| 1 | Middle French | modestie | — |
| 2 | Latin | modestia | moderation, sophrosyne; modesty |
| 3 | Latin | Modestus | — |
| 4 | Latin | modestus | moderate, calm, restrained, mild; modest,... |
| 5 | Latin | modus | measure; bound, limit; manner , way , method |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mēd- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | med- | to measure; to give advice; healing |