Watson

English and Scottish surname related to Walter

"son of Wat"

Watson Origin and Meaning

The name Watson is a boy's name of English origin meaning "son of Wat".

What with the resurgence of W names like Weston and Walter, the prominence of high profile actress Emma and golfer Bubba, and even the attention paid to Watson, the IBM computer on "Jeopardy" (named for IBM's founder, Thomas Watson) this name could be in line for a revival of its own.

Watson is the 20th most common surname in Scotland, meaning the son of Wat, an early nickname for Walter. Among the earliest emigrants to the Virginia Colony from England was John Watson in 1635. Later noted bearers of the surname include Alexander Graham Bell's telephone experiment partner Thomas A. Watson ("Mr. Watson--come here!"), James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA, and actress Emily. Two well known Watsons in fiction are Sherlock Holmes's accomplice, Dr (John) Watson, and Spider-Man's love interest, Mary Jane. All in all: a name with a varied and fascinating heritage.

Watson Rank in US Top 1000

# 804 in the US

Watson Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 1392 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Watson

• 804 US 2023
• 1392 Nameberry 2025
• 674 Future 2028

20 Names Similar to Watson

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Watson.

• Burke
• Prescott
• Campbell
• Murphy
• Judd
• Palmer
• Truman
• Smith
• Chet
• Warner
• Jones
• Louie
• Conway
• Murray
• Harris
• Wilson
• Frankie
• Mack
• Clifton
• Edison

Famous People Named Watson

• Watson McLean Washburn American tennis player
• (Lester) Watson Brown American football player and coach
• Watson Parker American historian and author
• Watson Cole DeBoer (b. 2017) son of TV personalities Chelsea and Cole DeBoer of "Teen Mom 2"
• James Dewey Watson American molecular biologist

The name Watson in Pop Culture

• Watson Brewer Karen's father in Ann M. Martin's "The Baby,Sitters Club" and "Baby,Sitter's Little Sister" series
• Watson IBM computer who won "Jeopardy!"
• John Hamish Watson associate of Sherlock Holmes, created by Arthur Conan Doyle