2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Modie
A variant spelling of the Scottish surname Mudie or Moody.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Modie. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Modie 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Modie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Modie, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Black (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Modie
The surname Modie originates from Scotland, with its roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mod," meaning "brave" or "courageous." The name was likely adopted by individuals who exhibited these qualities or as a nickname for someone with a bold personality.
Historically, the name has been recorded in various forms, such as Mody, Modie, and Modey. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the names of Scottish landowners who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
The name Modie has been present in various regions of Scotland throughout history, particularly in the counties of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include John Modie, a Scottish clergyman born in 1683, who served as the minister of St. Cuthbert's Church in Edinburgh. Another prominent figure was Alexander Modie, a Scottish merchant and philanthropist born in 1765, known for his contributions to the city of Aberdeen.
In the 16th century, the Modie name was associated with the lands of Meldrum in Aberdeenshire. Records from this period mention William Modie, who owned a significant portion of the estate in the mid-1500s. A century later, in 1661, a John Modie is recorded as the owner of the lands of Culsh in the same county.
The name Modie has also been linked to various place names in Scotland, such as Modiesmill, a former settlement in Aberdeenshire, and Modiebank, a location in Kincardineshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Modie surname who either resided in or owned land in those areas.
Other notable individuals with the surname Modie include Sir Alexander Modie, a Scottish lawyer and judge born in 1701, who served as Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland, and William Modie, a Scottish physician and author born in 1788, known for his works on medical jurisprudence.
Overall, the surname Modie has a rich history rooted in Scotland, with its origins dating back centuries. It has been associated with various regions, individuals, and place names throughout the country, reflecting the significance and influence of those who bore this name in Scottish history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Modie
Among Census respondents with the surname Modie, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Black (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Modie 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 Modie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino9.0% · 9
- Black or African American4.0% · 4
- Two or more races4.0% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Modie
Modie 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-16 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,778 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-17 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,574 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 21,778 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -17 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 13,574 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 Modie 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 | #142,108 | #155,682 | -9.6% |
| Count | 117 | 100 | -14.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Modie bearers went from 117 to 100 (-14.5% change). The surname moved down 13,574 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #155,682.
FAQ
Modie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Modie?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Modie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Modie?
Modie ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Modie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Modie.
Has Modie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Modie went from 117 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 17 (-14.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Modie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Modie, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Black (4.0%). 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 Modie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Modie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Hispanic (9.0%), Black (4.0%). 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 Modie (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 Modie mean?
A variant spelling of the Scottish surname Mudie or Moody. 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 Modie (0.03 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 many people have the surname Modie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.