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Modest Family History

Modest Surname Meaning

German and East African (Tanzania): from the personal name Modest from Latin Modestus from the adjective modestus ‘reserved, gentle, virtuous’.

The name Modestus was borne by several early Christian saints including a child martyred at Alexandria, Egypt, and an 8th-century evangelist of Carinthia.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Modest family from?

You can see how Modest families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Modest family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Modest families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 6 Modest families living in Northwest Territories. This was about 67% of all the recorded Modest's in Canada. Northwest Territories had the highest population of Modest families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Modest surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Modest ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Modest. 100% of Modest men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Modest | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    100%

What Modest family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 942 census records available for the last name Modest. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Modest census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Modest

Passenger Lists

There are 327 immigration records available for the last name Modest. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Modest immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 148 military records available for the last name Modest. For the veterans among your Modest ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Modest military records

You've only scratched the surface of Modest family history

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What is the average Modest lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Modest life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Modest in 1942 was 44, and 65 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Modest

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Modest ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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