Watt
A chiefly English and Scottish surname from the medieval pet form Wat, short for Walter; in some families, it was later reinforced by spellings from place-names like Wath.
The #2,387 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 20,298 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Watt is best understood as a diminutive or pet form of Walter. Medieval records show Wat and Watt used as familiar short forms, and surnames such as Watt, Watts, Watson, and Watkin grew from that popular given name. In some lines, especially in northern England, the surname was also influenced by place-name forms such as Wath, which later developed into Watts or Wattes.
History
The name is well attested in medieval English and Scottish records, and it remained common as a surname because Walter was one of the most popular personal names of the Middle Ages. Some historical writers also connect certain Watt and Watts families with local landed or territorial origins, showing that the surname could arise in more than one way. The spelling Watt is especially familiar in Scotland, but it is also widespread in England and later in North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Medieval writers sometimes used Wat as a stock nickname for Walter in literature, so the surname has a distinctly old-English literary feel as well as a genealogical one.
From the historical record
“1537-8. — Coldstream Chartulary, p. 86. WATT, a dim. of Walter, q.v. Watte the warner; — Piers Plowman, 3107. A hundred thousand Kentishmen gathered round Wat Tyler of Essex. — Green, Hist. Eng. People, p. 486. WATTERS, like Waters, a form of Walters,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Watt
- James Watt (1736–1819)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.