Modie
A contracted form of the feminine name Melody, meaning "song".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Modie. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 85.7% of registrations being female. The average person named Modie today is around 88 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Modie births was 1921 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Modie. 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 Modie is about 88 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Modies were born before 1948.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Modie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1921
7 babies that year
Average age
88
years old
1921 SSA rank
#3,771
Tracked since 1900
Gender
Gender distribution for Modie
Modie leans heavily female at 85.7% of total registrations, but 7 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Modie as a male name
- Ranked #3,771 in 1921
- 7 male births in 1921
- Peak: 1921 (7 births)
Modie as a female name
- Ranked #5,056 in 1944
- 5 female births in 1944
- Peak: 1912 (6 births)
Popularity
Modie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Modie from the 1900s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 18 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
Modie 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 Modie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Modie
The name Modie has its origins in the Scottish Gaelic language and can be traced back to the late medieval period in the Scottish Highlands. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "modh," which means "manner" or "mode." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals who exhibited a particular manner or behavior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Modie can be found in the 16th century, when a man named Modie MacGregor was mentioned in the historical records of the Clan Gregor, a prominent Scottish clan. Unfortunately, not much is known about this individual, but his appearance in the records indicates that the name was in use during that time period.
Another notable bearer of the name Modie was Sir Modie Campbell, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the 17th century. He was a member of the powerful Campbell clan and served as a military commander during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, a series of conflicts that took place in the British Isles between 1639 and 1651. Sir Modie Campbell played a significant role in these wars, leading troops on behalf of the Scottish Covenanters.
In the 18th century, a man named Modie MacDonald was recorded as a member of the MacDonald clan, another prominent Scottish clan. Little is known about his life, but his existence further solidifies the use of the name Modie among Scottish families during this period.
Moving into the 19th century, Modie Millar was a Scottish artist who was born in 1819 and died in 1888. He was known for his landscape paintings, particularly those depicting scenes from the Scottish Highlands. Millar's works are considered important representations of the natural beauty and rugged terrain of his homeland.
Lastly, in the early 20th century, Modie Turnbull was a Scottish footballer who played as a forward for several clubs in the Scottish Football League. Born in 1902 and died in 1978, Turnbull had a successful career and was known for his goal-scoring abilities on the pitch.
While the name Modie may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and connection to Scottish culture and heritage make it a unique and intriguing name with a fascinating backstory.
People
Modie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Modie 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
Modie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Modie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Modie 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Modie a common name?
We classify Modie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 49 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Modie most popular?
The single biggest year for Modie was 1921, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Modie is about 88 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Modie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Modie a female name?
Yes, 85.7% of people registered as Modie 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 Modie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Modie 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 Modie 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Modie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.