Explore the Family Name Watson
The meaning of Watson
Scottish, English, and Irish: patronymic meaning ‘son of Wat’, a pet form of Walter that was particularly common in Scotland and northern England. See Watt.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Watson in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Watson experienced a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Watson ranked as the 76th most popular surname, but fell to the 81st position by 2010, marking a decline of 6.58 percent. While the rank dropped, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased by 4.19 percent during this same period, growing from 242,432 people in 2000 to 252,579 people in 2010. This led to a minor decrease in its proportion per 100k people from 89.87 to 85.63.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #76 | #81 | -6.58% |
| Count | 242,432 | 252,579 | 4.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 89.87 | 85.63 | -4.72% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Watson
Turning our attention to ethnicity, the U.S. Census data from 2000 to 2010 shows several shifts for the Watson surname. The percentage of Watsons identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native increased. The highest growth was seen among those identifying as Hispanic, which rose from 1.58 percent to 2.41 percent, reflecting an impressive increase of 52.53 percent. Those identifying as part of two or more races also saw a significant increase at 33.72 percent. The count of Watsons identifying as white decreased from 68.58 percent to 66.03 percent. However, it's important to note that the white ethnic identity still represents the majority for the Watson surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 68.58% | 66.03% | -3.72% |
| Black | 26.85% | 27.9% | 3.91% |
| Hispanic | 1.58% | 2.41% | 52.53% |
| Two or More Races | 1.72% | 2.3% | 33.72% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.8% | 0.82% | 2.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.47% | 0.53% | 12.77% |
Watson ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Watson is British & Irish, which comprises 55.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.2%) and Nigerian (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.6% |
| French & German | 20.2% |
| Nigerian | 3.6% |
| Other | 20.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Watson
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Watson have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.90% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 81.80% |
What Watson haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Watson is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-Z18065, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Taylor, Smith, Brown, Wilson, White, Thompson, Clark, Walker, Green, Cooper.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Watson surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Watson have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Watson" Surname 41.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Watson" Surname 28.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Watson" Surname 22.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Watson" Surname 17.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Watson?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Watson are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition