Caitlin (Irish pronunciation: [ˈkatʲlʲiːnʲ]) is a feminine given name of Irish origin. Historically, the Irish name Caitlín was anglicized as Cathleen or Kathleen. In the 1970s, however, non-Irish speakers began pronouncing the name according to English spelling rules as /ˈktlɪn/ KAYT-lin, which led to many variations in spelling such as Caitlin, Ceitlin, Catelynn, Caitlyn, Katlyn, Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Katelyn and Katelynn.[1][2][3]

Caitlín
GenderFeminine
Origin
Language(s)Irish
Word/nameCatherine
Other names
Alternative spellingCaitlan, Ceitlin, Kaitlin, Caitlyn, Kathleen, Cathleen, Kaitlyn, Catelin, Catelyn, Caitlynn, Catelynn, Caetlynn, Katelyn, Katelynn, Kaitlynn, et al.

It is the Irish version of the Old French name Cateline [katlin], which comes from Catherine, which in turn comes from the Ancient Greek Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterine). Catherine is attributed to St. Catherine of Alexandria.[4] Along with the many other variants of Catherine, it is generally believed to mean "pure" because of its long association with the Greek adjective καθαρός katharos (pure), though the name did not evolve from this word.[5]

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Other uses of the name

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Caitlin - Origin and Meaning of the name Caitlin at BabyNames.com". Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  2. ^ "Irish Names: You say Caitlyn, I say Kaytlynne..." Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  3. ^ "Origin and Meaning of Caitlin - Baby Girl Name Caitlin". Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  4. ^ "Behind the Name: Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Katherine". Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  5. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hodges, Flavia, eds. (2006). A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press.