Meaning & Origin
A northern English and Scottish surname originating as a patronymic.
Watson is a boy's and girl's baby name of Old English origin, a Scottish and Northern English patronymic surname meaning "son of Watt," with Watt being a medieval short form of Walter, meaning "ruler of the army."
Watson carries an irresistible literary association as the loyal companion of Sherlock Holmes — Dr. John H. Watson, the chronicler of Baker Street's greatest detective. That connection to intelligence, loyalty, and Victorian adventure gives the name a compelling personality far beyond its surname origins.