Watson is an English surname meaning "son of Wat", Wat being the medieval nickname for Walter, "ruler of the army". Readers know it as the name of Sherlock Holmes's loyal friend Dr. Watson, and it fits the fashion for surnames such as Wilson and Hudson. In the United States Watson rose from number 1414 in 2015 into the top 1000 in 2018, peaked at number 597 in 2021 and ranks number 1011 in 2025.