2000
#11,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,436
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Modlin
A habitational surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from Modlin, Poland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,581 Americans carry the last name Modlin. That puts it at #13,035 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,799 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Modlin 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
2.6K
1 in 132,799
Census rank
#13,035
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,251 bearers of the surname Modlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13035th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Modlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Modlin
The surname Modlin is of Polish origin, tracing its roots back to the late medieval period in the region of Mazovia, located in central-eastern Poland. It is derived from the Old Polish word "modła," meaning "prayer" or "supplication." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive surname for someone associated with religious practices or a place of worship.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Księga sądowa miasta Nowego Sącza" (The Court Book of the Town of Nowy Sącz) from the 15th century, where a certain "Jan Modlin" is mentioned. This document provides valuable insight into the name's usage and prevalence in that era.
The name Modlin is also closely linked to the town of Modlin, situated along the Narew River in the Mazovian Voivodeship. This town, formerly known as Nowe Miasto Modlin or Nowy Modlin, dates back to the 14th century and was likely named after the river or a local landowner bearing the Modlin surname.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the "Księgi grodzkie sandomierskie" (The Town Books of Sandomierz), further solidifying its presence in the region. One notable individual from this period was Wojciech Modlin (c. 1510-1572), a Polish theologian and Calvinist reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Poland.
During the 17th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Jan Modlin (1630-1695), a Polish military officer and nobleman who served as the Grand Crown Marshal of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland. His service and achievements contributed to the recognition of the Modlin name among the Polish nobility.
Another prominent figure was Andrzej Modlin (1745-1823), a Polish painter and engraver who was known for his religious works and portraits. His artistic contributions helped preserve the cultural and artistic heritage of Poland during a turbulent period in its history.
In the 19th century, the Modlin surname continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as Ignacy Modlin (1815-1888), a Polish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early photographic techniques and processes.
Throughout the centuries, the Modlin name has been closely intertwined with the history and culture of Poland, reflecting the country's rich heritage and the diverse backgrounds of its people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Modlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Modlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Modlin 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 Modlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 1,976
- Black or African American6.1% · 137
- Two or more races3.2% · 72
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Modlin
Modlin 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
#12,362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,515
+79 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 588 places
2020
#13,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,251
-264 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 673 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,774 | 2,436 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,362 | 2,515 | 0.85 | +79 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 588 places |
| 2020 | #13,035 | 2,251 | 0.75 | -264 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 673 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 Modlin 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 | #12,362 | #13,035 | -5.4% |
| Count | 2,515 | 2,251 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.75 | -11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Modlin bearers went from 2,515 to 2,251 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 673 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,362 to #13,035.
FAQ
Modlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Modlin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,581 living Americans carry the surname Modlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,799 residents.
How common is Modlin?
Modlin ranks #13,035 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,251 people with the surname Modlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,581), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Modlin.
Has Modlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Modlin went from 2,515 recorded bearers to 2,251. That is a decrease of 264 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,362 to #13,035.
What does the Census say about the background of Modlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Modlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Modlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (1,976 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Modlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Black (6.1%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Modlin (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 Modlin mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from Modlin, Poland. 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 Modlin (0.75 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 Modlin?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Modlin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.