2000
#11,405
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,534
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Modica
Derived from the Sicilian city of Modica, likely indicating the individual's place of origin or residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,812 Americans carry the last name Modica. That puts it at #12,133 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,890 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Modica surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 121,890
Census rank
#12,133
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,452 bearers of the surname Modica in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12133rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Modica, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Modica
Among Census respondents with the surname Modica, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Modica bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Modica surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 2,009
- Black or African American9.0% · 221
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 125
- Two or more races3.0% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Modica
Modica appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,655
+121 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 392 places
2020
#12,133
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,452
-203 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 336 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,405 | 2,534 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,797 | 2,655 | 0.90 | +121 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 392 places |
| 2020 | #12,133 | 2,452 | 0.82 | -203 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 336 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Modica surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,797 | #12,133 | -2.8% |
| Count | 2,655 | 2,452 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.82 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Modica bearers went from 2,655 to 2,452 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 336 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,797 to #12,133.
FAQ
Modica surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Modica?
Name Census estimates that about 2,812 living Americans carry the surname Modica. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 121,890 residents.
How common is Modica?
Modica ranks #12,133 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,452 people with the surname Modica. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,812), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Modica.
Has Modica become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Modica went from 2,655 recorded bearers to 2,452. That is a decrease of 203 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,797 to #12,133.
What does the Census say about the background of Modica?
Among Census respondents with the surname Modica, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Hispanic (5.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Modica in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (2,009 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Modica appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (9.0%), Hispanic (5.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Modica (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Modica mean?
Derived from the Sicilian city of Modica, likely indicating the individual's place of origin or residence. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Modica (0.82 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Modica?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Modica at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.