How would you pronounce Caitlin?

[HollyGoHeavily]

Top of our list for DD2 is Caitlin but I am now having a slight wobble due to a friend of mine assuming it would be pronounced wrongly differently to me.

How would you pronounce it? Like 'Kate-Lin' or 'Cat-Lin'?

The point is, you can't declare that a name is pronounced one way when it's clearly pronounced a myriad different ways, inside and outside of its country of origin.

If it became fashionable to pronouce Yvonne as Why V On would that make it correct?

Kathleen is pronouced Cat leen and has been for centuries. Caitlin is pronounced Cat leen or Coit lin with the fada.

Katelyn -kate as in wait- is variation of this traditional irish name that became popular in the 1970's in America and Australia.

It is a perfectly nice name. It also has plently of spelling options to indicate how you want it said and avoid confusion - Caitlyn, Caitlynn, Caittlyn, Catelyn, Catlyn, Caytelyn, Caytlin, Kaetlynn, Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Kaitlyne, Kaitlynn, Katelin, Katelyn, Katelynn, Kate Lynn, Katlin, Katlyn, Katlynne, Kaytelin, Kaytelinn, Kaytlynn, and Quatlin, although personally I think that last spelling is pushing it a bit . Just not Caitlin or Kathleen please for the traditionalists amongst us.

All the Kate lyns I know in Ireland are under 12. When I was growing up it was a name only heard on telly or on American cousins. The Irish Kates were Cat leens and Coit's.

Even Elvis got it right

Disclaimer- At the end of the day it is your choice what you call your baby and how you spell it and my opinion is right just that, opinion. So, to all the little Why V on's out there, stand tall, be proud and ignore those sniggering down the back.

i have a niece called Caitlyn and we say Kate Lyn, but a lot of people seem to put a d on the end for some reason and pronounce Kate-lind?? Strange..lol

DD2 is 6 months old now and, partly due to this thread, is NOT called Caitlin :)

Trust me, with a name like Caitlin it isn't the pronunciation you need to worry about its the spelling. I've spent 35 years having to spell it everytime and most people still get it wrong :o

Agree with rockbird, thats how my mum used to say it, she was from Mayo so maybe that hadsomething to do with it.
I always thought that the kate-lin thing was an anglo version because the pronuciation was difficult.

Right behind you elliephant!!

Kate-Lin I'd assume too .

My DD is Caitlin, pronounced Kate-lyn.
My mother is irish and calls her 'Cutchlin'.
At a Dr's appointment a month ago, the Dr (N.Irish) read her name and called her Kathleen.

I guess she will choose what she prefers when she's older but we love the name and appreciate the various ways to say it

Congratulations Holly

Thanks elliephant :)