Total births
6,699
Boys' name · since 1880
Watson
Watson has 6,699 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2021 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #867
- among boys today
- 6,699
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
6,699 babies have been named Watson since 1880, making it today's #867 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Watson has been recorded 6,699 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #867 nationally and more common than 94% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #867 among boys today
- 6,699 born since 1880
- 2020s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Watson is currently the #867 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 6,699 born since 1880, peaking in the 2020s.
- #867
- among boys today
- 6,699
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Watson vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#867
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Watson was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
466 babies were named Watson in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Watson compares
6,699 Top 10% higher than 90% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Watson's all-time total is 18x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Watson | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,699 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 466 | 23 | 22,252 |
Watson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Watson's full recorded timeline at 1953, 67% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 33% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1886, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2021 peak of 466 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Watson at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2021
Current rank
#867
Active since
1880
Watson popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 466
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Watson popularity over time - girls
22 total births recorded since 2018 (Watson as girls' name)
Watson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Watson's strongest decade.
2,085 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Watson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 105
1880s
105 births
- 1890s 126
1890s
126 births
- 1900s 123
1900s
123 births
- 1910s 543
1910s
543 births
- 1920s 537
1920s
537 births
- 1930s 375
1930s
375 births
- 1940s 334
1940s
334 births
- 1950s 250
1950s
250 births
- 1960s 154
1960s
154 births
- 1970s 105
1970s
105 births
- 1980s 129
1980s
129 births
- 1990s 155
1990s
155 births
- 2000s 219
2000s
219 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,459 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,085 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 2,085 births (31% of all-time use).
How Watson compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Watson's total volume
Watson vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Watson by state
Where Watson concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 329 | 4.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 294 | 4.4% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 192 | 2.9% |
| #4 | California | | 163 | 2.4% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 153 | 2.3% |
| #6 | South Carolina | | 148 | 2.2% |
| #7 | Minnesota | | 143 | 2.1% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 139 | 2.1% |
Georgia share of Watson's total US births 4.9%
Even split
329 of 6,699 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 39 reporting states.
Watson appears in 39 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Watson? ▼
Watson has been given to 6,699 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #867 as of the latest data. 466 babies were born in 2021, its single highest year.
When was Watson most popular? ▼
Watson was most popular in the 2020s decade with 2,085 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Watson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Watson are Georgia (329 births), Texas (294 births), North Carolina (192 births).
How long has the name Watson been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Watson since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Watson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Watt, Wataru, Watts, Wattson, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Watson's data
- Georgia records the most Watsons (329 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Watson
Nearby Names Like Watson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Watson
Watt Boy
444 births
Wataru Boy
142 births
Watts Boy
81 births
Wattson Boy
#8918 57 births
Watkins Boy
21 births
Compare Watson side by side: Watson vs Watt Watson vs Wataru Watson vs Watts
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Watson
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Watson: #867 Boys' Name - 6,699 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/watson. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Watson draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.