See the results of this poll: Which variant is your favourite?
Respondents: 41 (This poll is closed)
- Kathleen : 15 (37%)
- Catriona : 12 (29%)
- Katrina : 5 (12%)
- Caitlin: 9 (22%)
I voted [name_f]Catriona[/name_f]. I love this spelling. For some reason I don’t like [name_f]Katrina[/name_f]. Maybe b/c I just know so many [name_f]Katrina[/name_f]'s around my age that it feels so dated. But [name_f]Catriona[/name_f] just really freshens it up for me! I love Gaelic spellings. [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f] would be my second choice!
I’m biased - I love [name_f]Kathleen[/name_f] because it is a name of a beloved aunt, but I think it is sophisticated in that mid-century kind of way.
Of the options you listed, I like [name_f]Katrina[/name_f] the best, but have you considered [name_f]Katerina[/name_f]? You get the same nicknames with the added [name_f]Kate[/name_f] or [name_f]Kat[/name_f] with a K, if you want. It also sounds more polished to me.
I wouldn’t go with [name_f]Catriona[/name_f]. She’ll have a lifetime of correcting everyone’s spelling.
I voted [name_f]Kathleen[/name_f] but I love [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f] as well.
I’m caught between [name_f]Kathleen[/name_f] and [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f]. I like them both, because they’re each sophisticated, delicate, and regal, but they have they’re each unique in their own way.
I voted for [name_f]Catriona[/name_f], but these are all good choices. I’m Irish Catholic (from the states), so I have met literally dozens of Catherines/Katherines, Caitlins/etc., and Kathleens over the years. I only know a handful of Katrinas. I have yet to meet a [name_f]Catriona[/name_f]. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them.
I’ve thought about [name_f]Katerina[/name_f], though it loses the Irish quality and sounds more “my” side (Eastern European) but if I went down that road I’d probably go with [name_f]Katia[/name_f]. Not leastly because I only like THAT spelling of [name_f]Katia[/name_f], and I can never decide between all the myriad forms of [name_f]Katerina[/name_f], [name_f]Katarina[/name_f], and [name_f]Ekaterina[/name_f]/[name_f]Yekaterina[/name_f].
I was going to pick a favourite Irish form and a favourite Eastern European form and then have a final showdown. 
That’s kind of how I feel, no really awful choice in the bunch! Thanks for your insight on how many of each you know, it’s helpful.
Another catriona vote here, my reasoning being (in addition to just liking the Gaelic spelling) there seems to be a large Irish population in Australia these days (or at least among my friends and in laws of friends) that the spelling of catriona won’t be so foreign or hard to grasp for many people.
I don’t think it’d be that hard to ‘get’ for people in the US either. It’s one of the more straightforward of Gaelic names, and it has a well known anglicized version for people to remember it by.
I’m the first to admit I’m very biased, but [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f] is my favorite. It’s a great name and most people actually assume it’s spelt this way, whereas [name_f]Catriona[/name_f] will have to correct people. All of these names are fantastic, though!
I voted [name_f]Kathleen[/name_f] because I have a close friend with the name who made me love it she goes by [name_f]Kate[/name_f]. My second would have been [name_f]Catriona[/name_f] in Australia their is a celebrity named [name_f]Catriona[/name_f] can’t remember her last name but she presented getaway so a few people would know the pronunciation.
[name_f]Kathleen[/name_f] gets my vote; I really like its retro feel and think it would be sweet to see on a little one. I also like [name_f]Katrina[/name_f], but being from the U.S. the hurricane also comes to mind for me (before the hurricane it was one of my favorites). [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f]'s recent overuse and butchered spellings turns me off of that one, and the pronunciation of [name_f]Catriona[/name_f] is too challenging for me.
Oh, thanks everyone!
I’m really heartened how well [name_f]Kathleen[/name_f] did, (and a little surprised) I am fond of how unexpected-yet-familiar it is.
I don’t really have a LEAST favourite but I didn’t expect [name_f]Kathleen[/name_f] to do so well.
[name_f]Catriona[/name_f] feels magical to me, but I do worry about it getting pronounced with a hard O as in [name_f]Fiona[/name_f]. My husband admires the look of it but isn’t sure it wouldn’t be mistaken for being kreative.
[name_f]Katrina[/name_f] is a name I’ve always liked, but I can’t decide if it feels dated to my own childhood.
[name_f]Caitlin[/name_f], oh, I really like [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f], and the -n ending sounds good with our surname, and nobody will bitch that we made it up, but the spellings! The '90s popularity! I dunno. And will my namenerd card be revoked? 
[name_f]Catriona[/name_f]! It is a front runner for us if this bub is a girl.