Watson
#14,942 for girls in 2025, 5 births · #1,008 for boys in 2025, 224 births
Given to boys 99.7% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1882 · 21 births
- Debut · boys
- 12 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 6,699since 1880
Watson over time
Rank among boys' names. Watson has never cracked the top 300 here.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #14,942 | 5 | #1,008 | 224 |
| 2024 | — | #866 | 279 | |
| 2023 | — | #804 | 306 | |
| 2022 | — | #729 | 356 | |
| 2021 | — | #597 | 466 | |
| 2020 | #13,453 | 6 | #603 | 454 |
| 2019 | #15,539 | 5 | #694 | 362 |
| 2018 | #13,793 | 6 | #713 | 340 |
| 2017 | — | #1,020 | 198 | |
| 2016 | — | #1,433 | 121 | |
| 2015 | — | #1,406 | 122 | |
| 2014 | — | #1,657 | 93 | |
| 2013 | — | #2,139 | 62 | |
| 2012 | — | #1,799 | 82 | |
| 2011 | — | #2,748 | 43 | |
| 2010 | — | #3,128 | 36 | |
| 2009 | — | #5,102 | 18 | |
| 2008 | — | #4,145 | 24 | |
| 2007 | — | #4,243 | 23 | |
| 2006 | — | #3,782 | 26 | |
| 2005 | — | #3,091 | 33 | |
| 2004 | — | #3,636 | 25 | |
| 2003 | — | #4,276 | 19 | |
| 2002 | — | #4,044 | 20 | |
| 2001 | — | #4,302 | 18 | |
| 2000 | — | #5,297 | 13 | |
| 1999 | — | #3,182 | 25 | |
| 1998 | — | #3,708 | 19 | |
| 1997 | — | #4,059 | 16 | |
| 1996 | — | #5,187 | 11 | |
| 1995 | — | #4,280 | 14 | |
| 1994 | — | #3,751 | 17 | |
| 1993 | — | #4,227 | 14 | |
| 1992 | — | #4,114 | 14 | |
| 1991 | — | #5,942 | 8 | |
| 1990 | — | #3,467 | 17 | |
| 1989 | — | #4,271 | 12 | |
| 1988 | — | #3,523 | 14 | |
| 1987 | — | #3,521 | 13 | |
| 1986 | — | #3,131 | 15 | |
| 1985 | — | #3,070 | 15 | |
| 1984 | — | #3,270 | 13 | |
| 1983 | — | #3,230 | 13 | |
| 1982 | — | #2,709 | 17 | |
| 1981 | — | #3,601 | 11 | |
| 1980 | — | #5,525 | 6 | |
| 1979 | — | #4,403 | 8 | |
| 1978 | — | #5,059 | 6 | |
| 1977 | — | #3,606 | 10 | |
| 1976 | — | #4,418 | 7 | |
| 1975 | — | #3,428 | 10 | |
| 1974 | — | #2,799 | 13 | |
| 1973 | — | #2,606 | 14 | |
| 1972 | — | #2,534 | 14 | |
| 1971 | — | #3,370 | 9 | |
| 1970 | — | #2,509 | 14 | |
| 1969 | — | #2,682 | 11 | |
| 1968 | — | #2,311 | 13 | |
| 1967 | — | #3,231 | 7 | |
| 1966 | — | #2,465 | 11 | |
| 1965 | — | #2,476 | 11 | |
| 1964 | — | #1,850 | 19 | |
| 1963 | — | #1,695 | 22 | |
| 1962 | — | #2,364 | 12 | |
| 1961 | — | #1,521 | 28 | |
| 1960 | — | #1,812 | 20 | |
| 1959 | — | #1,916 | 18 | |
| 1958 | — | #1,953 | 17 | |
| 1957 | — | #1,634 | 24 | |
| 1956 | — | #1,511 | 27 | |
| 1955 | — | #1,370 | 31 | |
| 1954 | — | #1,525 | 25 | |
| 1953 | — | #1,261 | 35 | |
| 1952 | — | #1,615 | 22 | |
| 1951 | — | #1,430 | 27 | |
| 1950 | — | #1,499 | 24 | |
| 1949 | — | #1,297 | 31 | |
| 1948 | — | #1,231 | 34 | |
| 1947 | — | #1,213 | 36 | |
| 1946 | — | #1,217 | 33 | |
| 1945 | — | #1,139 | 33 | |
| 1944 | — | #1,370 | 24 | |
| 1943 | — | #1,170 | 34 | |
| 1942 | — | #1,358 | 26 | |
| 1941 | — | #951 | 45 | |
| 1940 | — | #1,050 | 38 | |
| 1939 | — | #992 | 41 | |
| 1938 | — | #1,009 | 40 | |
| 1937 | — | #1,212 | 30 | |
| 1936 | — | #949 | 42 | |
| 1935 | — | #1,148 | 33 | |
| 1934 | — | #1,323 | 26 | |
| 1933 | — | #926 | 46 | |
| 1932 | — | #1,157 | 34 | |
| 1931 | — | #974 | 46 | |
| 1930 | — | #1,151 | 37 | |
| 1929 | — | #1,173 | 35 | |
| 1928 | — | #1,382 | 28 | |
| 1927 | — | #964 | 52 | |
| 1926 | — | #992 | 48 | |
| 1925 | — | #882 | 58 | |
| 1924 | — | #865 | 63 | |
| 1923 | — | #896 | 58 | |
| 1922 | — | #830 | 67 | |
| 1921 | — | #804 | 71 | |
| 1920 | — | #911 | 57 | |
| 1919 | — | #783 | 68 | |
| 1918 | — | #684 | 83 | |
| 1917 | — | #804 | 61 | |
| 1916 | — | #685 | 75 | |
| 1915 | — | #681 | 72 | |
| 1914 | — | #658 | 59 | |
| 1913 | — | #696 | 43 | |
| 1912 | — | #713 | 36 | |
| 1911 | — | #689 | 21 | |
| 1910 | — | #569 | 25 | |
| 1909 | — | #840 | 12 | |
| 1908 | — | #657 | 16 | |
| 1907 | — | #930 | 9 | |
| 1906 | — | #674 | 13 | |
| 1905 | — | #699 | 12 | |
| 1904 | — | #647 | 13 | |
| 1903 | — | #910 | 7 | |
| 1902 | — | #583 | 14 | |
| 1901 | — | #536 | 14 | |
| 1900 | — | #699 | 13 | |
| 1899 | — | #583 | 12 | |
| 1898 | — | #611 | 13 | |
| 1897 | — | #515 | 15 | |
| 1896 | — | #400 | 24 | |
| 1895 | — | #609 | 12 | |
| 1894 | — | #668 | 10 | |
| 1893 | — | — | ||
| 1892 | — | #497 | 16 | |
| 1891 | — | #524 | 12 | |
| 1890 | — | #566 | 12 | |
| 1889 | — | #722 | 8 | |
| 1888 | — | #648 | 10 | |
| 1887 | — | #679 | 8 | |
| 1886 | — | #959 | 5 | |
| 1885 | — | #836 | 6 | |
| 1884 | — | #570 | 11 | |
| 1883 | — | #479 | 14 | |
| 1882 | — | #389 | 21 | |
| 1881 | — | #563 | 10 | |
| 1880 | — | #526 | 12 | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Watson was already there! It came in at #526, and was given to 12 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1893, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.
Where Watson is popular in 2018
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- North Dakota#251 · 1 in 779
- Minnesota#351 · 1 in 1,569
- Wisconsin#363 · 1 in 1,716
- Utah#384 · 1 in 1,625
- Alabama#401 · 1 in 1,885
Best ever in a state: #116 in South Dakota, 2020.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | #251 | 5 | 1 in 779 |
| Minnesota | #351 | 17 | 1 in 1,569 |
| Wisconsin | #363 | 15 | 1 in 1,716 |
| Utah | #384 | 12 | 1 in 1,625 |
| Alabama | #401 | 12 | 1 in 1,885 |
| Indiana | #418 | 16 | 1 in 2,123 |
| Iowa | #441 | 7 | 1 in 2,052 |
| Oklahoma | #456 | 9 | 1 in 2,091 |
| Kansas | #466 | 7 | 1 in 2,077 |
| Ohio | #503 | 19 | 1 in 3,016 |
| South Carolina | #535 | 7 | 1 in 2,985 |
| Arkansas | #536 | 5 | 1 in 2,706 |
| Colorado | #540 | 9 | 1 in 2,866 |
| Michigan | #590 | 13 | 1 in 3,530 |
| Washington | #605 | 10 | 1 in 3,450 |
| Missouri | #630 | 8 | 1 in 3,793 |
| Kentucky | #642 | 5 | 1 in 4,186 |
| North Carolina | #642 | 12 | 1 in 4,180 |
| Georgia | #733 | 11 | 1 in 4,745 |
| Texas | #750 | 31 | 1 in 5,641 |
| Tennessee | #768 | 7 | 1 in 5,072 |
| Arizona | #864 | 5 | 1 in 6,838 |
| Illinois | #891 | 9 | 1 in 6,630 |
| Pennsylvania | #975 | 7 | 1 in 8,181 |
| California | #1,004 | 21 | 1 in 9,834 |
| Virginia | #1,008 | 5 | 1 in 8,147 |
| Florida | #1,104 | 10 | 1 in 9,584 |
| New York | #1,581 | 6 | 1 in 15,957 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Watson
- 142 spots since 2024 (#866 → #1,008)
- 405 spots since 2020 (#603 → #1,008)
- 398 spots since 2015 (#1,406 → #1,008)
- Biggest jump: 307 spots in 2018 (#1,020 → #713)
- Biggest drop: 418 spots in 1928 (#964 → #1,382)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1882 at #389 (21 births)
- Births halved by 1885, 3 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 59 yrs · run 1894–1927
- Highest: 1 in 3,754 boys born in 2021 were named Watson (0.03%)
- Latest: 1 in 7,625 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
- Its best rank, #389 in 1882, was only 1 in 5,414 (0.02%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 31.1% of all boys named Watson (2,085) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 105 | #389 (1882) | #637 |
| 1890s | 126 | #400 (1896) | #553 |
| 1900s | 123 | #536 (1901) | #718 |
| 1910s | 543 | #569 (1910) | #696 |
| 1920s | 537 | #804 (1921) | #970 |
| 1930s | 375 | #926 (1933) | #1,084 |
| 1940s | 334 | #951 (1941) | #1,200 |
| 1950s | 250 | #1,261 (1953) | #1,571 |
| 1960s | 154 | #1,521 (1961) | #2,241 |
| 1970s | 105 | #2,509 (1970) | #3,473 |
| 1980s | 129 | #2,709 (1982) | #3,585 |
| 1990s | 155 | #3,182 (1999) | #4,192 |
| 2000s | 219 | #3,091 (2005) | #4,192 |
| 2010s | 1,459 | #694 (2019) | #1,674 |
| 2020s | 2,085 | #597 (2021) | #768 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Watson in 2018
Top girls' names in 2018
Top boys' names in 2018
More about 2018
girls
1,701,074 girls got a published name in 2018; 1 in 283,512 of them was named Watson, which outranked 24.0% of the 18,152 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #12,464Zyannah7
- #12,464Zyliah7
- #12,464Zyna7
- #13,793Watson6
- #13,793Aabriella6
- #13,793Aadhyareddy6
- #13,793Aadhyasri6
- #15,682Aabidah5
- #15,682Aaheli5
- #15,682Aalasia5
Tied with 1,888 names at #13,793; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,816,158 boys got a published name in 2018; 1 in 5,342 of them was named Watson, which outranked 94.9% of the 14,118 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 7.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).