Meaning and history
Dulcinea is a Spanish literary name derived from dulce, meaning “sweet.” Miguel de Cervantes used it in Don Quixote for Dulcinea del Toboso, the idealized lady whom Don Quixote imagines as his noble beloved, although she does not appear directly as that persona. The name is therefore primarily associated with idealized love and literary imagination. A notable real-life bearer is Argentine-Canadian multidisciplinary performer Dulcinea Langfelder. Traditional use before Cervantes is not well established.
20052005: no US SSA record for this spelling
2006: 16 births, rank #7,482
2007: no US SSA record for this spelling
2008: 9 births, rank #11,599
2009: 11 births, rank #9,975
20102010: no US SSA record for this spelling
2011: 5 births, rank #16,764
2012: 7 births, rank #13,483
2013: 6 births, rank #14,582
2014: 8 births, rank #11,931
20152015: 9 births, rank #10,866
2016: 8 births, rank #11,781
2017: no US SSA record for this spelling
2018: 8 births, rank #11,427
2019: 8 births, rank #11,356
20202020: no US SSA record for this spelling
2021: 9 births, rank #10,292
2022: no US SSA record for this spelling
2023: no US SSA record for this spelling
20242024: 7 births, rank #12,161
In 2024, 7 babies were recorded with the name Dulcinea, ranking #12,161 among girls.