Boys' name · since 1908
Modesto
Modesto has 2,559 recorded births since 1908 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1927 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,830 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #8,950 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,559
- born since 1908
- 1970s
- peak decade
Modesto currently ranks #8950 among boys' names in America, with 2,559 babies recorded since 1908.
Social Security Administration records show Modesto recorded 2,559 times among boys since 1908, holding rank #8950 nationally today, ahead of 36% of boys, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1908 to 2025.
- #2,830 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #8,950 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 2,559 born since 1908
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Modesto ranks #2,830 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,950 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 2,559 born since 1908, peaking in the 1970s.
- #2,830 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #8,950 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,559
- born since 1908
- 1970s
- peak decade
Modesto's 2,559 recorded births place it above 93.77% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by Texas.
How Modesto compares
2,559 Top 19% higher than 81% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Modesto's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Modesto | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,559 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 37 | 34 | 22,252 |
Modesto's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Modesto splits its recorded history at 1968: 51% of all births land in the more recent half, 49% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1908 (7 births) -- compare that against the 1927 peak of 37 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Modesto popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1908–2025
- Peak year (1927)
- 37
- Annual births at peak, across 118 years of records
Modesto by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (295 births, 12% of the file).
1970s was Modesto's strongest decade.
295 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 12% of all-time use.
Modesto births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 7
1900s
7 births
- 1910s 115
1910s
115 births
- 1920s
1920s
233 births
- 1930s
1930s
203 births
- 1940s
1940s
245 births
- 1950s
1950s
247 births
- 1960s
1960s
260 births
- 1970s
1970s
295 births
- 1980s
1980s
273 births
- 1990s
1990s
280 births
- 2000s
2000s
220 births
- 2010s 107
2010s
107 births
- 2020s 74
2020s
74 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 295 births (12% of all-time use).
How Modesto compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Modesto's total volume
Modesto by state
Where Modesto concentrates geographically, total births since 1908
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 739 | 28.9% |
| #2 | California | | 351 | 13.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 121 | 4.7% |
| #4 | New Mexico | | 34 | 1.3% |
| #5 | Colorado | | 9 | 0.4% |
739 of 2,559 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Modesto? ▼
Where does Modesto sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Modesto most popular? ▼
Where is Modesto most popular? ▼
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What to do with Modesto's data
- Modesto's decade-level peak was the 1970s (295 total births); usage has since declined to 74 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Modestos (739 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Modesto
Nearby Names Like Modesto
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Modesto
Compare Modesto side by side: Modesto vs Modou Modesto vs Modibo Modesto vs Modi
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Modesto
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Modesto: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1927)
Similar record span (~117 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1908–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Modesto 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 August 2026.