NameCensus.

UK surname

Watterson

Derived from the place name Waterstone, referring to someone who lived near a wet or damp stone.

In the 1881 census there were 337 people recorded with the Watterson surname, ranking it #8,981 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,070, ranked #5,468, up from #8,981 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Toxteth Park and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Airdrie North, Petersburn and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Watterson is 1,104 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 217.5%.

1881 census count

337

Ranked #8,981

Modern count

1,070

2016, ranked #5,468

Peak year

2000

1,104 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Watterson had 337 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,981 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,070 in 2016, ranked #5,468.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 536 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Watterson surname distribution map

The map shows where the Watterson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Watterson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Watterson over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 246 #8,891
1861 historical 243 #10,116
1881 historical 337 #8,981
1891 historical 470 #7,798
1901 historical 514 #7,888
1911 historical 536 #7,432
1997 modern 1,053 #5,260
1998 modern 1,076 #5,353
1999 modern 1,096 #5,295
2000 modern 1,104 #5,252
2001 modern 1,066 #5,302
2002 modern 1,069 #5,400
2003 modern 1,031 #5,460
2004 modern 1,017 #5,519
2005 modern 1,010 #5,505
2006 modern 1,047 #5,362
2007 modern 1,031 #5,472
2008 modern 1,040 #5,466
2009 modern 1,073 #5,434
2010 modern 1,095 #5,463
2011 modern 1,084 #5,446
2012 modern 1,043 #5,527
2013 modern 1,061 #5,546
2014 modern 1,083 #5,478
2015 modern 1,083 #5,418
2016 modern 1,070 #5,468

Geography

Back to top

Where Wattersons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Toxteth Park, Manchester, Nottingham St Mary and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Airdrie North, Petersburn, Liverpool, Kilwinning Central and North and Drumgelloch. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Airdrie North North Lanarkshire
2 Petersburn North Lanarkshire
3 Liverpool 058 Liverpool
4 Kilwinning Central and North North Ayrshire
5 Drumgelloch North Lanarkshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Watterson

These lists show first names that appear often with the Watterson surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Watterson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Watterson, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Watterson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Watterson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Watterson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Watterson is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Watterson falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Watterson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Watterson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Watterson

The surname Watterson is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have emerged as a locational name, referring to individuals who hailed from a place called Waterton or a similar variation.

The name is derived from the Old English words "waeter" and "tun," which together translate to "water town" or "settlement near water." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the Watterson surname likely resided near a prominent body of water, such as a river, lake, or stream.

Historical records indicate that the Watterson surname was present in various parts of England, particularly in the northern regions. One of the earliest documented mentions of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1198, where a certain Richard de Waterton is listed.

Another notable early reference comes from the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273, which mentions a John de Waterton. This suggests that the name had already established itself in multiple counties by the 13th century.

Among the notable figures bearing the Watterson surname throughout history are:

1. William Watterson (c. 1555-1622), an English clergyman and author who served as the Dean of Armagh Cathedral in Ireland. 2. Thomas Watterson (1572-1635), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious texts. 3. Henry Watterson (1840-1921), an American journalist and politician who served as the editor of the Louisville Courier-Journal and was a prominent figure in the Democratic Party. 4. Bill Watterson (born 1958), the renowned American cartoonist and author, best known for creating the beloved comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes." 5. Renée Watterson (born 1975), an Australian businesswoman and entrepreneur, recognized for her work in promoting sustainable fashion.

It is worth noting that variations in the spelling of the surname, such as Waterton, Watterton, and Waterson, were common in earlier times due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Watterson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Watterson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Isle of Man leads with 632 Wattersons recorded in 1881 and an index of 359.68x.

County Total Index
Isle of Man 632 359.68x
Lancashire 93 0.83x
Nottinghamshire 47 3.69x
Staffordshire 36 1.13x
Yorkshire 30 0.32x
Lanarkshire 23 0.75x
Cheshire 17 0.81x
Warwickshire 15 0.63x
Durham 12 0.43x
Hampshire 12 0.62x
Argyllshire 9 3.42x
Ayrshire 9 1.27x
Leicestershire 8 0.76x
Derbyshire 5 0.34x
Dunbartonshire 4 1.57x
Fife 3 0.54x
Gloucestershire 3 0.16x
Angus 2 0.23x
Middlesex 2 0.02x
Sussex 2 0.13x
Buteshire 1 1.74x
Caithness 1 0.77x
Cornwall 1 0.09x
Cumberland 1 0.12x
Renfrewshire 1 0.14x
Ross-shire 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rushen in Isle of Man leads with 266 Wattersons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2239.06x.

Place Total Index
Rushen 266 2239.06x
Onchan 69 136.34x
Malew 59 384.36x
German 58 605.43x
German Peel 45 444.66x
Patrick 42 490.65x
Arbory 32 835.51x
Toxteth Park 22 5.79x
Everton 21 5.87x
Nottingham St Mary 19 5.76x
Radford 18 27.78x
Lonan 13 122.18x
West Derby 13 3.96x
Maughold 12 88.50x
Barony 11 1.42x
St Anne 11 582.01x
Aston 10 1.52x
Govan 10 1.32x
Liscard 10 26.57x
Burntwood Edial 9 44.12x
Campbeltown 9 28.33x
Kilwinning 9 39.35x
Cockerton 8 88.59x
Darlaston 8 18.12x
Sileby 8 120.85x
Snenton 8 15.96x
Willenhall 8 13.37x
Ardwick 7 6.91x
Halifax 7 5.09x
Lezayre 7 88.83x
Liverpool 7 1.03x
Lymington 7 49.12x
Widnes 7 8.64x
Birkenhead 6 3.60x
Normanton 6 21.29x
Warthill Copyhold 6 967.74x
Kirkdale 5 2.65x
Malew Castletown 5 1562.50x
Tamworth 5 29.27x
Wirksworth 5 37.12x
Basingstoke 4 17.93x
Douglas 4 157.48x
Hunslet 4 2.74x
Walsall Foreign 4 2.42x
Ballaugh 3 95.54x
Braddan 3 31.25x
Bradford 3 5.71x
Edgbaston 3 4.05x
Harton 3 26.98x
Newton Upon Ouse 3 157.07x
Row 3 9.12x
Anstruther Easter 2 49.51x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 2 17.87x
Birmingham 2 0.25x
Bride 2 83.33x
Bristol St Paul In 2 4.05x
Forfar 2 4.21x
Glasgow 2 0.37x
Leeds 2 0.38x
Lenton 2 6.66x
Prestwich 2 7.14x
St Pancras London 2 0.26x
Abbey 1 0.89x
Aldershot 1 1.54x
Bonhill 1 2.45x
Bristol 1 57.14x
Burton Upon Trent 1 1.34x
Cheetham 1 1.19x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 0.56x
Cleator 1 2.95x
Dalgety 1 23.36x
Disley Stanley 1 9.30x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 2.94x
Madron Penzance 1 2.57x
Manchester 1 0.20x
Marown 1 31.15x
North Meols 1 0.91x
Stockton On Tees 1 0.74x
Urmston 1 13.74x
Wolverhampton 1 0.41x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Watterson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Jane 41
Catherine 38
Elizabeth 37
Margaret 37
Ann 35
Mary 28
Annie 18
Sarah 16
Eleanor 15
Emily 13
Isabella 13
Ellen 10
Eliza 8
Margret 7
Eliz. 6
Emma 6
Anne 5
Christian 5
Esther 5
Rebecca 5
Isaballa 4
Louisa 4
Maria 4
Selina 4
Ada 3
Anna 3
Edith 3
Fanny 3
Kate 3
Margt. 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Amy 2
Clara 2
Elizth. 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Louise 2
Matilda 2
Minnie 2
Phoebe 2
Priscilla 2
Robina 2
Amelia 1
Betsy 1
Drusilla 1
Eleuda 1
William 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Watterson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 83
William 75
Thomas 57
James 39
Henry 34
Edward 20
Robert 19
George 16
Charles 13
Joseph 11
Samuel 8
Richard 7
Thos. 6
Peter 5
Jno. 4
Philip 4
Stephen 4
Wm. 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Frederick 3
Herbert 3
Mark 3
Edmund 2
Walter 2
Ceasar 1
Chas. 1
Fayle 1
Fletcher 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Henny 1
Hy. 1
Jane 1
Jas. 1
Jonathan 1
Jos. 1
Leonard 1
Louis 1
Margaret 1
Pat. 1
Patk. 1
Patrick 1
Paul 1
Percy 1
Robt. 1
Ruston 1
Walker 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Watterson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Watterson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 337 people were recorded with the Watterson surname. That placed it at #8,981 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Watterson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,070 in 2016. That gives Watterson a modern rank of #5,468.

What does the Watterson surname mean?

Derived from the place name Waterstone, referring to someone who lived near a wet or damp stone.

What does the Watterson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Watterson bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.