2000
#324
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 86,228
First available Census row
Per 100,000 31.96
Uncommon Last name
Watts
An occupational surname referring to a watchman, herdsman, or hunter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 98,336 Americans carry the last name Watts. That puts it at #361 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 28.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,486 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Watts surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Watts with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
98K
1 in 3,486
Census rank
#361
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
28.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
86K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 85,754 bearers of the surname Watts in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 28.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 361st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Watts, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Watts
The surname Watts has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "watt," which means a wood or forest. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.
Variations of the spelling include Watt, Watte, and Wat. The name is found in early records such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Watte." It is also present in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, listed as "Walter Watte."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Watts can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Wat." This entry refers to a landowner in Norfolk.
The name Watts has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. Isaac Watts (1674-1748) was an English Christian minister, hymn writer, and theologian, known for composing many famous hymns, including "Joy to the World" and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross."
Another prominent figure was James Watt (1736-1819), the Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer who significantly improved the steam engine's design, contributing to the Industrial Revolution's advancement.
In literature, Alaric Alexander Watts (1797-1864) was an English poet and writer, known for his works such as "The Poetical Album" and "Lyrics of the Heart."
The name Watts has also been associated with the arts. Gilbert Watts (1596-1657) was an English portrait painter and the master of the Painter-Stainers' Company in London.
In the 20th century, Andre Watts (born 1946) is a renowned American classical pianist and professor of music at Indiana University.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the surname Watts throughout history, reflecting its long-standing presence and significance across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Watts
Among Census respondents with the surname Watts, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Watts bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Watts surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.9% · 56,519
- Black or African American25.0% · 21,439
- Two or more races4.5% · 3,880
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 2,726
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 661
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 529
Timeline
Historical Census data for Watts
Watts appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 89,649
+3,421 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 30.39
Rank movement Down 24 places
2020
#361
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 85,754
-3,895 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 28.69
Rank movement Down 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #324 | 86,228 | 31.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #348 | 89,649 | 30.39 | +3,421 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 24 places |
| 2020 | #361 | 85,754 | 28.69 | -3,895 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 13 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Watts surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #348 | #361 | -3.7% |
| Count | 89,649 | 85,754 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 30.39 | 28.69 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Watts bearers went from 89,649 to 85,754 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #348 to #361.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Watts
FAQ
Watts surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Watts?
Name Census estimates that about 98,336 living Americans carry the surname Watts. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,486 residents.
How common is Watts?
Watts ranks #361 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 28.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 29 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 85,754 people with the surname Watts. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (98,336), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 28.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 28.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 29 of them to have the surname Watts.
Has Watts become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Watts went from 89,649 recorded bearers to 85,754. That is a decrease of 3,895 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #348 to #361.
What does the Census say about the background of Watts?
Among Census respondents with the surname Watts, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Watts in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.9% (56,519 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Watts appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.9%), Black (25.0%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Watts (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Watts mean?
An occupational surname referring to a watchman, herdsman, or hunter. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Watts (28.69 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Watts?
You can see how many people are called Watts on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.