Keeton last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Keeton is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Keeton.

Meaning of Keeton

A locational surname derived from places in Yorkshire, England, likely referring to a town near a wood.

Keeton, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Keeton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keeton in America

Keeton is the 3647th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keeton surname appeared 9,748 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Keeton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keeton to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 3647 3500 4.11%
Count 9,748 9,342 4.25%
Proportion per 100k 3.30 3.46 -4.73%

The history of the last name Keeton

The surname Keeton is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cyta," which means "cottage" or "small dwelling." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a small house or cottage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keeton can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where a person named Richard Keyton is mentioned. The spelling variation "Keyton" further supports the idea that the name originated from the word "cyta."

The surname Keeton is also closely related to the place name "Keyton," which is a small village in Shropshire, England. It is possible that the name was initially adopted by families residing in or near this village.

In the 13th century, the Keeton surname appeared in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire, where a person named William Keyton was recorded in 1272. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region by that time.

One notable individual with the surname Keeton was John Keeton, a prominent English lawyer who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (c. 1560-1630). He served as a Member of Parliament and was appointed as a Serjeant-at-Law in 1614.

Another figure of historical significance was Henry Keeton (1704-1776), an English Baptist minister and author. He published several religious works, including "The Travels of True Godliness" and "The Distressed Soul's Catechism."

In the 19th century, William Keeton (1816-1878) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Holy Trinity Church in Marylebone.

During the same period, George Keeton (1817-1891) was a British politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament and was appointed as a Queen's Counsel in 1865.

Finally, George Williams Keeton (1855-1917) was an English scholar and linguist who specialized in the study of ancient languages, particularly Sanskrit. He served as a professor at University College, London, and authored several works on Indian philology.

These examples demonstrate the historical presence and significance of the surname Keeton, which has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keeton

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Keeton.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Keeton was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 84.08% 8,196
Non-Hispanic Black Only 10.56% 1,029
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.44% 43
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.77% 75
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.76% 172
Hispanic Origin 2.39% 233

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Keeton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 84.08% 85.60% -1.79%
Black 10.56% 10.43% 1.24%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.44% 0.24% 58.82%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.77% 0.85% -9.88%
Two or More Races 1.76% 1.27% 32.34%
Hispanic 2.39% 1.62% 38.40%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Keeton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Keeton, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Keeton last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 6, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/keeton-surname-popularity/.

"Keeton last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/keeton-surname-popularity/. Accessed 6 October, 2024

Keeton last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/keeton-surname-popularity/.

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