Boy · #979 in 2026

Watson

Name: Popularity of the name Watson in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Watson, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Watson is a patronymic forename of English and Scottish origin. Meaning "Son of Walter" or "Son of Water", the name originated in Old English because in medieval times the usual pronunciation of Walter was Water.

Current Rank

#979

Peak Rank

#389 (2021)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

-22%

2018

First Year

2020

Last Year

2018

Peak Year

#13787

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Watson

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Watson

Watson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 12 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 466 Watsons were born — ranking #597 that year. As of 2026, Watson ranks #979 for baby boys with 230 births, falling sharply (-22%). In total, more than 7K Watsons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Watson

Phonetically similar names — useful when Watson is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Whitson
Woodson
Watsons
Wotton
Watterson
Wason
Matson
Wasson
Waterson
Watton
Hodson
Hutson

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Watson

What does the name Watson mean?

How popular is Watson in 2026?

In 2026, Watson ranks #979 among boys' names in the U.S., with 230 babies given the name that year.

When was Watson most popular?

Watson reached its peak popularity in 2021, ranking #389 that year with 466 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Watson most popular?

Watson has historically been most popular in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Watson.

Is Watson a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Watson is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Watson?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Watson include Pierre, Apollo, Infant. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Watson

Watson is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Watson's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #389. Use the chart and map above to compare Watson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.