Boy · #6,916 in 2026

Modesto

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.

  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Portuguese
Current Rank
#6,916
Peak Rank
#1,113 (1927)
Total Babies
3K
5-Yr Trend
+11%
1908
First Year
2026
Last Year
1927
Peak Year
#1113
Peak Rank
3K
Total Count
116
Years Active

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 (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

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

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
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MI
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VT
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ID
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OH
PA
NJ
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Top 10
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No data

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 (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

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.

Source: Datamuse . 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

👦
Emitt
Peak #1113
👦
Kayleb
Peak #1113
👦
Rollo
Peak #1112
👦
Carmon
Peak #1114
👦
Javan
Peak #1114
👦
Mickael
Peak #1114
👦
Lindberg
Peak #1112
👦
Umar
Peak #1112

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

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

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.