&sq=Sri Lanka&lang=en&file=File:Martin_Johnson_Heade-Cattleya_Orchid_and_Three_Brazilian_Hummingbirds.jpg) Cattleya Orchid and Three Brazilian Hummingbirds by Martin Johnson Heade, 1871. | |
| Pronunciation | English: /ˈkɑːtəˈleɪjə/ or English: /ˈkætəˈleɪjə/ or English: /ˈkætəˈliːjə/ or English: /ˈkɑːtəˈliːjə/ |
|---|---|
| Gender | feminine |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | English, Spanish |
| Meaning | Variant spelling of Cattleya: /ˈkætliə/, a species of orchid named in honor of English botanist William Cattley. |
Cataleya is a feminine given name, a variant spelling of Cattleya, a genus of orchid named in honor of English botanist William Cattley.[1] The surname Cattley is said to be a transferred use of Catley, a one-time English place name in both Hertfordshire and Lincolnshire. The place name was ultimately derived from the Old English words catte, meaning cat and leah, meaning meadow or clearing, giving the meaning “from the meadow or clearing where wildcats dwell.”[2] Another name for the Cattleya orchid is cat orchid.[3] Others have made a connection between the name and cats because of the name’s starting syllable.[4][better source needed]
The name was popularized by a character in the 2011 film Colombiana, a young girl who grows up to be an assassin who seeks vengeance for the murder of her parents. It also came into greater use because it is a flower name and also similar in sound to other names that have been popular in recent years such as Aaliyah, Caitlin, and Leah. It is said to project an image of beauty and femininity.[5][6] In some instances, variant spellings are considered more desirable than the original because the word Cattleya bears a similarity to the word cattle.
Different pronunciations of the name, some emphasized with phonetic spelling variants, are in use. Other variants of the name in use in the United States include Catalaya, Catalayah, Catalea, Cataleah, Cataleia, Cataleiya, Catalella, Cataleyah, Catalia, Cataliyah, Catelaya, Cateleya, Cathaleya, Cattalaya, Cattaleya, Cattleya, Katalaya, Katalea, Kataleah, Kataleia, Kataleigha, Kataleya, Kataleyah, Katalia, Kataliya, Kataliyah, Kathaleya, Kathalia, Kathaliya, Katilaya, Katliya, Kattalaya, Kattaleia, Kattaleya, and Kattleya.[7]
- ^ "Cataleya". nameberry.com. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ Eledge, Tammy. "Catley Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History". coadb.com. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ "Cattleya". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. North Carolina State Extension Center. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ Man, Nancy (15 May 2023). "Baby names with CAT: Catalina, Cathal, Ehecatl". nancy.cc. Nancy’s Baby Names (blog). Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ Ó Fátharta, Conall (11 May 2013). "Star power influences most popular baby names". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ "Cataleya". nameberry.com. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ "Beyond the Top 1,000". ssa.gov. United States Social Security Administration. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.