The Watterson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,690 people carried this name — #8,873 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 80,000 people counted. That is up 8% from 3,425 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Watterson surname

Derived from an altered form of the given name Walter, which comes from Waltheri, a Germanic name that is derived from walt (power, authority) and heri (army).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Watterson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 14 births for the Watterson name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 600 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 12
Leinster 1
Munster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Scotland’s registers today

Watterson was recorded 10 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1929th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 14. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Watterson in American newspapers,
1912–1921.

Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Watterson
Daily Kennebec Journal 1921-12-23
Newspaper page from Capital Journal carrying the name Watterson
Capital Journal 1921-12-22
Newspaper page from The Logan Republican carrying the name Watterson
The Logan Republican 1912-01-30

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 76,749 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Watterson in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

4,740 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Watterson. The most, 858, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,230
Victoria 875
Western Australia 640
Queensland 613
Tasmania 299
South Australia 49
ACT (Canberra) 25
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Watterson.

Who carried it

People named Watterson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Henry Watterson
    Henry Watterson 1840–1921 · writer
  • John Ambrose Watterson
    John Ambrose Watterson 1844–1899 · Catholic priest
  • Helen Watterson Moody
    Helen Watterson Moody 1860–1928 · writer
  • Ada Watterson Yerkes
    Ada Watterson Yerkes 1873–1963 · zoologist
  • Isabella Watterson 1790–1825
  • Harvey Magee Watterson 1811–1891 · lawyer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Watterson,
in the records of 4 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States386 records

386 records of the Watterson name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 140
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 90
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 65
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 39
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 29
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 11
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 8
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Andy H. Watterson

    Born 1922 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Forrest; kitchen worker from Sullivan County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1984, buried at Mountain Home National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Helen Watterson

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the City of New York from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 19; teacher. From Liverpool; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Fred L. Watterson

    Born 1932; from Baker County, Oregon. U.S. Army, light weapons infantry leader; killed in action 1953 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 386 records for Watterson in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia185 records

185 records of the Watterson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 86
  • Tasmanian Names Index 42
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 36
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 11
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 6
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Frances Watterson

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the John Renwick, arriving 1838; certificate of freedom 1848.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Watterson

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Tantivy, aged 55; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Samuel William C. Watterson

    Gentleman of South Melbourne, Victoria; died 1960.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 185 records for Watterson in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada22 records

22 records of the Watterson name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 8
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 7
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 4
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mary Watterson

    Died 1975; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Eilieen Watterson

    Buried in 1996 at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Douglas Watterson

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 22 records for Watterson in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom7 records

7 records of the Watterson name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 6
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Watterson

    Will proved in 1933; of Penmaenmawr, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Watterson

    Scottish Rif’Les. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Watterson

    Royal Irish Rifles. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Watterson in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Watterson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Watterson is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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