don't feel the name to be as mature as some names, but not trashy, or childish as some people have "politely" put it. I hate other spellings that are a little over the top, but hey, we have no control of what our parents name us!
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I'm not the biggest fan of this name, but this is my favorite spelling. The other spellings just look trashy to me.
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Ugh. I'm not a fan of this name spelled with a C. Just doesn't look right. Even Cate looks awful.
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I hate this name and all the other trashy, butchered, bastardized variations it has. It sounds so ugly and immature. I don't get why it's even become so trendy. Catherine/Katherine is a similar name to Caitlin that is at least decent, offering the cute possible nickname Kitty.
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My name is Caitlin. I have known a few other Caitlins throughout my life but I am the only one in my year which I like. When I was younger I didn't really like my name but it has grown on me a lot. There are so many opportunities for nicknames with this name (Catie, Cate/Kate, Lynn) but I am never called a nickname. It's always just Caitlin and I believe the name is strong enough to stand on it's own. My friends sometimes call me Caketin but that's it haha. It is a very pretty name and I like having it because it suited me as a little girl but also ages very well. I think it looks and sounds very classy and I'm glad my parents gave me this spelling instead of any tacky variations like Kaitlyn, Kaitlin, Caitlyn or Katelynn. I am currently 17 years old and confident that my name will age well with me and I am thankful to have this name.
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No matter how you spell it, this is a dumb name. I don't know why, but Kate Lynn sounds perfectly fine, however katelyn/Caitlin/Kaitlin/Caitlyn/katelynne/or whatever "creative" way you want to spell it, there are dozens, they all just sound so juvenile and trendy. Not a big fan of this name or its many variants at all.
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Caitlin is the name of a Psychic-type Trainer in the Pokemon games. She is introduced at the Battle Frontier in Platinum. She also appears as an Elite Four member in Black and White.
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Caitlin Carmichael (born 2004 in Tifton, Georgia) is an American child actress.
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Caitlin Leverenz (born 1991 in Tucson, Arizona) is an American swimmer.
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I love this name simply for the spelling. I named my daughter Caitlin.
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My mother gave me the name Caitlyn, I like it, but hate it at the same time. I hate having to tell people that they spelt it wrong. To me, the name is a blonde pretty name, and doesn't fit me at all. Most people will assume I prefer being call Cait or Caity, and I hate it. The name is cute, but over used and just not for me.
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I really don't like this name. It just sounds so youthful and childish to me. I see a grown woman named Caitlin and it feels so awkward and unfitting. And it's just so /girly/. I almost literally see pink and butterflies and ponies when I hear this name. It really wouldn't fit a strong and serious woman at all. Take Kate Todd from NCIS, for example. When I found out her first name was really Caitlin, and not Katherine like I had originally perceived, I could hardly believe it. Caitlin didn't fit her at all.
It's better than Katelyn, though. I'll give it that.
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It's better than Katelyn, though. I'll give it that.
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I have the name Caitlin, but I believe that it is close to annoying. It's quite pretty and classic, but the amount of ways to spell it can get out of hand. There's Kaitlin, Katelyn, Caitlyn, Catelynn, Kaitlyn, etc. It's hard making yourself known as Caitlin with a C, and I can't even tell you how many times I've had to spell my name out in my lifetime. If you take a liking to this name, be prepared to spell it over and over.
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It's actually the Irish version of Kathleen. Catriona is the Irish version of Catherine.
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Such a lovely name and has grown to be so popular which could be its downfall as so many girls will be called this. It will have lost its uniqueness. Nice name though.
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The British journalist, 'twitterati' and author of "How to Be a Woman" Caitlin Moran is a famous bearer. She pronounces the first syllable 'cat', like the animal.
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In Irish, this name is lovely.
In English, this name sounds like the name of a ditzy cheerleader.
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In English, this name sounds like the name of a ditzy cheerleader.
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Caitlin O'Koren is the main character in Sarah Dessen's novel "Dreamland", a novel about abusive high school relationships.
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I like it, but it's too popular!
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PLEASE, forget about this "kate-lyn" deformity. You want "kate-lyn" then name your child "Kate-Lyn" and spell it the same way.
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Their name would not be Caitlin when spoken aloud, but "Caitlin with a C and an I". Too overused and too many variants.
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The deceased character Caitlin "Kate" Todd from NCIS is what comes to mind for me when I think of this name. Definitely a pretty name, but sometimes the spelling variations irk me.
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I like being called Caitlin, bar the fact that everyone seems to be called that nowadays. According to my mother it wasn't popular at the time and I suppose I can't blame her for the fact that there's another Caitlin in my class.
Plus a downer is that no one can spell it. I HATE it when people ruin it by adding a K, E, or Y. A lot of the time it's even Catlin. The worst spelling, so far, has been Katlyn. So if you're thinking of calling your child Caitlin, just make sure that:
a) it's lowered in popularity in recent years
b) this is the commonest spelling. Don't condemn your child to an endless lifetime of "No, that's not how to spell it. CAITLIN." But this is the best spelling :)
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Plus a downer is that no one can spell it. I HATE it when people ruin it by adding a K, E, or Y. A lot of the time it's even Catlin. The worst spelling, so far, has been Katlyn. So if you're thinking of calling your child Caitlin, just make sure that:
a) it's lowered in popularity in recent years
b) this is the commonest spelling. Don't condemn your child to an endless lifetime of "No, that's not how to spell it. CAITLIN." But this is the best spelling :)
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Beautiful. My mom almost named me Caitlin Nicole, which is so beautiful together.
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I love this name! I knew a Katelyn in sixth grade, have known a few Kaitlyn's, and my best friend Caitlin always jokes that she spells it the "right way." I used to like the trendier spellings but this one grew on me because of Caitlin Jeanne. Hehe. So when I hear Caitlin, I think small, dark-haired, sweet songbird girl.
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There is a character, Caitlin Ryan played by Stacie Mistysyn in the tv Degrassi series.
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I think it's cute, but overused. I would not name a child this.
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I think if you want to pronounce this name "Kate-Lyn", you should spell it "Katelyn" or something similar.
Caitlin is not pronounced this way in Ireland - Irish names always have non-intuitive pronunciation to English speakers. Caitlin is no exception - it can be anything from "Catleen" to "Coytleen" to "Coshleen"(?) depending on the area of Ireland. Never "Kate-Lyn" though.
I'm not hating on Katelyn though - I actually much prefer this to both the spelling and the Irish pronunciation of Caitlin!
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Caitlin is not pronounced this way in Ireland - Irish names always have non-intuitive pronunciation to English speakers. Caitlin is no exception - it can be anything from "Catleen" to "Coytleen" to "Coshleen"(?) depending on the area of Ireland. Never "Kate-Lyn" though.
I'm not hating on Katelyn though - I actually much prefer this to both the spelling and the Irish pronunciation of Caitlin!
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Boring and preppy. Hate it. I also hate ALL of the other variations too. Katelyn, Catelynn, what the heck?
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I love this original spelling of Caitlin. To me it seems classy and elegant. A name worth considering, despite its popularity. I too hate that people have changed the spelling of this beautiful name into a bunch of different variations. The true, original form is the best. I love this name.
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I absolutely LOVE this name! I think this (the original form) is MUCH BETTER than all the other variations. I can't remember what the name of the celebrity is, but he has a daughter named Caitlin Willow. Very gorgeous.
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When I was young I met a girl named Caitlin, but I didn't know that that was a name, so I thought it was short for Catherine-Linda. I continued to think that for months until she finally corected me. Very awkward!
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This would be a lovely name if this was the only spelling.
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My name is Caitlin too. My parents named me without realizing that the name was so popular! I still like the name, though I absolutely HATE it when people spell my name with a K or Y or double N or something -- my biggest pet peeve, because the meaning and history of the name are so great, and now it has become a silly, over-used kr8'iv name! I'm just snobby like that, I guess. ;) I really like that my name means 'pure' because it is something I can strive to live up to. Interestingly, I was born on the feast day of St. Catherine and bear the Irish form of St. Catherine's name, totally by coincidence. 8 )
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I this this spelling is just, bleh. I like that name and all, but I prefer it spelt Katelynn. It just looks better lol.
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This is about a few things to do with the name Caitlin. My name is Caitlin and I just wanted to share what it's like. Absolutely everyone pronounces it Kate-lin. When I was born, my mother tried to tell people it was pronounced different, as in Coit-lyn, but soon gave up because everyone knew it as the more common pronunciation. I think I might get people to start calling me the proper pronunciation now though.
Also it is a very common name these days. When I was born, apparently it wasn't, but in just my grade alone there are four Caitlin's (some with slightly different spelling) and I know all of them and I'm best friends with two of them. It's very frustrating as I have a love for unusual things. All the same, I love my name.
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Also it is a very common name these days. When I was born, apparently it wasn't, but in just my grade alone there are four Caitlin's (some with slightly different spelling) and I know all of them and I'm best friends with two of them. It's very frustrating as I have a love for unusual things. All the same, I love my name.
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I very much like Caitlin, but not all the weird spelling variants like Katelynn or anything like that. No offense but I sort of snicker at people with 'creative' spellings.
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My name is Caitlin, and I have always hated people calling me that - instead everyone calls me Cait or Caitie. Hardly anyone knows that my full name is Caitlin. Even I forget sometimes. (; But reading all the other comments makes me appreciate my name, it's beautiful and I am very happy to have such a strong name.
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A famous bearer is Caitlin Morrison - daughter of Keith Morrison, NBC newscaster and sister of Matthew Perry.
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Also people like to call me Kate (or Cate), Caity, KD, KT, or Caity-Bear. I HATE IT when people spell my name Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, or Caitlyn because it sounds odd.
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I don't really know why this is such a popular name. It sounds young to me.
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I'm a Caitlin and while I love my name, I don't like how so many girls have it. There are three other Caitlins in my class, all with different spellings, plus a couple of Katherines/Kates. I don't know if "Caitlin" is still as popular, but I would advise anyone looking for a baby name to check the popularity of any name you might be considering, unlike my mother, rather than doom your child to twelve years of being "Caitlin with a C" or "Kaitlyn H." Uncommon names are often pretty and interesting, as long as they're not too out there.
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Pretty when it's spelled Caitlin, but so annoying when people use alternate spellings with Ks, Es, and Ys.
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My name is Kaitlin but it is pronounced thae same (Kate-Lynn). I like the name it is really cool.
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I love this name, very pretty. I would either go with this spelling or have it spelt Katelyn.
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I think this is a very classic name. I'm into more of unique names, and this is not unique. But it is very classy, even if it is very, very common. I know about 5 Caitlins. But then again, my name is Lauren, so maybe I shouldn't be talking!
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Caitlin is NOT an Irish forename, it is in fact a Welsh forename for Catherine.
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It's a Gaelic interpretation of Catherine, and it means "pure".
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I think this name is the best out there. It should be the name of all nice, generous, talented girls out there.
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This name reminds me of a character from the Sunset Beach TV show!
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I think Caitlin means strong and angered. It means so much to me, as any kind of Kaitlin (or Caitlin) or Katie means the same to me. It means happiness, sadness, joy, friendship,and other things. But best of all, it describes my firends.
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