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Watsons Family History

Watsons Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Watson, Parsons, Watton, Wason, Matson, Wasson, Wayson, Watkins

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Watsons family from?

You can see how Watsons families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Watsons family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Watsons families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 15 Watsons families living in Ontario. This was about 52% of all the recorded Watsons's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Watsons families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Watsons surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Watsons ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Watsons. 34% of Watsons men worked as a Laborer and 16% of Watsons women worked as a Housework. Some less common occupations for Americans named Watsons were Salesman and Servant.

View Census Data for Watsons | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    34%
  • Farmer
    28%
  • Clerk
    10%
  • Salesman
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    16%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    11%
  • Servant
    11%

What Watsons family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Watsons. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Watsons census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Watsons

Passenger Lists

There are 157 immigration records available for the last name Watsons. 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 Watsons immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 662 military records available for the last name Watsons. For the veterans among your Watsons ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Watsons military records

You've only scratched the surface of Watsons family history

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What is the average Watsons lifespan?

Average Watsons life expectancy in 1990 was 87 years. This was higher than the general public life expectancy which was 74.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Watsons

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Watsons ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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