2000
#14,544
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,879
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Modi
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Hindi word "modi" meaning "grocer" or "businessman."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,081 Americans carry the last name Modi. That puts it at #7,257 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,458 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Modi surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Modi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 67,458
Census rank
#7,257
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,431 bearers of the surname Modi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7257th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Modi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Modi
The surname MODI has its origins in India, tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "modaka," which means a small ball of rice or flour, often sweetened. In some regions, it also refers to a person who sells or makes these sweet delicacies.
The earliest recorded instances of the MODI surname can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and historical texts, where it was used to identify individuals involved in the preparation or trade of modaka sweets. One notable example is the mention of a "Modi" family in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century historical account written during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
In the 14th century, the MODI surname appeared in the Jain community records of Gujarat, a state in western India. These records documented the presence of MODI families engaged in various professions, including trading, banking, and agriculture.
Over the centuries, the MODI surname has been associated with several prominent figures. One such individual was Damodar Modi (1642-1712), a renowned Jain scholar and poet from Gujarat, known for his contributions to Jain literature and philosophy.
Another notable person was Narottam Modi (1870-1950), a pioneer of the Indian freedom movement and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. He played a crucial role in the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Quit India Movement against British colonial rule.
In the literary realm, Sarat Chandra Modi (1876-1959) was a renowned Bengali writer and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Indian history and culture. His works include translations of ancient Sanskrit texts and research on Bengal's medieval history.
More recently, Narendra Modi (born 1950) became the Prime Minister of India in 2014. He hails from a MODI family in Gujarat and has been a prominent figure in Indian politics since the late 20th century.
While the MODI surname is predominantly found in India, particularly in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Modi
Among Census respondents with the surname Modi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Modi bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Modi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.2% · 4,039
- White3.7% · 166
- Black or African American2.2% · 97
- Two or more races2.1% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Modi
Modi appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,429
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,085
+1,206 bearers (+64.2%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Up 4,115 places
2020
#7,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,431
+1,346 bearers (+43.6%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Up 3,172 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,544 | 1,879 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,429 | 3,085 | 1.05 | +1,206 bearers (+64.2%) | Up 4,115 places |
| 2020 | #7,257 | 4,431 | 1.48 | +1,346 bearers (+43.6%) | Up 3,172 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Modi surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,429 | #7,257 | 30.4% |
| Count | 3,085 | 4,431 | 43.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 1.48 | 41.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Modi bearers went from 3,085 to 4,431 (+43.6% change). The surname moved up 3,172 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,429 to #7,257.
FAQ
Modi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Modi?
Name Census estimates that about 5,081 living Americans carry the surname Modi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,458 residents.
How common is Modi?
Modi ranks #7,257 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,431 people with the surname Modi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,081), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Modi.
Has Modi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Modi went from 3,085 recorded bearers to 4,431. That is an increase of 1,346 (+43.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,429 to #7,257.
What does the Census say about the background of Modi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Modi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (2.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Modi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (4,039 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Modi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.2%), White (3.7%), Black (2.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Modi (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Modi mean?
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Hindi word "modi" meaning "grocer" or "businessman." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Modi (1.48 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Modi?
See how common the surname Modi is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.