Comments (Pronunciation Only)

My name is Cailin (pronounced cay-lyn) is BEAUTIFUL. If anyone ever tries to call me Colleen, OOOOOOO honey, they got a big storm comin! In what world would this name be pronounced Colleen?
My name is Cailin, pronounced (Kay-Lynn). Where I am from this name is unique, and I am not named after anyone or the meaning of the name such as Colleen. It is Cailin, and just Cailin. I have never personally met someone named Cailin (regardless of spelling) and I found it fascinating to come on here and read all of the things people have said about it. I for one love my name and the spelling of it. Although I do get called Caitlin quite a bit and it is something I do not like.
My name in Cailin and my parents chose to pronounce it Cuh-leen. Perhaps their own accents created it so, or perhaps the lovely Irish train conductor who suggested the name to my father had a thick accent, or said this was the proper pronunciation. Whatever the case, I don't think it matters. Names are given to hold space for the fulfillment of a sacred and unique individual - even when carried on the backs of a heritage or cultural tradition - once they are given as names, they get to be as special and unique as the bearer.
Some people's comments here are a bit much. I can call my daughter whatever I want, pronounced however I want. I chose to call her Cailin. Pronounced like Caitlin, without a t. I looked up the meaning, saw it was girl in Gaelic, but that had no bearing in my process at all. I named her after a cousin I had named Caitlin who died very young. I also found a beautiful song of the same name (pronounced the same way as my daughter) and that sort of clinched it for me. Like to point out that not once, in Canada or Australia, has anyone ever ever called her Colleen. Last time I checked Ireland was a pretty small country, perhaps you are overstating your global reach? Many names start out in one region, with one pronunciation, then are popularized in other areas with local pronunciations being adopted. Not a new phenomenon.
Really, the *correct* pronunciation is "caw-leen". I've never heard anyone with this name. It's just a word to me. It would be weird for me to meet someone with the name Cailin or Buachaill as they are words to me.
"Caw-leen" is not the correct pronunciation. It is the long a (á) that is pronounced "aw." Cailín has the short a (pronounced "ah.") The word may be accented on either the first or the second syllable depending on dialect. (Either "KAH-leen or "kah-LEEN.")
The name is pronounced like Colleen. It's my Mum's name and she hates it when Americans pronounce it Cay-lin.
I know of one girl with this name and she pronounces it Kay-lyn.

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