Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Pronouncing Caitlin?

33 replies

Clawdy · 22/03/2013 17:11

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"......

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
MsIngaFewmarbles · 27/03/2013 17:47

We say Kate-lin here, Caity for short pronounced as you would Katy

MidnightMasquerader · 27/03/2013 17:41

^^ Exactly, Stokes - that's the entire point.

Stokes · 27/03/2013 11:26

" I know 2 girls (8 and 5) who are Caitlin, pronounced as spelt."

Cotch-leen, then? ;) It is an Irish name and that is the phonetic pronounciation in Irish.

Bartlebee · 26/03/2013 22:02

I know 2 girls (8 and 5) who are Caitlin, pronounced as spelt.

I also know an adult Caitlin, pronounced Cosh-leen, which is horrid, imo.

HappyHugs · 25/03/2013 20:45

I'm in NI and know 2 Caitlins. Adult pronounces it 'Catch-leen' and the child is 'Kate-lin'. Changed over the years I suppose...

FunSizedMum · 25/03/2013 13:05

Yep, would definately say Kate-lin here in Wales too. Had no idea we were bastardising an Irish name though. Sorry about that. Don't you just hate it when that happens! Wink What about the Welsh name Catrin instead? That most rare of beasts - a Welsh, easy to pronounce, phonetic choice.

BeeBopDingALing · 25/03/2013 12:25

I've only ever heard it said Kate-lin.

FreedomOfTheTess · 25/03/2013 11:20

Having an Irish grandfather, I've always pronounced Caitlin as coyt-leen, and have annoyed parents in the past by pronouncing their beloved Caitlin's name as coyt-leen and not kate-lin. When they say something, I smile and say, "oh sorry, but coyt-leen is a genuine Irish pronunciation, so I just assumed."

I am in the camp that, if you want kate-lin, you spell it Katelyn or Kaitlyn, but leave Caitlin be.

OkayHazel · 24/03/2013 15:15

Kate-lin at my end!

Stokes · 23/03/2013 20:51

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.

MamaBlue4 · 23/03/2013 16:07

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!

Original poster
Clawdy · 23/03/2013 08:12

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

OP posts:
simplesusan · 22/03/2013 23:45

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

Iwishiwasasleep · 22/03/2013 22:43

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.

WafflyVersatile · 22/03/2013 22:40

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

ballroomblitz · 22/03/2013 22:37

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

Haylebop12 · 22/03/2013 22:36

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!

Startail · 22/03/2013 22:32

Kate-Lin here of Welsh extraction I believe.

Ficidy · 22/03/2013 22:23

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.

MTSgroupie · 22/03/2013 19:36

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.

Letticetheslug · 22/03/2013 19:32

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

ElegantSufficiency · 22/03/2013 19:22

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}

MajaBiene · 22/03/2013 19:16

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

MamaBlue4 · 22/03/2013 19:12

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

wedontplaywithelectrics · 22/03/2013 17:58

I'm English and pronounce it Kate-Lin x

Swipe left for the next trending thread