Modesta
A feminine name derived from Latin meaning "modest" or "virtuous".
Name Census estimates that about 679 living Americans carry the first name Modesta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Modesta today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Modesta births was 1926 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Modesta. 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
679
~ 1 in 504,793 Americans
Peak year
1926
41 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,997
Tracked since 1890
Popularity
Modesta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Modesta from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 279 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Modesta 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 Modesta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Modestas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, California, New Mexico recorded the most babies named Modesta, while New York, New Mexico, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 159 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Modesta
The name Modesta has its origins in Latin, derived from the word "modestus" which means "modest" or "restrained." It emerged as a feminine name during the Roman era, reflecting the cultural value placed on virtues like humility and moderation.
Modesta was a relatively common name among Roman women, particularly those from affluent families who sought to instill modest behavior in their daughters. It carried connotations of propriety, grace, and reserve, qualities that were highly regarded in ancient Roman society.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Modesta can be found in ancient Roman inscriptions and historical texts. A notable example is Modesta, the wife of the Roman emperor Pertinax, who reigned briefly in 193 CE. Her name has been etched into historical records, though little is known about her life beyond her association with the imperial family.
In the early days of Christianity, the name Modesta gained further prominence as it resonated with the teachings of humility and modesty. Several early Christian saints bore this name, including Saint Modesta, a 4th-century virgin martyr from Sicily, and Saint Modesta of Trier, a 7th-century abbess revered for her piety and charitable works.
Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the name Modesta remained in use, though its popularity waxed and waned across different regions of Europe. One notable bearer of the name was Modesta Pozzo (1555-1592), an Italian painter and art teacher who achieved recognition for her portraits and religious works during the late Renaissance period.
As the centuries passed, the name Modesta continued to be used, although less frequently than in its heyday. Among its more notable bearers was Modesta Bor (1926-1998), a Polish actress renowned for her roles in films such as "The Triangular Square" and "The Promised Land."
While the name Modesta may not be as widely used today as it once was, its rich historical roots and enduring association with modesty and restraint have ensured its place in the annals of name traditions, particularly in regions with strong Latin cultural influences.
People
Modesta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Modesta 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
Modesta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Modesta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 679 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Modesta 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 504,793 US residents.
Is Modesta a common name?
We classify Modesta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,615 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Modesta most popular?
The single biggest year for Modesta was 1926, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Modesta is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Modesta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Modesta 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.