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

Mode, 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 Mode surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mode in America

Mode is the 24237th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mode surname appeared 1,035 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Mode.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mode 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 Mode

The surname Mode originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "mod," which means "brave" or "courageous." The name was likely given to someone who displayed these qualities or had a proud demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mode can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Robertus Mode was listed. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

During the 13th century, the surname Mode appeared in various records across different counties in England. In the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, a person named Hugo le Mode was mentioned. The prefix "le" in front of the surname was a common practice at the time, indicating the name's French influence.

The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 also recorded the name Mode, with an entry for a person named Adam Mode. This document was a census-like survey conducted during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insights into the distribution of surnames across England.

In the 14th century, the name Mode was found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a person named John Mode was listed in 1348. This record suggests that the surname had spread to different regions of England by that time.

One notable figure with the surname Mode was Sir Andrew Mode, a member of the English gentry who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was born in Somersetshire and served as a Member of Parliament for Bridgwater in 1529.

Another person of historical significance with the surname Mode was Thomas Mode, an English printer and bookseller who lived from 1592 to 1629. He was known for publishing works by notable authors of his time, including Ben Jonson and John Donne.

In the 17th century, the spelling of the surname Mode evolved to include variations such as Moode, Mood, and Mood. One example is John Moode, a prominent merchant and landowner who was born in Dorset in 1620 and held significant property in the county.

The surname Mode also found its way to Ireland, likely through English settlers. One notable Irish figure with this surname was William Mode, an influential merchant and landowner in County Cork who lived from 1715 to 1798.

In the 19th century, the surname Mode continued to be found across various parts of England and Ireland. One notable bearer of the name was Robert Mode, an English artist born in 1829 who specialized in landscape and genre paintings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mode

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

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 Mode 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 Mode 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 Mode was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mode, 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!