Find out how popular the last name Modjeska is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Modjeska.
A surname derived from the Polish word "modjeska," meaning "poplar tree."
Modjeska, 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 Modjeska surname is from the 2000 census data.
Modjeska is the 149328th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Modjeska surname appeared 101 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Modjeska.
The surname Modjeska finds its roots in Poland, stemming from the period of the Eastern European naming conventions. The name likely originated in the regions of Lesser Poland or Galicia, which were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at various points in history. The name is a derivative or a variant of the Polish name Modzelewski, reflecting common practices of surname adaptation.
The root "Modzel" might derive from an old Polish word that refers to a callus or hard area of skin, perhaps indicating an ancestor who was known for physical labor or rugged characteristics. Modjeska can also be traced back to old Polish spellings and geographical references, pointing to people from particular locales known as Modzel or Modzelewo, small villages in Poland.
Historical references to the name Modjeska appear in various Polish records and directories from the 18th and 19th centuries. One of the most noteworthy bearers of the surname is Helena Modjeska (1840-1909), born Jadwiga Benda. She was a renowned Polish actress who gained international fame in the United States and Britain, bringing attention to the name on a global scale. Her remarkable career brought Polish culture into prominence in theatrical circles worldwide.
Another notable individual was Joseph Modjeska, who held the name in distinction due to his involvement in various 19th-century industrial enterprises in Poland. Additionally, a reference can be found to a Maria Modjeska, who was known in local Polish community records during the late 1700s, playing a significant role in regional folk traditions.
Further back, documents from the mid-18th century include mentions of a Piotr Modjeska, a landowner in the Lesser Poland region, indicating that the name had been well-established and attached to land and economic activities in the area. During the same era, Anna Modjeska was recorded as participating in local church archives, suggesting the family's involvement in religious and community affairs.
The surname Modjeska also intersects with geographical names, with locations such as Modzele and Modzelki hinting at the property or estates once managed or occupied by people carrying this name. Despite the variations in spelling and slight regional adaptations, the name Modjeska has carried a consistent presence across time, maintaining a link to its Polish origins and evolving through its distinguished bearers.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Modjeska.
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:
For the most recent 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Modjeska was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 83.17% | 84 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 5.94% | 6 |
| Hispanic Origin | 6.93% | 7 |
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.
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 Modjeska was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Modjeska, please contact us.
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!
<a href="https://namecensus.com/last-names/modjeska-surname-popularity/">Modjeska last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.
Simple as that.