Irish girl name
Kathleen Name Meaning, Origin & Pronunciation
Kathleen means pure. Anglicised from Irish Caitlín, a form of Catherine.
Kathleen is an Anglicised form of the Irish Caitlín, which is the Irish form of Catherine. Catherine is usually taken from the Greek katharos, meaning pure. Kathleen was one of the most common girls' names in Ireland in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and Kathleen Ní Houlihan became a poetic name for Ireland itself. Caitlín is pronounced kat-LEEN, with a hard c.
Pronunciation by a native speaker.
How to pronounce Kathleen
KATH·leen
Kathleen has 2 syllables. The stress falls on the first syllable (shown in bold). Say it as written in the respelling, with each capitalised part spoken a little louder.
Why the spelling looks different from the sound
- th: Irish "th" is usually a soft "h" rather than the English "th" (Cathal is "KAH-hal").
More on silent letters · Irish names people mispronounce.
Irish, Welsh and Gaelic dialects differ from region to region, so you may hear more than one correct version.
Variants of Kathleen
CathleenKathlynKaitlinCaitlín
A well-known Kathleen
Kathleen Turner.
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Kathleen mean?
Kathleen means "pure". Anglicised from Irish Caitlín, a form of Catherine.
How do you pronounce Kathleen?
Kathleen is pronounced KATH-leen.
What is the origin of Kathleen?
Kathleen is an Irish girl name. In Irish it is written Caitlín.
How many syllables are in Kathleen?
Kathleen has 2 syllables, with the stress on the first one.
Why is Kathleen spelled the way it is?
The spelling follows Irish spelling conventions rather than English ones. Irish "th" is usually a soft "h" rather than the English "th" (Cathal is "KAH-hal").
What are other spellings of Kathleen?
Other spellings and forms include Cathleen, Kathlyn, Kaitlin, Caitlín.