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Great Names: All About Katherine

Caitlin

The name Caitlin peaked for boys at #1737 in 1989. Caitlin is occasionally used for girls in 2025.

The name Caitlin is a girl's name of Irish origin meaning "pure".

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An Irish and Welsh form of Catherine, Caitlin was a boom name of the eighties, rocketing from obscurity (Americans first heard it via the wife of doomed poet Dylan Thomas) to the height of popularity in the space of a decade. The original name was gradually eclipsed by its myriad spelling variations -- Katelyn and Kaitlyn both soon topping it on the popularity lists.
<br/><br/>Now, most forms of Caitlin, including this most-authentic one, have started to dip, though there have been thousands of girls named Caitlin -- and Katelyn and Kaitlyn ad infinitum -- every year for the past three decades. So, while Caitlin is certainly one of the loveliest variations of Catherine, it's been overused to the point of semi-retirement, at least in the U.S.  Cait might be a short form.
<br/><br/>Actor Breckin Meyer named his daughter Caitlin in 2003. Caitlyn Jenner also brought a renewed fame to the name, though she uses the -lyn variation.

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The name Caitlin peaked for girls at #44 in 1988. The name is most popular in Connecticut, Iowa, and Massachusetts. Caitlin is occasionally used for boys in 2004.

Cailin

Kaitlyn

Year	US rank	Births	Per million
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2025	—	0	0

Caitlin

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