Total births
1,615
Girls' name · since 1890
Modesta
1,615 babies named Modesta in U.S. Social Security records since 1890, with the highest year being 1926. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12194
- among girls today
- 1,615
- born since 1890
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other girls
1,615 babies have been named Modesta since 1890, making it today's #12194 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Modesta has been recorded 1,615 times among girls since 1890, currently ranked #12194 nationally and more common than 31% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1930s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1890 to 2024.
- #12194 among girls today
- 1,615 born since 1890
- 1930s peak decade
- 31% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Modesta is currently the #12194 girls' name in America, more common than 31% of girls - 1,615 born since 1890, peaking in the 1930s.
- #12194
- among girls today
- 1,615
- born since 1890
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other girls
Modesta vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#12194
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 31% of names given to girls today.
1930s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Modesta was born in this single decade.
1926
Single peak year
41 babies were named Modesta in 1926 - its busiest year on record.
How Modesta compares
1,615 Top 25% higher than 75% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Modesta's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Modesta | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,615 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 41 | 48 | 19,840 |
Modesta's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Modesta splits its recorded history at 1955: 34% of all births land in the more recent half, 66% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1890 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1926 peak of 41 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Modesta at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1926
Current rank
#12,194
Active since
1890
Modesta popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1890–2024
- Peak year (1926)
- 41
- Annual births at peak, across 135 years of records
Modesta by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Modesta's strongest decade.
279 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Modesta births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 10
1890s
10 births
- 1900s 47
1900s
47 births
- 1910s
1910s
184 births
- 1920s
1920s
261 births
- 1930s
1930s
279 births
- 1940s
1940s
209 births
- 1950s
1950s
145 births
- 1960s
1960s
147 births
- 1970s
1970s
120 births
- 1980s 82
1980s
82 births
- 1990s 50
1990s
50 births
- 2000s 59
2000s
59 births
- 2010s 10
2010s
10 births
- 2020s 12
2020s
12 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 279 births (17% of all-time use).
How Modesta compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Modesta's total volume
Modesta vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Modesta by state
Where Modesta concentrates geographically, total births since 1890
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 588 | 36.4% |
| #2 | California | | 22 | 1.4% |
| #3 | New Mexico | | 13 | 0.8% |
| #4 | New York | | 11 | 0.7% |
Texas share of Modesta's total US births 36.4%
Even split
588 of 1,615 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Modesta? ▼
Modesta has been given to 1,615 babies in the U.S. since 1890, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #12194 as of the latest data. 41 babies were born in 1926, its single highest year.
When was Modesta most popular? ▼
Modesta was most popular in the 1930s decade with 279 total births. The single peak year was 1926.
Where is Modesta most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Modesta are Texas (588 births), California (22 births), New Mexico (13 births).
How long has the name Modesta been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Modesta since 1890 -- 135 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to Modesta? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Modena, Modesty, Modean, Modestine, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Modesta's data
- Modesta's decade-level peak was the 1930s (279 total births); usage has since declined to 12 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Modestas (588 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Modesta
Nearby Names Like Modesta
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Modesta
Modena Girl
683 births
Modesty Girl
#8530 583 births
Modean Girl
311 births
Modestine Girl
230 births
Modene Girl
217 births
Compare Modesta side by side: Modesta vs Modena Modesta vs Modesty Modesta vs Modean
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Modesta
Evlyn #12193
959 births · Peak 1919
Samuel #12195
2,889 births · Peak 1985
Leannah #12192
302 births · Peak 2011
Grady #12196
741 births · Peak 1926
Felicitas #12191
1,990 births · Peak 1928
Clarita #12197
1,244 births · Peak 1932
Ilo #12190
712 births · Peak 1921
Saidee #12198
294 births · Peak 2011
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1890–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Modesta: #12194 Girls' Name - 1,615 Births, Peak 1926." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/modesta. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Modesta draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.