My friend Deb did a blog about names. You can see it at http://debkolar.wordpress.com/ . So, I researched the origins of my name. The year I was born, it was the 15th most popular name for girls. I have a feeling it was the Anglicized form, meaning pure, that parents liked.
But, Kathleen derives from Catherine, which may derive from the Greek Hecate. Now, Hecate means torture. The story is that she was tortured on a spiked wheel. I think this is where the fireworks called a Catherine Wheel, which spins around and emits spikes of flame, comes from. Hecate was the goddess of witchcraft, tombs and demons. Maybe this is why I like Day of the Dead decor so much.
There have been many famous Catherines, including Catherine of Siena, a 14th century mystic, and Catherine of Medici (wasn't she one of THOSE Medici?), and of course three of Henry the 8ths' wives were named Catherine. Once you get a taste of a Catherine, everything else seems bland, I guess. And there is always a good reason for losing your head with one (or hers). The Empress of Russia, Catherine the Great was also memorable.
The most common mistaken name I have been called is Karen, which means little Katherine, so I'm good with that.