Find out how popular the last name Mody is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mody.

Mody, 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 Mody surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mody in America

Mody is the 20806th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mody surname appeared 1,269 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Mody.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mody to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Mody

The surname MODY originates from India and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Modak," which means a sweet dumpling or a ball-shaped sweet dish. The name was likely adopted by a family or community involved in the preparation or sale of these traditional Indian sweets.

The earliest recorded instances of the MODY surname can be found in historical documents and records from the Mughal era in the Indian subcontinent. Some references suggest that the name appeared in land ownership records and tax registers during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, who ruled from 1556 to 1605.

One of the notable historical figures bearing the MODY surname was Rao Mody, a wealthy merchant and trader from Gujarat who lived in the late 17th century. He was known for his extensive trade networks and business dealings across the Indian subcontinent and parts of the Middle East.

In the 19th century, the MODY name was associated with several prominent figures in the Indian independence movement. Rustomjee Mody (1825-1891) was a Parsi industrialist and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of the cotton textile industry in Mumbai (then known as Bombay).

Another notable figure was Homi Mody (1891-1969), an Indian freedom fighter, social reformer, and politician. He actively participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and was imprisoned several times for his involvement in the Indian independence struggle.

During the 20th century, the MODY surname gained further prominence in various fields, including business, academia, and medicine. Russi Mody (1918-2009) was a renowned Indian industrialist and chairman of the Tata Group, one of the largest conglomerates in India.

In the field of medicine, Dr. Jairam Mody (1920-2014) was a renowned endocrinologist who made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of diabetes. He is credited with identifying a specific form of diabetes known as "Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young" (MODY), which is now recognized as a distinct genetic subtype of the disease.

Overall, the MODY surname has a rich historical legacy in India, with roots tracing back to the 16th century and associations with various notable figures across different fields and eras.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mody

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mody.

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:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mody was:

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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mody has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

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 Mody was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mody, please contact us.

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