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Baby names

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Original poster

Dh thinks Erin is short for Catherine?

37 replies

Backdrop · 22/08/2018 14:12

Just starting to tentatively draw up lists of names.

Dh comes out with, "I really like Erin, and we could always use Catherine on the birth certificate."

He claims that Erin is a perfectly acceptable diminutive of Catherine, and that he knew a few at school. I think he's making it up/remembering wrong/these Erins played a prank on him.

In my books, Catherine can be shortened to Cathy or Katie, but not to Erin??

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RoisinD · 22/08/2018 14:54

Erin is a stand alone name and is the Gaelic name for Ireland (also spelt Eirinn/Eireann). Liam is the Gaelic name for William, not the shortened name.

Jitters22 · 22/08/2018 14:51

Erin is indeed the Gaelic name for the island of Ireland.

Didiusfalco · 22/08/2018 14:49

Nope, I think he’s wrong, although can see why he might think that. Erin works fine as a stand-alone name.

Marmite27 · 22/08/2018 14:45

The only Erin’s I know are pronounced ‘Air-un’. That doesn’t really fit with the pronunciation of Catherine.

TwoBlueShoes · 22/08/2018 14:39

Erin is a name in its own right. I think it's derived from the Gaelic for Ireland.

Catherine is a completely different name.

Astrid2 · 22/08/2018 14:36

What's the thing about having a long name on the birth certificate but never actually using that name??

Erin is a lovely name on its own and doesn't need a long name for the birth certificate!

cameltoeflappyflapflap · 22/08/2018 14:32

I know an Erin short for Catherine and a Liam short for William.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 22/08/2018 14:18

It only really works if you pronounce Catherine cath-er-in, surely most people would say cath-rin? I've never heard of anyone who is Erin short for Catherine so perhaps it's only as local thing where your DH grew up.

itbemay · 22/08/2018 14:17

this made me lol cath'erin! cate, cath is short for catherine but not erin... erin is a great name on its own

ShowOfHands · 22/08/2018 14:16

Erin is fuck all to do with Catherine. It just contains those letters. It's like shortening Gerald to Al or Jonathan to Nat. No reason why you can't I suppose but it's a bit strange.

Erin is lovely btw.

TroubledLichen · 22/08/2018 14:15

Never heard of it but it does sound halfway plausible.

DramaAlpaca · 22/08/2018 14:14

I've never heard of Erin being short for Catherine but it kind of works.

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