The Modii are known to have used the praenomina "Quintus, Septimus, Marcus, Gaius", and "Lucius", all of which were very common, except for "Septimus", which was quite unusual. The first Modius to appear in history was a "duumvir" of Luceria in Apulia at the end of the Pyrrhic War; the gens might therefore come from this city.