Keaton is an English surname from several place names that are usually explained as "shed town" or "place of the hawks", from Old English words for a shed or a kite and tun, a settlement. The silent-film comedian Buster Keaton and the actors Michael and Diane Keaton gave it a Hollywood shine, and in the 1980s Family Ties made Alex P. Keaton a household name. Keaton ranked number 353 in 2000 and has drifted down to number 771 in 2025.