Keeton
Of English origin, a diminutive of the surname Keate, possibly from the French "queit" meaning calm.
Name Census estimates that about 898 living Americans carry the first name Keeton. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Keeton today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keeton births was 2007 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keeton. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
898
~ 1 in 381,686 Americans
Peak year
2007
43 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,373
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Keeton: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Keeton from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 348 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keeton by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Keeton during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Keetons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee recorded the most babies named Keeton, while Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Keeton
The given name Keeton has its origins in the Old English language, deriving from the word "cyta," which means "kite" or "noble bird." This name was predominantly used in Anglo-Saxon England during the medieval period, roughly from the 5th to the 11th century AD.
The name Keeton is believed to have been initially used as a nickname or a descriptive name, likely referring to someone with a keen eye or a noble bearing, akin to a soaring kite. As a result, it was predominantly given to individuals of higher social status or those known for their bravery or sharp senses.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keeton can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The document mentions a landowner named Keeton de Huntingdon, suggesting the name's use among the Norman nobility.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Keeton remained relatively uncommon but was occasionally used by members of the gentry and aristocracy. One notable figure bearing this name was Sir Keeton de Vere, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
In the 13th century, a Franciscan friar named Keeton of Assisi gained recognition for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy. His writings were widely circulated and studied in monasteries across Europe during the High Middle Ages.
Another historical figure of note was Keeton Chaucer, a distant relative of the renowned poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who served as a diplomat and courtier during the reign of King Edward III in the 14th century.
During the Renaissance period, the name Keeton experienced a slight resurgence in popularity, particularly among the educated classes. One notable bearer of this name was Keeton Marlowe, an Elizabethan playwright and contemporary of William Shakespeare, known for his works such as "Doctor Faustus" and "The Jew of Malta."
While the name Keeton has since fallen out of widespread use, it remains a unique and distinctive name with a rich historical background, reflecting the nobility and keen senses associated with its Old English origins.
People
Keeton + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keeton as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Keeton: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keeton?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 898 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keeton going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 381,686 US residents.
Is Keeton a common name?
We classify Keeton as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 911 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keeton most popular?
The single biggest year for Keeton was 2007, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keeton is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Keeton a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keeton in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.