Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2021

Watson

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,011 Trend ↓ Falling 28%
Rank 2025
#1,011
among boys · ↓143 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
229
named Watson · -18% vs 2024
How common
1 in 7,625
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2021
466 babies
All-time total
6,721
#1,499 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Watson popularity over time

6,721 babies have been named Watson since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.080.150.230.318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 105 105 11 – #397
1890s – 126 126 13 +20% #406
1900s – 123 123 12 -2% #556
1910s – 543 543 54 +341% #581
1920s – 537 537 54 -1% #813
1930s – 375 375 38 -30% #935
1940s – 334 334 33 -11% #959
1950s – 250 250 25 -25% #1,279
1960s – 154 154 15 -38% #1,550
1970s – 105 105 11 -32% #2,618
1980s – 129 129 13 +23% #2,828
1990s – 155 155 16 +20% #3,274
2000s – 219 219 22 +41% #3,169
2010s 11 1,459 1,470 147 +571% #697
2020s (to 2025) 11 2,085 2,096 349 +138% #597

Where Watson is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 213 0.12 outside top 500
2027 204 0.12 outside top 500
2028 197 0.12 outside top 500
2029 191 0.11 outside top 500
2030 186 0.11 outside top 500

Where Watson is most popular

Boys named Watson per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.189 per 1,000. Strongest in South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Watson born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
South Dakota 15 0.806 +327%
Wisconsin 76 0.642 +240%
Iowa 40 0.580 +207%
Minnesota 68 0.554 +194%
North Dakota 8 0.469 +148%
Missouri 61 0.440 +133%
Alabama 43 0.393 +108%
Nebraska 17 0.391 +107%
Indiana 62 0.387 +105%
Oregon 29 0.382 +102%
West Virginia 12 0.368 +95%
South Carolina 37 0.358 +90%
Tennessee 62 0.343 +82%
Oklahoma 30 0.339 +80%
Kansas 23 0.335 +78%
North Carolina 82 0.321 +70%
Georgia 70 0.276 +46%
Colorado 35 0.271 +44%
Utah 25 0.262 +39%
Washington 42 0.257 +36%
Louisiana 26 0.254 +35%
Michigan 49 0.239 +27%
Ohio 62 0.234 +24%
Pennsylvania 61 0.230 +22%
Mississippi 13 0.229 +21%
Virginia 39 0.206 +9%
Kentucky 19 0.189 ≈ national
Illinois 46 0.180 -5%
Texas 117 0.133 -30%
Idaho 5 0.122 -35%
Arkansas 7 0.111 -41%
Connecticut 6 0.089 -53%
New York 38 0.088 -54%
Florida 41 0.087 -54%
Arizona 14 0.086 -55%
California 53 0.058 -69%
Maryland 5 0.042 -78%
New Jersey 5 0.025 -87%
Alaska – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maine – – –
Montana – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Rhode Island – – –
Vermont – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Watson

Watson is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,011 in 2025 with 224 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 6,721 American babies have been named Watson. Its peak came in 2021, when 466 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Watson stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Watson?

The median living Watson is about 6 years old; half are between 4 and 14. An estimated 4,700 people named Watson are alive in the United States today.

median 6 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Watson year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 5 #17,124 224 #1,011
2024 – – 279 #868
2023 – – 306 #805
2022 – – 356 #729
2021 – – 466 #597
2020 6 #14,979 454 #603
2019 5 #17,842 362 #697
2018 6 #15,577 340 #715
2017 – – 198 #1,022
2016 – – 121 #1,442
2015 – – 122 #1,414
2014 – – 93 #1,668
2013 – – 62 #2,162
2012 – – 82 #1,813
2011 – – 43 #2,794
2010 – – 36 #3,178
2009 – – 18 #5,312
2008 – – 24 #4,259
2007 – – 23 #4,363
2006 – – 26 #3,882
2005 – – 33 #3,169
2004 – – 25 #3,730
2003 – – 19 #4,414
2002 – – 20 #4,182
2001 – – 18 #4,470
2000 – – 13 #5,568
1995 – – 14 #4,500
1990 – – 17 #3,597
1985 – – 15 #3,212
1980 – – 6 #6,217
1975 – – 10 #3,653
1970 – – 14 #2,618
1965 – – 11 #2,612
1960 – – 20 #1,855
1955 – – 31 #1,394
1950 – – 24 #1,535
1945 – – 33 #1,162
1940 – – 38 #1,064
1935 – – 33 #1,163
1930 – – 37 #1,171
1925 – – 58 #889
1920 – – 57 #922
1915 – – 72 #689
1910 – – 25 #581
1905 – – 12 #739
1900 – – 13 #734
1895 – – 12 #639
1890 – – 12 #600
1885 – – 6 #932
1880 – – 12 #566

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Watson, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Watson?

The median living Watson is about 6 years old. Half of all living Watsons are between 4 and 14 years old.

How many people named Watson are alive today?

An estimated 4,700 people named Watson are alive in the United States, based on 6,721 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Watson in 2025?

Watson ranked #1,011 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 224 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Watson?

6,721 babies have been named Watson in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Watson most popular?

Watson peaked in 2021, when 466 newborns received the name.

Is Watson a boy or girl name?

Watson is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Watson rising or falling?

Watson is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Watson become more popular?

Watson is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 186 boys named Watson in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Watson

Names that sound and feel close to Watson: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Watson with similar names → More names starting with W →