Mumsnet Talk

We nearly picked Caitlin for DD's name years ago. I thought of it as "Kate-lin" though I knew as it is Irish it was more likely to be pronounced "Cat-lin". Now a friend from Northern Ireland tells me it is pronounced more like "Cash-lin". How do you say it? The two Caitlins I knew were both "Kate-lin"......

I'm from Northern Ireland, "Cash-lin" is news to me, never heard of that. Definitely Kate-lin.

If you live in England most people will probably say Kate-lin.

Caitlin Moran says Cat-lin.

We have plenty at the school where I work - all pronounced Kate-lin.

Generally in Scotland it is pronounced Kate lin, but i think it's supposed to be Kath leen or similar

Kate-lin

I say Kate - Lin. (Scottish)

I'm from Northern Ireland.
Kate-lin is not an authentic pronunciation, but it is in use among non-Irish-speakers in Ireland. The names has been popularised by Americans. I've heard those buggers pronounce Aisling as 'ase-ling'.
The Irish pronunciation varies between (sort-of) Cotch-leen, Cawtch-leen and indeed Cach-leen (bear in mind, the traditional Anglicisation is Kathleen).

Cat-leen.

http://audio.babynamesofireland.com/audio/caitlin.mp3

I'm English and pronounce it Kate-Lin x

My Niece is called Kaitlyn which I guess is the same just different spelling and we pronounce it Kate-lin

I'm aware it should be pronounced something like Cotchleen, but also that most English speakers use Kate-lin or Cat-lin these days.

Coythchleen or cotchleen
But unless you're Peig Sayers you can say Caitlin! I'm Irish and I'd raise an eyebrow now if somebody said, this is my daughter cotchleen. Unless maybe they went to a gaelscoil in which case i'd raise my eyebrown again {joke}

I've always said Kat-lin, but my friend's daughter is Kate-lin,
...

Where were you ladies when I needed you last week?

Some (English?) posters insisted that the correct pronunciation for Caitlin was 'Kath-leen'. I fruitlessly tried to make the point that it was an Irish name and however the Irish pronounced it was the 'correct' pronunciation.

I'm Irish too and would pronounce it Coyt-leen. There should actually be a fada (accent) above the 'a' and the last 'i'. This name drives me mad because nobody pronounces it properly nowadays. It's the Irish for Kathleen, but most people don't seem to know that.

I think if you're (by this, I mean the vast number of people who have anglicised the name Caitlin) going to call your child Katelynn, then spell it like that, not a totally different name that should be pronounced differently.

Kate-Lin here of Welsh extraction I believe.

Dds middle name is caitlyn, pronounced Kate-Lin. Few family members couldn't get the hang of it and tried to say cat-a-Lin before being promptly corrected!

I say Kate-Linn myself. I'm in NI and have a southern friend who pronounces her name Catch-Linn.

I'm fairly sure the Scottish one I know is Kate-lin.

It's like Cotch-leen in Irish in the dialect I learned anyway. I know 2 Katelyns. If you were going to pronounce it Katelyn then why not spell it that way.

I always thought it was Kathleen, pronounced something like Cot ch leen, as there is definately no th sound.

Interesting replies,looks like Caitlin has become an anglicized name in some ways.

MTSgroupie I'm English and I've always pronounced it Kate-lin, like I said my niece is called it. Tbh I've never been heard it called anything else so this is all new to me!

Completely agree with Ficidy, I would spell is Cáitlín and pronounce it Coyt-leen. I think Caitlín pronounced Cotchleen is fine too. Caitlin pronounced Katelynn makes my teeth itch.