Find out how popular the last name Dolce is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dolce.

Dolce, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dolce surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dolce in America

Dolce is the 11722nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dolce surname appeared 2,673 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dolce.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dolce to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Dolce

The surname Dolce has its origins in Italy, where it first appeared in the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "dolce," meaning sweet or pleasant. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with a sweet or affable personality.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Dolce can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. In medieval records, the name was often spelled "Dulce" or "Dolci," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common at the time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Francesco Dolce, a Florentine poet and writer who lived from around 1508 to 1568. His works included a translation of Horace's Ars Poetica and a treatise on the Italian language.

In the 16th century, the name Dolce appeared in the historical records of the Republic of Venice. A notable figure from this era was Lodovico Dolce, a prolific writer and translator who lived from 1508 to 1568. He is best known for his translations of classical works by authors such as Ovid and Seneca.

Another prominent individual with the surname Dolce was Benedetto Dolce, an Italian composer and music theorist who lived from 1825 to 1901. He is remembered for his contributions to the development of harmony and counterpoint in music.

In the realm of literature, the name Dolce is associated with Sebastiano Dolce, an Italian playwright and poet who lived from 1508 to 1584. His plays, such as "Marianna" and "Didone," were popular in their time and helped shape the development of Italian theater.

The Dolce surname can also be found in historical records from various regions of Italy, including Sicily and the Veneto. Place names like Dolce Acqua and Dolcedo in Liguria may have contributed to the spread of the name across different areas of the country.

Throughout its history, the surname Dolce has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including writers, artists, musicians, and scholars. While not as common as some other Italian surnames, it has left an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual heritage of Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dolce

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dolce.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dolce was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dolce has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dolce was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dolce, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!