Keelin in Irish: Caoilainn
Keelin is an English spelling of the Irish name Caoilainn, a girl's name meaning “slender and fair.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated November 2026
- Irish name
- Caoilainn
- Meaning
- Slender and fair
- Gender
- Girl
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 718 for girls (2025)
How do you say Keelin in Irish?
Keelin is an English spelling of Caoilainn. Caoilainn is pronounced KAY-linn. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Caoilainn mean?
Caoilainn means “slender and fair.” Keelin is an English spelling of it.
Read more about Caoilainn: its meaning, origin and stories
How popular is Keelin in Ireland?
In 2025, 4 baby girls in Ireland were named Keelin, which made it No. 718 that year. That's down from No. 362 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2009, when 52 baby girls were named Keelin, No. 126 that year. It first appears in the records in 1968, with 3 baby girls.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | No. 718 |
| 2024 | 6 | No. 556 |
| 2023 | 8 | No. 445 |
| 2022 | 9 | No. 420 |
| 2021 | 14 | No. 299 |
| 2020 | 12 | No. 336 |
| 2019 | 3 | No. 871 |
| 2018 | 13 | No. 336 |
| 2017 | 8 | No. 471 |
| 2016 | 13 | No. 335 |
| 2015 | 13 | No. 362 |
| 2014 | 11 | No. 404 |
| 2013 | 14 | No. 340 |
| 2012 | 20 | No. 250 |
| 2011 | 36 | No. 166 |
| 2010 | 28 | No. 205 |
| 2009 | 52 | No. 126 |
| 2008 | 42 | No. 144 |
| 2007 | 40 | No. 153 |
| 2006 | 31 | No. 161 |
| 2005 | 33 | No. 138 |
| 2004 | 13 | No. 272 |
| 2003 | 7 | No. 403 |
| 2002 | 7 | No. 374 |
| 2001 | 9 | No. 315 |
| 2000 | 13 | No. 251 |
| 1999 | 8 | No. 294 |
| 1998 | 8 | No. 293 |
| 1997 | 4 | No. 496 |
| 1996 | 4 | No. 471 |
| 1994 | 3 | No. 502 |
| 1993 | 6 | No. 385 |
| 1992 | 7 | No. 363 |
| 1991 | 3 | No. 515 |
| 1990 | 3 | No. 517 |
| 1989 | 5 | No. 408 |
| 1988 | 5 | No. 407 |
| 1987 | 3 | No. 488 |
| 1986 | 5 | No. 422 |
| 1985 | 3 | No. 519 |
| 1984 | 4 | No. 459 |
| 1983 | 6 | No. 401 |
| 1981 | 6 | No. 386 |
| 1980 | 7 | No. 370 |
| 1979 | 5 | No. 420 |
| 1978 | 8 | No. 348 |
| 1977 | 6 | No. 391 |
| 1974 | 7 | No. 340 |
| 1972 | 6 | No. 352 |
| 1969 | 3 | No. 443 |
| 1968 | 3 | No. 401 |
Caoilainn 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 Caoilainn, letter by letter.
- CColl, hazel
- AAilm, pine
- OOnn, gorse
- IIodhadh, yew
- LLuis, rowan
- AAilm, pine
- IIodhadh, yew
- NNion, ash
- NNion, ash
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Keelin
Questions about Keelin
- What is Keelin in Irish?
- Keelin is an English spelling of the Irish name Caoilainn, a girl's name meaning “slender and fair.” Caoilainn is pronounced KAY-linn.
- How do you pronounce Caoilainn?
- Caoilainn is pronounced KAY-linn, with two syllables and the stress on the first.
- Is Keelin a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Keelin is a girl's name.
- How popular is Keelin in Ireland?
- In 2025, Keelin was No. 718 for girls in Ireland, with 4 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2009, at No. 126.
Sources: popularity from the Central Statistics Office, table VSA60 (CC BY 4.0). Meaning and origin from Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), Behind the Name and Wikipedia. How we research names: our sources. Spotted a mistake? support@babynamesofireland.com