The name Keaton is an English surname that has been adopted as a given name. It is derived from the Old English words "kete" and "tun," which together mean "farmstead where they make keats or coarse cloth." The name first appeared in the late 12th century as a surname in Yorkshire, England.

The earliest known bearer of the name Keaton was a landowner in Yorkshire named Richard de Keton, recorded in 1208. In the 13th century, the name was also found in Cheshire and Staffordshire, suggesting it may have originated from multiple places.

One of the earliest notable people with the name Keaton was Sir John Keeton (or Keaton), a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was knighted by Edward III in 1346 for his service at the Battle of Crécy.

In the 16th century, the name appears in religious records, such as the baptism of Thomas Keaton in 1569 in Swinton, Lancashire. During this time, variations like Keeton, Keton, and Keyton were also used.

The name gained wider recognition in the 20th century with the fame of the American actor and filmmaker Buster Keaton (1895-1966). Born Joseph Frank Keaton, he was a pioneer of physical comedy and starred in many silent films.

Other notable people with the first name Keaton include Keaton Simons (born 1977), an American artist and filmmaker; Keaton Ellerby (born 1989), a Canadian professional ice hockey player; and Keaton Jennings (born 1992), an English cricketer.

One of the earliest fictional characters with the name was Keaton, a character in the 1936 novel "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell. The name has since been used for various fictional characters in films, TV shows, and literature.