Watson is a patronymic surname of English and Scottish origin. It means "son of Walter": the popular Old English given names "Wat" or "Watt" were diminutive forms of the name "Walter". In 2015, Watson was the 46th most common surname in England and the 19th most common in Scotland.^[1] See also Clan Watson.

A

• Aaron Watson (born 1977), American singer
• Adam Watson (1914–2007), British international relations theorist and researcher
• Adam Watson (scientist) (1930–2019), Scottish scientist
• A. J. Watson (1924–2014), American automotive engineer
• Alana Watson, English musician
• Albert Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Alberta Watson (1955–2015), Canadian actress
• Alex Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Alexander Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Allen Watson (born 1970), American baseball player
• Alonzo Watson (1893–1937), African American Communist; died in the Spanish Civil War
• Andrew Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Andy Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Angela Watson (born 1975), American actress
• Anthony Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Arnold Watson Hutton (1886–1951), Argentine footballer
• Art Watson (1884–1950), American baseball catcher
• Arthur Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Austin Watson (born 1986), American professional wrestler better known as Xavier Woods or Consequences Creed
• Austin Watson (born 1992), American ice hockey player

B

• B. B. Watson (1953–2013), American country music singer
• Barrington Watson (1931–2016), Jamaican painter
• Barry Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Ben Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Brad Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Brandon Watson (American football) (born 1995), American football player
• Brook Watson (1735–1807), British merchant, soldier, and Lord Mayor of London
• Bruce Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Bryan Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Bubba Watson (born 1978), American golfer

C

• Carol Stuart Watson (1931–1986), American illustrator and publisher
• Cecelia Watson (fl. 2010s–2020s), American author and historian
• Chandra Watson (born 1975) of The Watson Twins, American singer
• Charles Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Chris Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Christian Watson (born 1999), American football player
• Clarence Wayland Watson (1864–1940), United States Senator and coal company executive
• Cliff Watson, English rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s for Great Britain, St Helens, and Cronulla-Sutherland
• Cliff Watson (speedway rider), motorcycle speedway rider of the 1940s and 1950s
• Clifford Watson, ice hockey player of the 2010s for the Sioux City Musketeers and the San Jose Sharks
• Clifford Watson, rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s for Keighley and Hunslet
• Colin Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Craig Watson (disambiguation), multiple people

D

• David Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Debbie Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Dennis Wallace Watson (1914–2008), Canadian-American microbiologist
• Deshaun Watson (born 1995), American football player
• Doc Watson (1923–2012), American musician
• Don Watson, Australian author
• Donald Watson, pioneer vegan

E

• E. L. Grant Watson (1885–1970), writer, anthropologist and biologist
• Earl Watson (born 1979), American basketball player and coach
• Ed Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Edith Watson (1861–1943), Canadian photographer
• Edith Watson (police officer) (1888–1966), British suffragist and police officer
• Edward Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Elizabeth Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Ellen Watson (1861–1889), American pioneer of Wyoming
• Emily Watson (born 1967), English actress
• Emma Watson (born 1990), English actress and activist
• Eric Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Eva Auld Watson (died 1948), American artist

F

• Floyd R. Watson (1872–1974), American physicist and acoustician
• Franco Watson (born 2002), Argentine footballer
• Frank Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Fred Watson (born 1944), British astronomer
• Fred Watson (Australian footballer) (1882–1968), Australian rules footballer
• Fred Watson (Scottish footballer), Scottish footballer

G

• G. N. Watson, English mathematician
• Gary Watson (born 1930), British actor
• Gary Watson (cricketer) (born 1944), South African cricketer
• George Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Gracie Watson, American folk figure
• Graeme Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Gregory Watson, reviver of the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution

H

• Hamish Watson (rugby union) (born 1991), Scottish rugby union player
• Hannah Bunce Watson (1749–1807), American newspaper publisher
• Harold Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Harry Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Heather Watson (born 1992), British tennis player
• Helen Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Henry Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Homer Watson (1855–1936), Canadian landscape painter

I

• Ian Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Indica Watson, English actress

J

• Jack Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• James Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Jamie Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Jasmine Watson, New Zealand artist
• Jaylen Watson (born 1998), American football player
• Jeffrey Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Jenny Watson (artist) (born 1951), Australian artist
• Jessica Watson (born 1993), Australian sailor
• Jim Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Joan Thelma Watson (1953–2015), Canadian French Horn musician and teacher
• Jobe Watson, Australian rules footballer
• John Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Dr. John Watson (fictional character)
• Jordan Watson (born 1987), English kickboxer
• Joseph Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Josh Watson (American football) (born 1996), American football player
• Joshua Watson, settler
• Justin Watson (wide receiver) (born 1995), American football player

K

• Kaetaeta Watson, master weaver from Kiribati
• Keith Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Kenneth Watson (disambiguation), multiple people

L

• Lachlan Watson, American actor
• Larry Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Leigh Watson (born 1975) of The Watson Twins, American singer
• Lewis Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Liam Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Lisa Watson (born 1969), Falkland Islands journalist
• Louis H. Watson (1907–1936), American bridge player
• Luman Watson (1790–1834), Cincinnati clockmaker
• Lyall Watson (1935–2008), South African writer, botanist, zoologist, biologist, anthropologist and ethologist

M

• Mabel Madison Watson (1872–1952), American composer
• Mark Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Marvin Watson (born 1976), American rapper better known by his stage name Messy Marv
• Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man character.
• Mary Spencer Watson (1913–2006), English sculptor
• Matthew Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Maureen Thelma Watson (1925–1994), Rhodesian politician
• Maurice Watson (born 1993), American basketball player for Maccabi Rishon LeZion of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Michael Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Moray Watson (1928–2017), English actor

N

• Niall Watson (born 2000), English professional footballer
• Nicholas Watson (born 1977), writer and filmmaker
• Nicholas Watson (academic), English-Canadian medievalist
• Nicolás Watson (born 1998), Argentine footballer
• Nolan Watson (born 1979), Canadian businessman and philanthropist

P

• Patrick Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Paul Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Paula Watson (1927–2003), American singer
• Percival Watson (1881–1959), Congregationalist minister in South Australia and Queensland
• Peter Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Peyton Watson (born 2002), American basketball player
• Phebe Watson (1876–1964), South Australian educator and union activist

R

• Ralph Watson (1936–2021), English actor
• Raymond Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Reatha Dale Watson, birth name of Barbara La Marr, American actress
• Rebecca Watson, a skeptical blogger and podcast host who founded the Skepchick blog
• Reg Watson, Australian television producer
• Regina Watson (1845–1913) German-American composer, pianist and teacher
• Richard Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Robert Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Rodney Watson, American basketball coach
• Rory Watson (born 1996), English footballer
• Russell Watson, English tenor
• Ruth Watson, English hotelier, broadcaster and food writer
• Ruth Watson, New Zealand artist
• Ryan Watson (disambiguation), multiple people

S

• Sam Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Scott Watson, New Zealander convicted of murder
• Sereno Watson, American botanist
• Shane Watson, Australian cricketer
• Shayne Watson (born 1982), Australian professional baseball player, coach
• Sheila Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Steve Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Summer Watson, singer
• Susan Kelechi Watson, American Actress of Jamaican parents
• Sydney Watson (1903–1991), English church musician

T

• Terrell Watson (born 1993), American football player
• Terrence Watson (born 1987), American-Israeli basketball player
• Thomas Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Tim Watson, Australian rules footballer
• Tom Watson (1932–2001), Scottish actor
• Toni Watson (born 2000), Australian singer known professionally as Tones and I
• Travis Watson (born 1981), American professional basketball player

W

• Walter Mother Watson (1865–1898), Major League Baseball pitcher
• Willard Watson (1921–1995), African-American folk artist from Caddo Parish, Louisiana
• William Watson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Wingfield W. Watson, (1828–1922), religious leader