2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Modkins
An old English surname referring to one with a modest or humble disposition.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Modkins. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Modkins 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Modkins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Modkins, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and White (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Modkins
The surname Modkins has its origins in the northern counties of England, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from a combination of the Old English words "mod" meaning "mind" or "spirit," and "kin," referring to family or kinship. This suggests that the name may have originally been given to someone with a strong-willed or determined nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Modkins can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, where a John Modkins was christened in 1592. Another early reference is found in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674, which list a Thomas Modkins as a resident of the village of Wolstanton, near Newcastle-under-Lyme.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, variations of the name such as Modkin, Modkyn, and Modkings were also documented in various records across the northern counties of Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. These alternative spellings likely reflect the regional dialects and phonetic adaptations of the name over time.
Notably, a Richard Modkins (1675-1742) was a prominent figure in the town of Congleton, Cheshire, where he served as a councilman and alderman. His descendants continued to reside in the area for several generations, contributing to the local community.
Another individual of note was William Modkins (1789-1864), a skilled stonemason from Rochdale, Lancashire, who was involved in the construction of several notable buildings in the region, including the Rochdale Town Hall.
In the 19th century, the Modkins family expanded their presence across northern England, with members residing in cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, and Leeds. One notable figure from this era was Elizabeth Modkins (1821-1892), a pioneering educator who established one of the first girls' schools in Liverpool.
As the industrial revolution took hold, several Modkins families migrated to other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, seeking employment opportunities in emerging industries. This diaspora helped to further spread the name across various regions and continents.
Despite its relatively modest origins, the surname Modkins has persisted through the centuries, leaving a trail of historical references and notable individuals who have contributed to the rich tapestry of their respective communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Modkins
Among Census respondents with the surname Modkins, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and White (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Modkins 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 Modkins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American84.1% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino8.4% · 9
- White3.7% · 4
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Modkins
Modkins appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,187 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,187 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 Modkins 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 | #150,452 | #151,639 | -0.8% |
| Count | 109 | 107 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Modkins bearers went from 109 to 107 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,187 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #151,639.
FAQ
Modkins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Modkins?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Modkins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Modkins?
Modkins ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Modkins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Modkins.
Has Modkins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Modkins went from 109 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Modkins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Modkins, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and White (3.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Modkins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Modkins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (84.1%), Hispanic (8.4%), White (3.7%). 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 Modkins (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 Modkins mean?
An old English surname referring to one with a modest or humble disposition. 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 Modkins (0.04 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 are called Modkins?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Modkins on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.