[4] According to some sources, the noble part of the family is from Podgorje area on the littoral slopes of Velebit, between Senj in the North and river Zrmanja in the South, where came at least in the 17th century from Dalmatia (Podzrmanje).

[5][6] Outside Croatia, due to migration the surname can be found in Algeria, United States, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Slovenia, France, Serbia, Italy, Australia and so on.

[23] In North Dalmatia, in 1468, certain Ivan Modrić or Slovinja (Slovigna) led the citizens with the help of Venice to enter the council of Pag because of the conflicts around the many pastures that mostly became the property of the nobility.

[28][29] Modrić families had distinctive nicknames, Grlići, Josetići, Jukići, Jurići, Kajići, Mijadžići, Pavlovići, Perići, Vabići, Bralići, Kušljini.

[21][22] In the 20th century, population of hamlet Modrići and near villages on the slopes of Velebit was considered to belong to multilayered regional identity Podgorci being a synonym for Bunjevci.

In 1710, in the territory of Vrlika was recorded family of Nikola Modrić Petrov (son of Petar), and again in 1725 in the list of believers of the Split Archdiocese, where they still lived in near village Ježević until WWII.

[4][10] In Northern Croatia, a 1519 record of nobles from Zagreb and Križevac county possibly mentions Mirko and Andrija Modrić or Mudrić from Cunovec (Mwdrich de Czunovecz), a settlement which existed until the 19th century.