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

Modica, 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 Modica surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Modica in America

Modica is the 11797th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Modica surname appeared 2,655 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 Modica.

We can also compare 2010 data for Modica 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 Modica

The surname Modica is of Italian origin, specifically from the region of Sicily. It is believed to have derived from the city of Modica, located in the province of Ragusa, Sicily. The name Modica itself is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "al-Mudiqah," which means "the humble one."

The earliest known record of the surname Modica dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in various documents and manuscripts from the region of Sicily. During this time, the city of Modica was under the rule of the Normans, who had conquered parts of southern Italy and Sicily.

In the 13th century, the surname Modica was also found in records related to the Sicilian town of Noto, which was located near the city of Modica. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of Sicily by this time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Modica was Corrado Modica, a nobleman from the city of Modica who lived in the 14th century. Another notable figure was Vincenzo Modica, a 16th-century artist and sculptor from Modica, who is known for his works in the Renaissance style.

In the 17th century, the surname Modica appeared in records from the city of Naples, indicating that individuals with this name had migrated to other parts of Italy. During this time, Giuseppe Modica, a philosopher and writer from Modica, gained recognition for his works on ethics and morality.

As the years progressed, the surname Modica spread to other parts of Europe and the world, as Sicilian and Italian immigrants settled in various countries. One notable individual with this surname was Antonio Modica, a 19th-century Italian painter and engraver who was born in Modica in 1805 and died in 1884.

Another significant figure was Salvatore Modica, an Italian sculptor born in Modica in 1879. He gained fame for his iconic sculpture of a charging bull, which has become a symbol of Wall Street in New York City.

Overall, the surname Modica has a rich history that can be traced back to its origins in the city of Modica, Sicily, and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Modica

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

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

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