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It is possible that this surname comes from the first name "Catharina" or "Cathalina" quite common around Italy already in medieval times. other variants in Northern Italy Catelini, Cattalini.

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Jim is right: surnames comes generally from medieval nicknames. Only venetian or sardinian surnames are widely derived from local dialects. In the rest of Italy the influence of regional dialects has been less important. Quite often italian local nicknames have been changed in to a latin word before becoming a regional surname.