Dulcie is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin dulcis, meaning sweet. It has been in use in the Anglosphere since the 1800s. It was a recreation in a new form of Duce, [1] Douce, or Dowse, an older English name in use since the Middle Ages that was derived from the same Latin source word. Dulcia was a form of the name in use in the Later Roman Empire.[2] [3] Dulcis and Dulceta were both in use in records recorded in Latin in medieval France, where the name came from the Old French words dolz or dous and Middle French words doux and douce, all also from the Latin dulcis. The names Dolcis and Dulcis are found in Latin records in medieval Italy; Dulcia and Dulciae in Latin records in medieval Portugal.[4] Dowsabel or Dousabel, or Dulcibel or Dulcibella in modern English, was derived from the Latin dulcis in combination with bellus, or beautiful, and also had the connotation of sweetheart.[5]

Dulcie
El Dulce nombre de María or The Sweet Name of Mary by Cristóbal de Villalpando.
GenderFeminine
Language(s)English via Latin
Origin
Meaningsweet

Dulce is a Spanish form of the name[6] that is often used in combination with the name Maria. Dulce María is a title used by Catholics for Mary, mother of Jesus that is sometimes translated into English as Blessed Mary or Blessed Virgin Mary.[7] Dulcinea is a Spanish elaboration of the name popularized by its use by Miguel de Cervantes for an idealized imaginary female character in his novel Don Quixote.[8] Dulcinée is the French version of this name.

Usage

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Dulcie has been among the top 1,000 names for girls in England and Wales since 1997. It was among the top 100 names for girls born in New Zealand between 1907 and 1931. It was among the top 1,000 names for girls born in the United States at different times between 1880 and 1905, but then declined in use.[9] It was used for five American girls born in 2022.[10]

Notable people

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Fictional characters

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Uckelman, Joel; Uckelman, Sara L. "Dulce". dmnes.org. Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  2. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 81. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  3. ^ Nickerson, Eleanor (25 May 2013). "Dulcie: Name of the Week". britishbabynames.com. British Baby Names (blog). Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  4. ^ Uckelman, Joel; Uckelman, Sara L. "Dulce". dmnes.org. Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Dowsabel". grandiloquentwordoftheday.com.com. Grandiloquent Word of the Day. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  6. ^ Campbell, Mike. "Dulce". behindthename.com. Behind the Name. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  7. ^ "María, Oh Dulce Virgen/María, O Blessed Virgin by Rodolfo López, Estela García-López". www.ocp.org. Oregon Catholic Press. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  8. ^ Campbell, Mike. "Dulcinea". behindthename.com. Behind the Name. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  9. ^ Campbell, Mike. "Dulcie". behindthename.com. Behind the Name. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Beyond the Top 1,000". ssa.gov. United States Social Security Administration. Retrieved 3 January 2024.