Caitlyn?

[shinydiscoball]

Or is this too common now? I know of 3 others but all around 7/8 now.

not sure of spelling either, considering Caitlyn, Caitlin, Catelyn or Kaitlyn.

[CrawlingInMySkin]

I love it, prefer it spelled Caitlyn

[orangepoo]

I think it is a nice name and personally I would check the ONS data and see which is the most common spelling and use that one. Using the most common spelling ought to mean that fewer people should get the spelling wrong.

[shinydiscoball]

Thanks - we just found out we're having a girl :o had a perfect boys name lined up too! DP and I were sounding out girls names to each other today and this is the only one we've remotely agreed on so far. I like it a lot, DP is a bit as he had his heart set on another name which a good friend of mine has just chosen for her DD, so that one is out of the window.

orangepoo cool name btw, what is the ONS data please?

[orangepoo]

Office for National Statistics, think gives numbers of babies with each name in each calendar year.

www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/product.asp?vlnk=15282

[AllieW]

Ever since I discovered that this name is traditionally pronounced "Cutcheen" (I think), I've been kind of put off the name. I only know of two under 5 and they're both spelt Katelyn.

[ValiumSandwichTime]

Originally pronounced like Coitchleen I think. But there are different areas in Ireland where the dialect would make the pronounciation different.

If you pick it, I'd go for Caitlin. No y

Although I think Kathleen is nice!

[shinydiscoball]

Thanks for the link orange I'll check it out.

Ooh, I don't like those pronunciations....am I royally pissing off the Irish if I insist on Anglicising it to be pronounced as *Kate-lynne"? We don't live in Ireland so i can't see it being a massive issue but I wouldn't want her growing up being told how her name is supposed to be pronounced....or am I over-thinking this?

Crikey, this baby naming lark is tough isn't it? :o

[Edmundo]

I only like the spelling Caitlin. I'm not overly keen though. How about Evelyn?

[shinydiscoball]

Thanks LITR - I love the way it sounds too and it goes really nicely with DP's surname (she'll be getting his as we do intend on getting hitched one day :))

It's definitely on the shortlist...which um, currently consists of the one name.

[tassisssss]

I would expect it to be spelt Caitlin.

I think it's lovely and not overly common here.

[hatwoman]

I like it. Have never heard people querying the pronunciation - apart from an Irish friend who once told me she would say it Cat-leen. I love Cait as an abbreviation.

[hatwoman]

meant to say - Caitlin is the only spelling I like. I actually quite strongly dislike all the others.

[hellymelly]

It is the irish version of Kathleen,and in parts of Ireland is sounded more like "caushleen" but here I think its familiar enough pronounced as Cait-lin for that not to matter.the only one I know is late 30's by the way.

[StarlightPrincess]

I like it- but please spell it Caitlin! The others are not nice.

[MmeLindt]

Caitlin.

Definitely no y.

[shinydiscoball]

Thanks for your input everyone :)

Edmundo, I love the name Evelyn but it's a no-go for personal reasons.

[RueLaChesty]

Caitlin is my preferred spelling too.

It was on my imaginary list for years but then a cousin used it and when we conceived DP refused to use any name already in the extended family, which is a shame as we have massive families and some lovely names.

We also toyed with Cailin, DP was keen but i just thought people would think it was Caitlin but we were being lazy and not pronouncing the T. I love it on paper though.

[pointydug]

Caitlin. No ys or ks. Makes it horrid

[happyeverafterhome]

Caitlin is on our shortlist too - love it. Are you having a middle name - its good if you can get a combination that "works" - we're still working on that!

[RueLaChesty]

happy ever after, my imaginary name was caitlin frances. Does that help?

[TallulahdoesthehulainHawaii]

It's a lovely name. I know a little girl (am in Ireland) and it is pronounced Kate-lin.

I know of a couple of older ones pronounced the same way, I don't think it would have to be explained.

Definitely has to be spelled Caitlin IMO

[shinydiscoball]

Caitlin Frances is lovely - I don't have a middle name yet, DP thinks middles names should be for someone, i.e. GP's, Godparents etc so not sure yet.

Tallulah, that's reassuring, I imagined conversations with people in the future telling her that her name was "wrong" but I think it's unlikely :)

What else is on your shortlist happyeverafter?

[PlanetLizard]

It's OK but I'd be put off by the confusion over how it's pronounced.