Dilcia
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly derived from the Spanish word "dulce" meaning "sweet".
Name Census estimates that about 218 living Americans carry the first name Dilcia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dilcia today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dilcia births was 1998 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dilcia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
218
~ 1 in 1,572,268 Americans
Peak year
1998
14 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2023 SSA rank
#15,796
Tracked since 1971
Census
Dilcia in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,499 people with the first name Dilcia, which placed it at #6,425 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#6,425
National first-name rank
People counted
2.5K
2,499 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.8
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
98.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dilcia
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Dilcia is Hispanic at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and White (0.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Dilcia described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Dilcia at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino98.2% · 2,455
- Black or African American1.0% · 24
- White0.5% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Popularity
Dilcia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dilcia from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 66 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dilcia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dilcia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dilcias live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dilcia
The given name Dilcia has its origins in Latin America, specifically in countries like Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. It is derived from the Spanish name Dulce, which means "sweet" or "gentle." The name Dilcia is thought to have emerged as a diminutive or pet form of Dulce, with the addition of the suffix "-cia" to create a more unique and affectionate variation.
Historically, the name Dilcia was likely influenced by the cultural and linguistic traditions of the indigenous populations of Latin America, as well as the Spanish colonial influence in the region. It reflects the blending of Spanish and indigenous naming practices, resulting in a name that carries both Spanish and indigenous linguistic elements.
While there are no specific historical references or ancient texts directly mentioning the name Dilcia, its roots can be traced back to the Spanish language and its adoption in Latin American cultures. The earliest recorded instances of the name Dilcia are believed to date back to the late 19th or early 20th century, as it gained popularity among Spanish-speaking communities in Central and South America.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Dilcia was Dilcia Muñoz, a Nicaraguan writer and journalist who was born in 1929. She was a prominent figure in Nicaraguan literature and played a significant role in promoting women's rights and social justice through her writings.
Another individual of note was Dilcia Sánchez, a Honduran politician and activist who was born in 1948. She was a member of the National Congress of Honduras and was known for her advocacy for women's rights and environmental protection.
In Mexico, Dilcia Pagaza (1923-1992) was a celebrated actress and singer who appeared in numerous Mexican films and television shows throughout her career. She was recognized for her talent and contributions to the entertainment industry.
Dilcia Machado (1920-2004) was a Venezuelan poet and writer who gained recognition for her poetic works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human experience. Her poetry collections were widely acclaimed and earned her several literary awards.
Lastly, Dilcia Sampedro (1929-2011) was a Cuban prima ballerina and choreographer who had a distinguished career with the National Ballet of Cuba. She was renowned for her technical mastery and artistic expression in classical ballet performances.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Dilcia, each leaving their mark in various fields such as literature, politics, arts, and culture.
People
Dilcia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dilcia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dilcia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dilcia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 218 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dilcia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,572,268 US residents.
Is Dilcia a common name?
We classify Dilcia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 224 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dilcia most popular?
The single biggest year for Dilcia was 1998, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dilcia is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Dilcia in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 2,499 people with the name Dilcia, or 0.83 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #6,425 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Dilcia in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Dilcia?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Dilcia appears almost entirely female. Of the 2,493 people counted with this name, 99.7% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Dilcia?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Dilcia is Hispanic at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and White (0.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Dilcia most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Dilcia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (2,455 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Dilcia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dilcia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dilcia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Dilcia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dilcia in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Dilcia can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people have the name Dilcia?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.