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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Caitlyn?

42 replies

shinydiscoball · 30/01/2011 19:34

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.

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BigSooz · 26/04/2011 19:20

'Kate-lynn' is awful. Its a bogus name.

voodoomunkee · 26/04/2011 19:04

I like it - my dc's are 13 and 10 and there are 1 or 2 children called that in their schools but it isnt overused I reckon! Kind of makes me boak when the baby naming saga gets a bit over analysed when really it doesnt need to! If you like the name and you think it will go with a surname then go for it :o (I also appreciate that it is extremely difficult to pick a name and the connotations can sometimes seem a bit much!)

5DollarShake · 26/04/2011 18:58

My cousin-in-law has just called her new baby daughter Caoimhe. :)

5DollarShake · 26/04/2011 18:56

I asked my in-laws about this - both born and bred and live in Connemara in the west of Ireland and they were adamant it is pronounced Cait-lyn round their way, so 'boak-tactic Oirishness' it a massive assumption and generalisation.

Bucharest · 26/04/2011 18:29

I used to like it, and it was on my short list.

Have to say though, I'm glad I didn't use it. I just find it a bit Bethany now. (another one on my short list that I'm glad I didn't use)

I love all the uncommon Irish names, but think they are a bit too Irish for most to get away with. My favourite is Caoimh (sp?????) Love that, but as I can't even spell it, I would never be able to contemplate it.

SauvignonBlanche · 26/04/2011 18:26

I think it's lovely but I'd spell it right Caitlin.

mrz · 26/04/2011 18:20

Caitlin KOYT-hleen

Cloudydays · 26/04/2011 18:01

"The pronunciation Kate-lynn is truly boaktastic imo. The epitomy of Oirishness. And Irish-American-ness"

Though obviously not just Irish-Americans, mathanxiety , but second-or-third-generation Irish immigrant families in general, as made apparent by several entries on this thread from (likely British?) families who have used (or know others who use) the Kate-Lynn pronunciation too. Caitlin has also been in the top ten in Australia in the last ten years, and I'd imagine they're not all pronounced as Gaeilge.

Still, lovely of you to equate "boaktastic"ness with my an entire ethnic group. I think you would have had your point covered with "Oirishness". If, of course, your point is about the culture / language / names being misinterpreted and reinvented in a way you find distasteful, as opposed to your negative feelings about people of a particular heritage.

And yes, I'm Irish-American and took that personally. . Maybe too personally, I admit. Fwiw I also don't like mispronunciations of ethnic names and think that if someone's not going to pronounce Caitlin the Irish way, they should just go with Kathleen, which I agree is lovely.

caitsmummy · 25/04/2011 23:32

My LO is called Caitlyn and yes I have spelt it with a Y and I think its nice, Why do people want a popular name? I love the name, my husband chose it and the spelling....we used the Y as my late mum was called Lynn and wanted to incorperate her name.

Rhubarbgarden · 31/01/2011 20:56

Really dislike this name, sorry.

coccyx · 31/01/2011 18:47

not keen

flower38 · 31/01/2011 18:32

Its one of those names i really dislike sory love Katherine,catherine and Kathleen though.

5DollarShake · 31/01/2011 13:58

Very good friends of ours have an 8mo Caitlin. They are both second generation Irish (living in London, both with two Irish parents) and pronounce it Cait-lin.

Hedwig3 · 31/01/2011 10:05

I know 2 Caitlins aged 9 and 11

Also 2 Kaelins age 4 and 3

ValiumSandwichTime · 31/01/2011 08:50

ShineyDiscoBall, if you want Katelyn then what about putting Katherine Lyn on the birth cert, that way, if anybody accuses you, lol of being a plastic or bastardising an ancient name, you can say 'actually it's short for Katherine, not Caitlin so put that in your crack pipe and smoke it love'.

or something a little less uptight perhaps !! But ykwim!

ChippingInSmellyCheeseFreak · 31/01/2011 01:44

I love it - it would only be said as Kate-lyn here, so unless you live in Ireland, then it wont be an issue.

I like Caitlin (spelling) best.

mathanxiety · 31/01/2011 01:26

The pronunciation Kate-lynn is truly boaktastic imo. The epitomy of Oirishness. And Irish-American-ness.

I much prefer good, old-fashioned Kathleen.

PlanetLizard · 31/01/2011 00:52

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

Original poster

shinydiscoball · 30/01/2011 22:19

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?

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TallulahdoesthehulainHawaii · 30/01/2011 21:51

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

RueLaChesty · 30/01/2011 21:47

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

happyeverafterhome · 30/01/2011 21:35

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!

pointydug · 30/01/2011 21:34

Caitlin. No ys or ks. Makes it horrid

RueLaChesty · 30/01/2011 21:30

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.

Original poster

shinydiscoball · 30/01/2011 21:30

Thanks for your input everyone :)

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

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