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Baby names

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

Original poster

Caitlín?

44 replies

Aiwo · 31/03/2016 20:05

Is having Caitlín pronounced the proper (Irish) way too much of an uphill battle in the UK?

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Original poster
Aiwo · 01/04/2016 19:46

SoThat
More with a Kat-leen rather than a th sound

OP posts:
ZenNudist · 01/04/2016 19:46

I prefer kate-Lynn sound. Nice name, but if you live in England then expect everyone to struggle with it.

Can't it just be Caitlin?

Cerseirys · 01/04/2016 19:45

What's the correct pronunciation for Caitríona then?

SoThatHappened · 01/04/2016 19:34

How do people with Irish accents pronounce Kathleen out of interest?

Original poster
Aiwo · 01/04/2016 19:31

Mathanxiety
Caitríona is nice but could run into the surname too much.
We both like Kathleen but my DH hates the way people without Irish accents say it. Maybe I should try and convince him again

OP posts:
LucyBabs · 01/04/2016 02:08

Wow I've been Irish for 33 years and never heard Caitlin pronounced Cawtch leen Confused
However I don't speak Irish fluently.. currently have my 7 yr old dd teaching me Smile

mathanxiety · 01/04/2016 02:01

I much prefer Kathleen, or Caitríona if you want a variant.

I suspect Caitlín would always be pronounced Cate-lynn simply because people would have no idea there is another pronunciation. Correcting people might get a bit tiring, or repeating the name a few times after being introduced, then being asked to spell it, etc.

mathanxiety · 01/04/2016 01:56

It would be Cawtch-leen with a fada on the a. (As in the name Cáit.)

Caitlín would be Cotch-leen (with the shorter a sound.) It's not Kat because it's a slender T.

Parney · 31/03/2016 23:37

I love both btw Grin

Parney · 31/03/2016 23:36

For it to be cotch leen it would need a fada on the a... Cáitlín.

OP's potential baby name is Caitlín without fada on a.... Which makes it Kat-leen.

VertigoNun · 31/03/2016 22:55

Cotch-leen not Lynn.

Beautiful name OP.

babyblabber · 31/03/2016 22:52

Jays us I read it as kate-lynn & don't even live in the uk. Too much time on mumsnet? Or coz in from the pale?!!! I know Cait but have never heard Caitlin pronounced cotch lynn

squoosh · 31/03/2016 21:20

Yes. Uphill battle as there are loads of them in the UK that pronounce it as kate-lynn. Even the Irish ones are generally pronounced as kate-lynn from what I can tell.

Kathleen is far more old lady Irish chic (okay maybe chic is an exaggeration!) in my opinion.

YeOldeTrout · 31/03/2016 20:58

cotch like crotch or botch but not catch or caught?

Fwaffy · 31/03/2016 20:56

It's pronounced "cotch-leen" in Ireland for those wondering.

Fwaffy · 31/03/2016 20:55

Well you'll mainly be introducing her verbally rather than having people see it written down so it should be fine. Same when she's older really.

She might have issues in school with roll call etc but again, once corrected I'd think that should sort it. (Spoken as a person with an awkward Irish spelling who lived in both UK and Ireland).

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 31/03/2016 20:52

I wouldnt know how to pronounce it, if not Kate Lynn.

YeOldeTrout · 31/03/2016 20:50

So... what is the Irish way? Like Cat-lynn?

Is Kathleen closer? I always thought of Kathleen as Irish name...

Itinerary · 31/03/2016 20:20

I think in the UK a lot of people will say Kate-lyn the first time, but once you correct them will probably remember how you pronounce it Smile