ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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No names found 

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1908

First Year

2026

Last Year

1927

Peak Year

#1113

Peak Rank

3K

Total Count

116

Years Active

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## Meaning & Origin of Modesto

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Modesto is the county seat of and the largest city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the 19th-most populous city in California.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modesto%2C%5FCalifornia) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modesto%2C%5FCalifornia)

### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

* Spanish
* Italian
* Portuguese

🏛️Origin & history

Modesto's 10th Street c. 1890 Modesto in 1943 The City of Modesto was originally a stop on the railroad connecting Sacramento to Los Angeles , built by Central Pacific Railroad . When Modesto was founded in 1870, the railroad company co-founder Mark Hopkins Jr. suggested to name it after his associate the banker William C. Ralston . Ralston asked that another name be found, and a railroad employee exclaimed loudly in Spanish that Ralston was a modest man. The railroad company co-founder Charles Crocker then named the town Modesto in recognition of Ralston's modesty. Modesto's population exceed

[![Wikipedia thumbnail for Modesto](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/Gallo_Center_for_the_Arts_Modesto_%28cropped%29.JPG/330px-Gallo_Center_for_the_Arts_Modesto_%28cropped%29.JPG)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modesto%2C%5FCalifornia)

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## The Story of Modesto

Modesto first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1908, with 7 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1927: 37 births, good for #1,178 nationwide. As of 2026, Modesto ranks #6,916 for baby boys with 11 births, gradually rising (+11%). All told, over 3K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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## Notable people named Modesto

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia. 

* ●James Algar , film director.
* ●Chidi Ahanotu , former NFL player.
* ●Jack Angel , voice actor: Teddy in A.I. Artificial Intelligence , AstroTrain in Transformers films, Nikki in Balto .
* ●Dan Archer , NFL player. \[ citation needed \]
* ●Marcella Arguello , stand-up comedian.
* ●Sonny Barger , Oakland chapter founder of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club .
* ●Derrick Barry , drag queen, Britney Spears impersonator, Rupaul's Drag Race season 8 contestant.
* ●Nick Bassett , multi-instrumentalist (bassist of Nothing , guitarist of Whirr ), film and television composer.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modesto%2C%5FCalifornia) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modesto%2C%5FCalifornia)

🎶

## Names that sound like Modesto

Phonetically similar names — useful when Modesto is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Modesta](/modesta)
* [Modeste](/modeste)
* [Modesty](/modesty)
* Modiste
* Modestus
* [Modest](/modest)
* Maddest
* Modist
* Mahdist
* Mideast
* Mesto
* Modestly

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Modesto

What does the name Modesto mean?

Modesto is the county seat of and the largest city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the 19th-most populous city in California.

What is the origin of the name Modesto?

Modesto has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese.

How popular is Modesto in 2026?

In 2026, Modesto ranks #6,916 among boys' names in the U.S., with 11 babies given the name that year.

When was Modesto most popular?

Modesto reached its peak popularity in 1927, ranking #1,113 that year with 37 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Modesto most popular?

Modesto has historically been most popular in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Modesto.

Is Modesto a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Modesto is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Modesto?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Modesto include Emitt, Kayleb, Rollo. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👦EmittPeak #1113](/emitt)[👦KaylebPeak #1113](/kayleb)[👦RolloPeak #1112](/rollo)[👦CarmonPeak #1114](/carmon)[👦JavanPeak #1114](/javan)[👦MickaelPeak #1114](/mickael)[👦LindbergPeak #1112](/lindberg)[👦UmarPeak #1112](/umar)

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## About the name Modesto 

Modesto is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1908 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Modesto's peak popularity came in 1927 when it ranked #1,113\. Use the chart and map above to compare Modesto's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1927 → ](/year/1927)
* [ Names of the 1920s → ](/decade/1920s)
* [ Names starting with "M" → ](/letter/m)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
* Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides. 

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