When I was a child I made a list of every single way that my name could be spelled.
Here are a few common ones:
Caitlyn
Katelynn
Kaitlin
Katelyn
Catelyn
Common misspellings include Catlin, Catalan, Caitlind, Cailtin (often my own typing error) Katielin, and one of the wildest ones Kaiteliynn. While I answer to my name no matter how it is spelled, I have opinions, in part because my parent had opinions.
My mother feels particularly proud of the names she gave her daughters. She talks about the thought that went into them, and her abhorrence of nicknames (my ex-husband is the only person to call me Cait or Catie with any consistency, and it definitely annoyed her). I was part of the peak rise in popularity of the name in the late 1980s, but I still hear it across the playgrounds and basketball teams in my children’s circles. I may be among the oldest of the name but it does seem to have a broader generational reach than say, Karen or Jessica.
Not to be facetious but I do have some quibbles with the people who spell Caitlin differently from my spelling. The spelling is Irish, and the pronunciation is English. If it were to be pronounced according to the Irish spelling it would be Kat-leen. The English spelling of the Irish name is Kathleen. So already we have a very mixed language-to-spelling ratio. Adding in 20 other spellings is hardly necessary. Plus it leaves everyone playing a guessing game which is just annoying.
Being a Caitlin is easier than being a Katie, and not as difficult as a truly rare and unique name. People like the name, and generally seem to have pleasant associations with it (just read the entries on Urban Dictionary, caveat, I have no idea what your name will be on Urban Diction, proceed with caution and a sense of humor).
The other consideration that my parents had when naming their daughters was the meaning of the names. Caitlin means “pure” and my middle name means “grace” and they would tell me to live up to the concept of pure grace, a lofty ideal for anyone, let alone the oldest daughter who is a major people pleaser. And growing up in purity culture certainly has made a mess of my ideas about purity. It is a concept I am still learning to understand.
It is hard to say whether names reflect or impart character traits, but I often find there to be some connection between names and personalities. For instance, I know a great many Jessicas and all of them are rather type A overachievers. (I am also a type A overachiever, like recognize like.) The meaning of the name is “vision” or “sight”. Maybe all these Jessicas can see what needs to be done. Is that because they are named Jessica, or some other reason? Would those people be the same if they had a different name?
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet
Names do convey so much, be it names of places or people or religions. I know that not everyone spends time contemplating the significance of a name, but I find it fascinating. I like my name, I like how it’s spelled, and I get mildly annoyed and amused by the handful of people who have called me “Caitlind”. But I will still answer if you call.
For the Eyes
Names hold a great deal of power for good and cruelty.
For the Ears
In honor of my Irish name, here is a playlist of Irish music. Its lilting quality is well-known, and someday maybe I will hear my own name in the lilt.
For the Taste Buds
For the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday, I will be putting my corned beef in a brine a few days in advance and adding a bottle of Guinness while it cooks. This makes a much more flavorful brisket than just boiling it in water. Anyone else partake of this Americanized Irish meal?
May this week bring purity to your senses and your soul.
I can relate to this so much! :)
Caitlin this is a lovely exploration of your name. I particularly love your comment on Caitlin v. Kate. I think my friend ‘Kate’ also mentioned something similar once… never thought about it until recently 😂