Watson
Boy · WOT-son · English
Watson is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “son of Walter”. In 2025 it ranked 1,008th for boys in the US (224 babies).
What does Watson mean?
English: patronymic surname
“son of Walter”
A surname from Wat, a medieval short form of Walter; Dr Watson is Sherlock Holmes's companion in Conan Doyle's stories.
- Say it
- WOT-son
Is Watson a girl's or a boy's name?
Watson is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 5 girls and 224 boys in the US.
How popular is Watson in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2019, with 16 boys.
Half of all the boys named Watson in the UK since 1996 were born between 2018 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
Watson in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | #5,198 |
| 2023 | 1 | #6,556 |
| 2022 | 6 | #3,219 |
| 2021 | 6 | #3,179 |
| 2020 | 15 | #1,657 |
| 2019 | 16 | #1,608 |
| 2018 | 12 | #1,981 |
| 2017 | 5 | #3,608 |
| 2016 | 1 | #6,416 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 1 | #6,179 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 1 | #5,109 |
| 2004 | 1 | #4,870 |
How popular is Watson in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,008among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 224about 1 in 7,600 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 30% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 224 boys in the US were named Watson, making it the 1,008th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 603rd. Its busiest year was 2021, with 466 boys. 5 girls were also named Watson in 2025 (14,937th for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Watson than any year since 2017.
Half of all the boys named Watson in the US since 1880 were born between 1936 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 230 boys in the US were given Watson or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #914, up from #1,008 for this spelling alone.
- Watson 224
- Wattson 6
Watson in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 224 | #1,008 |
| 2024 | 279 | #866 |
| 2023 | 306 | #804 |
| 2022 | 356 | #729 |
| 2021 | 466 | #597 |
| 2020 | 454 | #603 |
| 2019 | 362 | #694 |
| 2018 | 340 | #713 |
| 2017 | 198 | #1,020 |
| 2016 | 121 | #1,433 |
| 2015 | 122 | #1,406 |
| 2014 | 93 | #1,657 |
| 2013 | 62 | #2,138 |
| 2012 | 82 | #1,798 |
| 2011 | 43 | #2,747 |
| 2010 | 36 | #3,127 |
| 2009 | 18 | #5,100 |
| 2008 | 24 | #4,142 |
| 2007 | 23 | #4,241 |
| 2006 | 26 | #3,780 |
| 2005 | 33 | #3,087 |
| 2004 | 25 | #3,632 |
| 2003 | 19 | #4,271 |
| 2002 | 20 | #4,038 |
| 2001 | 18 | #4,296 |
| 2000 | 13 | #5,290 |
| 1999 | 25 | #3,178 |
| 1998 | 19 | #3,704 |
| 1997 | 16 | #4,054 |
| 1996 | 11 | #5,180 |
| 1995 | 14 | #4,274 |
| 1994 | 17 | #3,745 |
| 1993 | 14 | #4,220 |
| 1992 | 14 | #4,106 |
| 1991 | 8 | #5,934 |
| 1990 | 17 | #3,461 |
| 1989 | 12 | #4,265 |
| 1988 | 14 | #3,518 |
| 1987 | 13 | #3,516 |
| 1986 | 15 | #3,128 |
| 1985 | 15 | #3,067 |
| 1984 | 13 | #3,268 |
| 1983 | 13 | #3,229 |
| 1982 | 17 | #2,708 |
| 1981 | 11 | #3,599 |
| 1980 | 6 | #5,523 |
| 1979 | 8 | #4,401 |
| 1978 | 6 | #5,056 |
| 1977 | 10 | #3,604 |
| 1976 | 7 | #4,416 |
| 1975 | 10 | #3,426 |
| 1974 | 13 | #2,797 |
| 1973 | 14 | #2,604 |
| 1972 | 14 | #2,533 |
| 1971 | 9 | #3,368 |
| 1970 | 14 | #2,508 |
| 1969 | 11 | #2,681 |
| 1968 | 13 | #2,310 |
| 1967 | 7 | #3,229 |
| 1966 | 11 | #2,464 |
| 1965 | 11 | #2,474 |
| 1964 | 19 | #1,849 |
| 1963 | 22 | #1,694 |
| 1962 | 12 | #2,363 |
| 1961 | 28 | #1,520 |
| 1960 | 20 | #1,811 |
| 1959 | 18 | #1,915 |
| 1958 | 17 | #1,952 |
| 1957 | 24 | #1,633 |
| 1956 | 27 | #1,510 |
| 1955 | 31 | #1,369 |
| 1954 | 25 | #1,524 |
| 1953 | 35 | #1,260 |
| 1952 | 22 | #1,614 |
| 1951 | 27 | #1,429 |
| 1950 | 24 | #1,498 |
| 1949 | 31 | #1,296 |
| 1948 | 34 | #1,230 |
| 1947 | 36 | #1,212 |
| 1946 | 33 | #1,216 |
| 1945 | 33 | #1,138 |
| 1944 | 24 | #1,369 |
| 1943 | 34 | #1,170 |
| 1942 | 26 | #1,358 |
| 1941 | 45 | #951 |
| 1940 | 38 | #1,050 |
| 1939 | 41 | #992 |
| 1938 | 40 | #1,009 |
| 1937 | 30 | #1,212 |
| 1936 | 42 | #949 |
| 1935 | 33 | #1,148 |
| 1934 | 26 | #1,323 |
| 1933 | 46 | #926 |
| 1932 | 34 | #1,157 |
| 1931 | 46 | #974 |
| 1930 | 37 | #1,151 |
| 1929 | 35 | #1,173 |
| 1928 | 28 | #1,382 |
| 1927 | 52 | #964 |
| 1926 | 48 | #992 |
| 1925 | 58 | #882 |
| 1924 | 63 | #865 |
| 1923 | 58 | #896 |
| 1922 | 67 | #830 |
| 1921 | 71 | #804 |
| 1920 | 57 | #911 |
| 1919 | 68 | #783 |
| 1918 | 83 | #684 |
| 1917 | 61 | #804 |
| 1916 | 75 | #685 |
| 1915 | 72 | #681 |
| 1914 | 59 | #658 |
| 1913 | 43 | #696 |
| 1912 | 36 | #713 |
| 1911 | 21 | #689 |
| 1910 | 25 | #569 |
| 1909 | 12 | #840 |
| 1908 | 16 | #657 |
| 1907 | 9 | #929 |
| 1906 | 13 | #674 |
| 1905 | 12 | #699 |
| 1904 | 13 | #647 |
| 1903 | 7 | #910 |
| 1902 | 14 | #582 |
| 1901 | 14 | #536 |
| 1900 | 13 | #698 |
| 1899 | 12 | #583 |
| 1898 | 13 | #610 |
| 1897 | 15 | #515 |
| 1896 | 24 | #400 |
| 1895 | 12 | #609 |
| 1894 | 10 | #667 |
| 1893 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 16 | #497 |
| 1891 | 12 | #524 |
| 1890 | 12 | #566 |
| 1889 | 8 | #722 |
| 1888 | 10 | #648 |
| 1887 | 8 | #679 |
| 1886 | 5 | #959 |
| 1885 | 6 | #835 |
| 1884 | 11 | #570 |
| 1883 | 14 | #479 |
| 1882 | 21 | #389 |
| 1881 | 10 | #563 |
| 1880 | 12 | #526 |
Names like Watson
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
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