Dulce is the Spanish word for "sweet" and comes from the Marian title Dulce Nombre de María, the Sweet Name of Mary, so it is both a devotional name and a term of endearment. It is widely used in Mexico and Central America, often in the double form Dulce María. In the United States Dulce ranked number 601 in 2000, peaked at number 264 in 2007 and has settled at number 771 in 2025.