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Watson Family History

Watson Name Meaning

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 .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Wayson, Watton, Hasson, Wasson, Latson, Batson, Rayson, Ritson

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Watson family from?

You can see how Watson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Watson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Watson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 4,471 Watson families living in Ontario. This was about 57% of all the recorded Watson's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Watson families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Watson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Watson ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Watson. 30% of Watson men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Watson women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Watson were Carpenter and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Watson | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    30%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    5%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Income
    8%
  • Teacher
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Watson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2 million census records available for the last name Watson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Watson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Watson

Passenger Lists

There are 270,000 immigration records available for the last name Watson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Watson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 299,000 military records available for the last name Watson. For the veterans among your Watson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Watson family history

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What is the average Watson lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Watson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Watson in 1940 was 35, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Watson

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