Comments
Meaning
Usage
Pronunciation
Famous
Impression
Other
Not awful, but I prefer Katherine.
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Just a weird name imo. Maybe I'm just used to 'Katherine' that this similar-sounding name sounds weird.
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Yuck. Katherine is so much better.
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Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, DBE, FRS (née Yardley; 1903 – 1971), was an Irish-born British crystallographer, pacifist and prison reformer. She proved, in 1929, that the benzene ring is flat by using X-ray diffraction methods to elucidate the structure of hexamethylbenzene. She was the first to use Fourier spectral methods while solving the structure of hexachlorobenzene in 1931. During her career she attained several firsts for female scientists, including being one of the first two women elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1945 (along with Marjory Stephenson), first woman tenured professor at University College London, first woman president of the International Union of Crystallography, and first woman president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.
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This is my name. It's fine. I was named after my great-grandmother, who I also feel neutral to. I've never got any nicknames to stick. Changing my name and getting people to call me by a new name is too much effort, so I've decided to stick with it. I mean, it's not the worst name in the world. I've met very few people named Kathleen, all of which were older than me. I've never had it mispronounced or misspelled, though I do occasionally get called Katherine/Kaitlyn. I'd take being named Kathleen over being named Brextynleigh or something like that. It's just not my style, to be honest. If you're thinking about naming your kid this, go ahead. There are certainly worse names you could give a child.
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Kathleen Kim is an Korean-American operatic coloratura soprano. Her repertoire includes roles in operas by Handel, Mozart, Donizetti, Verdi and Offenbach, among others, as well as in oratorios such as the Messiah and sacred works such as Mozart's Great Mass in C minor.
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Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw, DBE (née Timpson; 1912 – 2014) was a British mathematician and politician who was Lord Mayor of Manchester from 1975 to 1976 and an advisor on educational matters to Margaret Thatcher's government in the 1980s.
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Katsy could work as a nickname.
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Kathleen is a wonderful name. It’s the name of somebody who is not a pushover despite how meek and mild they may seem. It’s a spicier name than Cathleen due to the harshness of the letter ‘K’. This makes the name Kathleen even more intriguing! If you’re walking down the street and see someone with a quiet yet strong energy, you’ll likely think to yourself, “That’s a Kathleen. I bet that’s a Kathleen over there.” Chances are, you’re correct.
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Kathleen Kelly is the fictional character played by Meg Ryan in the romantic comedy You've Got Mail.
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Beautiful!
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Kathleen Robertson is a Canadian actress who played Clare Arnold on the TV show Beverly Hills, 90210.
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This name is PERFECT! I love that it has the 'K' at the front, and the 'L' makes it different to all the Katherines and Kates around. I think this name would be at the top of the middle names list if I ever choose to have a daughter.
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Such a pretty name! My mom's name is Catherine "Cathy", so I'd use it in honor of her.
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I knew someone named Kathleen. Several women in her extended family all had similar-sounding names: Kathryn, Katelyn, Katrina, Katie and even the same name spelled with a "C" (Cathleen).
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I've recently gained a new appreciation for this name. I prefer it over Katherine, which I have never liked. I like it better with a K and I think the nickname Kate is very nice.
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My aunt's name is Kathleen, a lot of people call her Kathy though.
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I know a girl named this who goes by Kat who is kind of annoying and wears a bow tie to school. She also has a weird haircut and always wins everything and is always the teachers pet. Definitely don’t recommend this name.
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Kathleen Barr.
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Kathleen Beauchamp, then Kathleen Murry, was the birth name, then married name, of the writer and poet Katherine MANSFIELD (1888-1923). Born in colonial New Zealand, she was part of the modernist artistic movement and she revolutionized the short story as a literary genre. When Mansfield died of tuberculosis aged 34, Virginia Woolf wrote in her diary 'I was jealous of her writing - the only writing I have ever been jealous of'.
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Old lady name, like Maureen or Gail. They’re playing cribbage in a nursing home somewhere.
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Kathleen is just Katherine with emphysema.
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In 2018, 59 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Kathleen who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 73rd most common female first name for living U.S. citizens.
Kathleen is the Anglicized form of Caitlín... same as every Katelyn, Caitlin, etc. You've ever met. Kathleen is pronounced closer to the Irish name Caitlín, unlike all those Katelyn variants.
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Kathleen is the Anglicized form of Caitlín... same as every Katelyn, Caitlin, etc. You've ever met. Kathleen is pronounced closer to the Irish name Caitlín, unlike all those Katelyn variants.
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Better alternative for Katherine.
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This is my name. It's probably not a name I would have chosen for my daughter (although before my husband met me he wanted to call his future daughter this!), but I think it's still quite nice and friendly. I also think it suits me. I am blonde with light blue eyes; Irish heritage. Considering I hate 'Kath' and 'Leen' (especially most names ending with leen eg Darleen), strangely enough I think the name Kathleen is surprisingly good. Perhaps the reason I feel this way is because I live in Australia, and 'Kath' and names ending in 'Leen' sound 'bogan', eg TV show 'Kath and Kim'.
I just go by my full name, however as a teenager I got Kat (which I didn't mind), 'kitty' (a bit too cute but not too bad), and 'Kath' which I hated. I also sometimes get 'Kathy' or 'Kate', which I'm also not that keen on. I think the nickname 'Katie' is nice, which my parents intended for me, however I have never gotten that. People often mistakenly call me 'Katherine' and occasionally 'Katelyn'. Kids accidentally say 'Kath-A-leen'!
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I just go by my full name, however as a teenager I got Kat (which I didn't mind), 'kitty' (a bit too cute but not too bad), and 'Kath' which I hated. I also sometimes get 'Kathy' or 'Kate', which I'm also not that keen on. I think the nickname 'Katie' is nice, which my parents intended for me, however I have never gotten that. People often mistakenly call me 'Katherine' and occasionally 'Katelyn'. Kids accidentally say 'Kath-A-leen'!
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I have never actually gone by Kathy, I've always been a Miss-Leen. My grandfather apparently nicknamed me K.J., He also picked out my name, cause one of my mom's niece's kids, already had the name she'd picked.
Kids sometimes have trouble saying my name, but that's fine. I have never seen another Kathleen that didn't turn out to be blonde, which is funny cause I'm a brunette, and I tan easy in the summer.
I like my name, I like that Miss-Leen makes sense as a nickname.
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Kids sometimes have trouble saying my name, but that's fine. I have never seen another Kathleen that didn't turn out to be blonde, which is funny cause I'm a brunette, and I tan easy in the summer.
I like my name, I like that Miss-Leen makes sense as a nickname.
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I'm a Kathleen. I love my name. My nickname is Kathy.
Yes, some people do add an A between the H and the L. I think the name is timeless and I've never met a Kathleen that I didn't like. Some people also call Realtors, Real a tors. Haha.
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Yes, some people do add an A between the H and the L. I think the name is timeless and I've never met a Kathleen that I didn't like. Some people also call Realtors, Real a tors. Haha.
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This is my name--I like that it's classic and timeless and a little different from the more common Katharine. However, when I introduce myself, people usually hear "Katharine", which is frustrating and something to note if you're considering naming your child this. As well, I'm not the hugest fan of names ending in EEN, so I generally prefer the Irish pronunciation of KAHT-leen, where the emphasis is on the first part of the name.
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The name Kathleen was given to 338 girls born in the US in 2016.
More than 99.9 percent of people with the first name Kathleen are female.
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More than 99.9 percent of people with the first name Kathleen are female.
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Kathleen Mary "Kathy" Griffin is an American stand up comedian, writer, producer, actress, and television host. Born in Chicago, Illinois, she moved to Los Angeles in 1978, where she studied drama at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and became a member of the improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings. In the 1990s, Griffin began performing as a standup comedian and also appeared as a guest star on several television shows. She achieved recognition in a supporting role on the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan.
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My name is Kathleen, though I usually go by Kathy. My maiden name is Irish and I was always proud that my first name is too! I also was always glad my parents named me Kathleen as opposed to Kathryn as from the time I was very young, I always have felt Kathleen sounded much prettier.
As anyone who is named Kathleen or one of the other related names, it is very important to note whether or not they spell it with a "K" or a "C". If anyone asks me if I spell my name with a "K" or a "C", I always smile and say... "You have a Kathy in your life." They always do! It also bothers me when someone simply assumes I am a Kathryn or Katherine/Catherine, etc. I have a friend named Beth who runs into the same problem. Her legal name is not Elizabeth, it's Beth! When in doubt, ask!
One of the things I love about my name is there are so many different variations of it. I have a "formal" and "informal" name and I like that. I am Kathy or Kathleen according to my mood or the situation. Growing up, my dad used a different variation of my name. He was the only one I permitted to do so making my name a "pet name" as well.
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As anyone who is named Kathleen or one of the other related names, it is very important to note whether or not they spell it with a "K" or a "C". If anyone asks me if I spell my name with a "K" or a "C", I always smile and say... "You have a Kathy in your life." They always do! It also bothers me when someone simply assumes I am a Kathryn or Katherine/Catherine, etc. I have a friend named Beth who runs into the same problem. Her legal name is not Elizabeth, it's Beth! When in doubt, ask!
One of the things I love about my name is there are so many different variations of it. I have a "formal" and "informal" name and I like that. I am Kathy or Kathleen according to my mood or the situation. Growing up, my dad used a different variation of my name. He was the only one I permitted to do so making my name a "pet name" as well.
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I like this name a lot, old but classy.
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I'm so proud to carry the name Kathleen, it is powerful and beautiful. My mother named me Kathleen after her close friend who was quick witted and strong. Kat also makes a very nice nickname.
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"Kathleen" is the name of a song by the band Catfish And Bottlemen.
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My mom's name and my middle. When a bunch of us started calling each other by our middle names in high school, I adopted the nickname Kat. I like it, and much prefer our spelling to the C version. (There are few enough feminine K names as it is!)
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This isn't my favorite name. It sounds really old-fashioned and outdated to me.
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My best friend and I love this name because we think it's really cute naming a daughter like this in honor to our friendship, for the reason that her name is Katherine and mine is Eileen. In my opinion it's lovely! :)
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Kathleen Winsor (Born: October 16, 1919, Died: May 26, 2003) was an American author. She is best known for the novel Forever Amber.
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I absolutely LOVE this beauty of a name! :D.
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Kathleen Anne Brien, better known as Katy B, is an English singer and songwriter.
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My aunt's name is Kathleen and she is often called Kathy. As children, my cousins and I always called her "Kitty."
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Archduchess Kathleen Elizabeth of Austria, née Walker, is the American-born wife of Archduke Imre of Austria. Kathleen ("Katie") married Imre on 8 September 2012 at Saint Mary, Mother of God Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. She is also known as Kathleen de Habsbourg-Lorraine.
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Such a beautiful and graceful name. Different than Katherine, which is becoming increasingly popular. I also like that this name will age well.
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I like the nickname Kitty for Kathleen.
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Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky (born 1997 in Bethesda, Maryland) is an American swimmer and Olympic gold medalist.
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My name is spelt without the "H" and that oddly seems to throw a lot of people off, so I often pronounce it with the "TH" sound or just have people call me "Kat".
For the longest time I've never liked my name, mostly because I got teased lot by it, (whoreleen, dogleen, cat girl, etc) and its harsher pronunciation compared to the proper spelling form. I think it has a nice enough sound and it's pretty uncommon where I live so I don't have to worry about getting mistaken for another Kathleen (especially with my unique spelling).
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For the longest time I've never liked my name, mostly because I got teased lot by it, (whoreleen, dogleen, cat girl, etc) and its harsher pronunciation compared to the proper spelling form. I think it has a nice enough sound and it's pretty uncommon where I live so I don't have to worry about getting mistaken for another Kathleen (especially with my unique spelling).
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My aunt is named Kathleen but for her entire life she's been Kathy, or the offhand nickname Kat. I think it's a lovely name.
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I absolutely adore this name. It always makes me think of a beautiful, mysterious Irish mermaid. Definitely considering this one for a baby daughter.
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This is my aunt's name. She is my namesake and I am a whole lot like her! I'm proud to be named after her, but her entire life she's gone by Katie, which is a nickname I'm not a fan of. Still, Kathleen is very pretty in my biased opinion.
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This name is one of the best of the Kath- names, I like it better than Katherine and Kathlyn, but not as much as Katharine.
The nicknames: Kath, Kathy, Kat, Kate, Katie are all spunky and pretty; my favourite is Kat, but Kathy is more uncommon and since it is so rarely used on children today, Kathy might be a spunky alternative to Kat.
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The nicknames: Kath, Kathy, Kat, Kate, Katie are all spunky and pretty; my favourite is Kat, but Kathy is more uncommon and since it is so rarely used on children today, Kathy might be a spunky alternative to Kat.
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I prefer the spelling Kathleane.
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I really like this name. It sounds friendly. But I prefer Katherine.
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Two members of the Kennedy family bear this name- Kathleen Cavendish, the sister of JFK, and RFK's daughter Kathleen Townsend, who was named after her aunt.
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This was my Nanna's name, she passed away in March 2009. I plan to use this for a future daughter's name, whether it be a middle or first name. It's a beautiful name.
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Eh. Reminds me of a tense, upperclass girl with a lot of social pressure on her. It seems formal and stiff, especially if you don't go by a nickname. And why even pick a formal name, if you're just going to always use the nickname?
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Kathleen Ferrier great English classical singer -one of the greatest -sublime and eternal!
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I love it, and would use it as a first name, with Kat as a nickname.
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My sister's name is Kathleen, very elegant and sweet and suits her well. I think it's pretty simple but beautiful name.
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My name is Kathleen and when I was little my friends called me kath a leen. For the description I have brown hair and green eyes.
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My name is Kathleen Grace and I've always liked my name. I like other names better but it's still a pretty name. Kathleen means pure.
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Comedienne Kathy Griffin's full name is Kathleen.
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I'm 17 years old and my name is Kathleen. Everyone I know calls me Kathy or Kath. My dad always forbids anyone from shortening it to Kate, Katie etc. because it's just not my name :-). I live in Switzerland and nobody can pronounce Kathy or Kathleen as they don't know "th" or "y", which has made me hate my name, it's very old fashioned as well. But then again there's barely anyone called Kathleen anymore and it's nice to be special.
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My middle name is Kathleen. I think Kathleen is a beautiful name. It's not heard very often. To the descriptions, I have brown hair with dark blue eyes, and I am from the South.
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I live in Ireland, and I've heard this name pronounced KATH-leen more often than I've heard Kath-LEEN.
I really like this name - I much prefer it to Katherine and Caitlyn :)
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I really like this name - I much prefer it to Katherine and Caitlyn :)
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My mother's name, but she changed it to Kathlene, since when she was a kind it was very common (she once had a circle of four friends, three of whom were Kathy). So, I will always associate it with her.
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The 'thl' is too hard to pronounce.
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My role model and mentor's name was Kathleen. I think it's beautiful.
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When the Greeks added the th to Ka creating Kath they also focused on the idea that Heket and Hekate were pure (they were (or she was) worshiped by Egyptians and Greeks). The meaning of Kath became purity. At one point most name references said that Kath meant purity like the sun sparkling on the waves. I don't know whether this is when the Catholic church stepped in as a religion and claimed Cath as a prefix. I've also been told that in Ireland Kathleen developed another meaning. Kath=Kathrine and Leen = Little, so Kathleen means little Kate.
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Famous African Americans with the name are:
Kathleen Battle - opera singer and Kathleen Cleaver - black panther.
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Kathleen Battle - opera singer and Kathleen Cleaver - black panther.
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Kathleen rhymes with serene, dream, and queen. I've often been called Kathleen the dream.
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My name is Kathleen and my father who is African American named me this. Of course, he said that it was a beautiful name - and he never called me Kathy. I think this is a beautiful name, but; there are two things that have bothered me about it: 1. Some people have a hard time saying it without adding an a between the h and the l. 2. Being biracial, some people have claimed that this name is for someone white or Irish. I'm often asked whether I'm Irish or Catholic when I tell people my name. For a while I didn't feel the name fit me, but now knowing the history and meaning I think it fits to a "t" because it most likely comes from Heket an Egyptian goddess. Later it was taken to Greece where it became Hekate - a goddess who stands at the crossroads of three worlds and is also a goddess of darkness and light. I am African American, European, and Native American - 3 worlds. Lots of people don't know that this name began in Egypt and went out to span the globe with different word fragments added to it. Kathleen, Katherine, Katrina, Catalina, E Katrina etc. I really like my name.
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I just love this name, I think it has a really nice flow and it's very feminine and elegant. In my opinion, "Kath" is the best nickname for Kathleen, it still has the graceful tone but it's shorter. I wish my name was Kathleen. :)
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My father named me Kathleen. I always loved it. I have blonde hair with red tints and vivid green eyes. Obvious Irish descent. My granddaddy always called me "Kittykat" and my grandmother and aunt, all on my fathers side, called me "Katie".
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My first name is Kathleen. All my friends think it's such a cool name. We have no one called Kate, or Katy, or Kath or whatever in our year at school. Even though it's a nice name, I think it's going out of fashoin. The only other person I know called Kathleen is my great grandmother. And she's dead.
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Along with Colleen, this one is a relatively bearable feminine name with the -een/-ene ending, but it still sounds quite old-fashioned.
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The name Kathleen evokes grace, charm and elegance. It reminds me of the 40's and a wealthy, very nice upperclass woman.
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Kathleen is an Anglicized name that came from the authentic Irish name Caitlin (accent mark over the second "i"), which is pronounced kat-LEEN.
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I do not see how you could get Caitlin out of Kathleen. They are two different names. If Caitlin came out of Kathleen it would be prounounced CAIT-leen.
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Princess Kathleen is a princess in "Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses".
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One of my best friend's name is Kathleen, and it fits her perfectly. Although I like unusual names better, this name is nice.
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My mom's name is Kathleen, but everyone has called her Kat since she was about 10 years old. I prefer this spelling to Cathleen. It just looks more appealing with a K.
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I like this name, but I think Katherine is prettier.
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Canadian singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards bears this name.
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Dixie Chick Martie Maguire has a daughter named Kathleen Emilie.
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This is my middle name and I love it. I'm the only person I know with Kathleen for a middle name. And my parents sometimes call me Kate.
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Kathleen is such a beautiful name, that it'll make all its bearers beautiful too. This name sounds wonderful and looks amazing when you write it. I think Kath is a sweet nickname to it.
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A famous bearer is Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of the bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre.
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Kathleen is a very pretty elegant name. I really like the nickname Kat but also Kate and Katie are nice too.
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Kathleen was used a lot in the 1940's and 1950's.
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A famous bearer is Kathleen Moody, considered my many to be the world's best equine sculpter.
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Kathleen is such a beautiful, graceful timeless classic. Many pretty nicknames for this name too.
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I prefer Kathleen over Katherine. It seems softer somehow, more of a warmer friendly name.
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You know, if I named my child something with 8 letters, I'd like to have a more obvious shortening of than Kathleen has. However, the name has started to grow on me, and I rather like it now.
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I have a friend named Kathleen, she goes by Katie though. Her hair is reddish, and her eyes are brown. To me Kathleen sounds like a southern girl. It is a pretty name and all, but "Mean Kathleen" the redhead from the South, fits all too well.
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My mother's name is Kathaleen. But we call Mom "Kate" all thanks to her best friend who stuck her with Kate. It is much more suiting for her. But I believe the name, misspelled or not, is a BEAUTIFUL Name.
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My name is actually Katrina but for sometime now Kathleen has been one of the names I wish I had. I just find the name Kathleen very cheerful, and friendly. When I think of a Kathleen I think of someone with red hair and brown eyes.
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J.K. Rowling's middle name is Kathleen.
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Actually, Jo Rowling doesn't have a middle name. Her grandmother's name was Kathleen, and she took it for a middle initial because her publishers thought that boys wouldn't read a book that was obviously written by a woman. I once had an arguement with a classmate a few years ago about that. He was convinced she was a man! :)
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A famous bearer is Kathleen Turner, actress known for her roles in movies such as: The War of the Roses, Peggy Sue Got Married, or A Breed Apart.
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Kathleen is Nina Simone's middle name. Her birth name was Eunice Kathleen Waymon.
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Kathleen is probably a combination of Katherine and Eileen. They are both old fashioned names.
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My father named me Kathleen after an old Irish Folk Song "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen". He used to sing it to me when I was small. Very special meaning.
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Comments are left by users of this website. They are not checked for accuracy.
• https://nvb.meertens.knaw.nl/naam/is/Kathleen (in Dutch; shows the prevalence of the name in the Netherlands in 2017)
• http://www.names.be/voornamen.html?met=Kathleen&sort=beldesc (in Dutch; shows the prevalence of the name in Belgium in 2009)
It's by far the most popular feminine name that starts with Kath- in Belgium, whereas in the Netherlands, it takes the second place:
• Kath- in Belgium: http://www.names.be/meisjesnamen.html?met=Kath&sort=beldesc (in Dutch)
• Kath- in the Netherlands: https://nvb.meertens.knaw.nl/naam/begintmet/Kath (in Dutch)
In Flanders, Kathleen is pronounced quite literally, i.e. as a Dutch speaker with absolutely no knowledge of English would:
/kɑt.'le:n/
In other words: the pronunciation is completely "dutchized". You can hear this for yourself here:
• https://nl.wiktionary.org/wiki/Kathleen (in Dutch)
• https://youtu.be/YCm7hHn7_3g (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:00)
• https://youtu.be/DX4bon0MhXA (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:06)
• https://youtu.be/aPJft0407Zc (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:31)
The most famous Flemish bearer of the name is the singer Kathleen Aerts (b. 1978), who was an original member of the wildly popular girl group K3. She was with the group from 1998 to 2009, after which she left in order to start a new chapter in her life: she married in June 2010 and then gave birth to her first child in January 2011.