Modene
A feminine name derived from French and meaning "modern, fashionable".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Modene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Modene today is around 94 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Modene births was 1923 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Modene. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Modene is about 94 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Modenes were born before 1942.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Modene. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1923
16 babies that year
Average age
94
years old
1941 SSA rank
#3,852
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Modene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Modene from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 99 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Modene 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 Modene during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Modenes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Modene
The name Modene traces its origins back to the Latin name Modestus, which means "modest" or "restrained." It emerged during the Roman period and was used as both a given name and a surname. The name Modestus is derived from the Latin word "modestia," which signifies humility, simplicity, and moderation.
Modestus was a relatively common name among the ancient Romans, particularly within the Christian community. It was borne by several early Christian saints and martyrs, such as Saint Modestus of Trier, a 4th-century bishop and confessor, and Saint Modestus of Jerusalem, a 7th-century bishop and martyr.
The name Modene is believed to be a variant or diminutive form of the Latin name Modestus, possibly originating in the Italian or French linguistic traditions. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Modene can be found in the 13th century, when Modene de Rubeis, an Italian jurist and professor of law, lived and worked in Bologna, Italy.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Modene. One such person was Modene Grisanti, an Italian painter and sculptor who lived in the 16th century and was known for his religious artworks in churches and monasteries across Italy.
In the 17th century, Modene de Villebresme was a French nobleman and military officer who served in the French Army during the Thirty Years' War and the Franco-Spanish War.
In the 19th century, Modene Cabill was an American educator and author who wrote several books on teaching methods and educational philosophy.
Another notable bearer of the name was Modene Gunckel, an American aviator and pioneer in the field of aviation. She was born in 1888 and was one of the first women to obtain a pilot's license in the United States.
Lastly, Modene Hendrickson was a Norwegian-American artist and sculptor who lived from 1901 to 1991. She is best known for her sculptures depicting scenes from Norwegian folklore and mythology.
While the name Modene is not as common today as it was in previous centuries, it remains a unique and meaningful name with a rich historical legacy rooted in the Latin language and the virtues of modesty and restraint.
People
Modene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Modene as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Modene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Modene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Modene 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Modene a common name?
We classify Modene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 217 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Modene most popular?
The single biggest year for Modene was 1923, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Modene is about 94 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Modene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Modene 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.
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.