Watson
An English surname meaning 'son of Wat', Wat being a medieval pet form of Walter, which joins Germanic roots meaning 'rule' and 'army'.
Watson in 2025
Watson was given to 229 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 2,031st most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 14,477 babies born.
The history of Watson
Watson reached its highest point in 2021, when 466 babies were given the name, ranking 1,231st that year. Its best-ever ranking was 792nd, in 1882.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 6,721 babies have been named Watson. Half of them were born before 2013, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Watson by decade
| Decade | Babies named Watson | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 105 | 792 |
| 1890s | 126 | 1,045 |
| 1900s | 123 | 1,423 |
| 1910s | 543 | 1,407 |
| 1920s | 537 | 1,656 |
| 1930s | 375 | 1,892 |
| 1940s | 334 | 2,001 |
| 1950s | 250 | 2,855 |
| 1960s | 154 | 3,632 |
| 1970s | 105 | 6,391 |
| 1980s | 129 | 6,962 |
| 1990s | 155 | 7,581 |
| 2000s | 219 | 7,223 |
| 2010s | 1,470 | 1,438 |
| 2020s | 2,096 | 1,222 |
Where Watson is heading
Watson has risen 88% over the past decade, from 122 babies in 2015 to 229 in 2025.
Names like Watson
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Watson.