Watson Family History

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Watson Name Meaning

Scottish and northern English: patronymic from the personal name Wat (see Watt)

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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

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Watson Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Watson name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Watson. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    51%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    20%

  • Germanic Europe

    6%

  • Cameroon, Congo, & Southern Bantu Peoples

    4%

  • Benin/Togo

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Watson Family Origin

Where is the Watson family from?

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1840
    1920
    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 the USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 385 Watson families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 12% of all the recorded Watson's in the USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Watson families in 1840.
    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.

    View Census Data for Watson

    Watson Family Occupations

    What did your Watson ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, a less common occupation for the Watson family was Farm Laborer. The most common Watson occupation in the USA was Farmer. 38% of Watson's were Farmers. Farmer, Laborer and Keeping House were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Watson.

    View Census data for Watson | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      38%

    • Laborer

      9%

    • Keeping House

      6%

    • Farm Laborer

      4%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Watson ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Watson Historical Records

    What Watson family records will you find?

    Census Record

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

    Search 1940's US census records for Watson

    Passenger List

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

    View all Watson immigration records

    Draft Card

    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.

    View all Watson military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Watson family history.

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    Watson Life Expectancy

    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

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Watson 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.

    Famous Watson Family Ancestors

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