Caitlin: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Caitlin is an Irish girl's name meaning “pure, clear.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- Pure, clear
- Gender
- Girl
- English forms
- Catherine, Kathleen
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 247 for girls (2025)
How do you pronounce Caitlin?
Caitlin is pronounced KOIT-leen. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first. It can also be said KATH-leen. Other spellings: Cathleen.
What does Caitlin mean?
Devotion to St. Catherine came to Ireland with Christianity. Revered for her courage and purity, Catherine in the Irish form, Cathleen, became such a popular name that W. B. Yeats chose it for the heroine of his 1899 play “The Countess Cathleen” which was inspired by an Irish folktale. In a time of famine the Devil offers food to the starving poor in exchange for their souls. But Cathleen convinces Satan to take her soul instead. When she dies the Devil comes to collect her soul but God intervenes and carries Cathleen to heaven, saying that “such a sacrificial act cannot justly lead to evil consequences.”
How popular is Caitlin in Ireland?
In 2025, 17 baby girls in Ireland were named Caitlin, which made it No. 247 that year. Another 8 were registered as Caitlín. That's down from No. 97 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2003, when 192 baby girls were named Caitlin, No. 31 that year. It first appears in the records in 1967, with 3 baby girls.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | No. 247 (Caitlin) |
| 2024 | 20 | No. 342 (Caitlin) |
| 2023 | 14 | No. 339 (Caitlin) |
| 2022 | 20 | No. 357 (Caitlin) |
| 2021 | 28 | No. 221 (Caitlin) |
| 2020 | 24 | No. 246 (Caitlin) |
| 2019 | 43 | No. 152 (Caitlin) |
| 2018 | 47 | No. 179 (Caitlin) |
| 2017 | 36 | No. 154 (Caitlin) |
| 2016 | 50 | No. 121 (Caitlin) |
| 2015 | 66 | No. 97 (Caitlin) |
| 2014 | 73 | No. 91 (Caitlin) |
| 2013 | 89 | No. 73 (Caitlin) |
| 2012 | 105 | No. 64 (Caitlin) |
| 2011 | 116 | No. 65 (Caitlin) |
| 2010 | 93 | No. 75 (Caitlin) |
| 2009 | 134 | No. 53 (Caitlin) |
| 2008 | 168 | No. 46 (Caitlin) |
| 2007 | 164 | No. 44 (Caitlin) |
| 2006 | 143 | No. 46 (Caitlin) |
| 2005 | 191 | No. 34 (Caitlin) |
| 2004 | 189 | No. 34 (Caitlin) |
| 2003 | 192 | No. 31 (Caitlin) |
| 2002 | 151 | No. 38 (Caitlin) |
| 2001 | 160 | No. 34 (Caitlin) |
| 2000 | 130 | No. 40 (Caitlin) |
| 1999 | 112 | No. 41 (Caitlin) |
| 1998 | 74 | No. 54 (Caitlin) |
| 1997 | 54 | No. 98 (Caitlin) |
| 1996 | 32 | No. 155 (Caitlin) |
| 1995 | 34 | No. 141 (Caitlin) |
| 1994 | 25 | No. 171 (Caitlin) |
| 1993 | 19 | No. 204 (Caitlin) |
| 1992 | 6 | No. 391 (Caitlin) |
| 1991 | 7 | No. 365 (Caitlin) |
| 1990 | 7 | No. 357 (Caitlin) |
| 1989 | 5 | No. 408 (Caitlin) |
| 1987 | 3 | No. 488 (Caitlin) |
| 1986 | 7 | No. 356 (Caitlin) |
| 1985 | 3 | No. 519 (Caitlin) |
| 1984 | 3 | No. 516 (Caitlin) |
| 1983 | 3 | No. 529 (Caitlin) |
| 1980 | 4 | No. 483 (Caitlin) |
| 1979 | 3 | No. 523 (Caitlin) |
| 1977 | 3 | No. 518 (Caitlin) |
| 1976 | 3 | No. 497 (Caitlin) |
| 1975 | 3 | No. 503 (Caitlin) |
| 1967 | 3 | No. 393 (Caitlin) |
Caitlin in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Caitlin, letter by letter.
- CColl, hazel
- AAilm, pine
- IIodhadh, yew
- TTinne, holly
- LLuis, rowan
- IIodhadh, yew
- NNion, ash
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Caitlin
Questions about Caitlin
- How do you pronounce Caitlin?
- Caitlin is pronounced KOIT-leen. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- What does Caitlin mean?
- Caitlin means “pure, clear.”
- Is Caitlin a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Caitlin is a girl's name.
- What is Caitlin in English?
- The English forms of Caitlin are Catherine and Kathleen.
- How popular is Caitlin in Ireland?
- In 2025, Caitlin was No. 247 for girls in Ireland, with 17 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2003, at No. 31.