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

Teal, 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 Teal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Teal in America

Teal is the 3976th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Teal surname appeared 8,937 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 Teal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Teal 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.

The history of the last name Teal

The surname TEAL is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "telu," meaning "fertile" or "fruitful," which was often used to describe land or soil. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived on or worked with fertile land.

One of the earliest known references to the name TEAL can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Radulfus Tele is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer, and the inclusion of this name suggests that it was in use during this time period.

The TEAL surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a person named William Tele is recorded. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records that documented landowners and their holdings, further indicating the name's association with land or agriculture.

In the 14th century, the TEAL surname appeared in various spellings, such as Tele, Tele, and Teale, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. One notable example is John Tele, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1317.

The surname TEAL has been connected to several place names in England, including Teal in Lincolnshire and Tealby in Lincolnshire, which may have influenced the origin or spelling of the name. Additionally, the name Teal has been linked to the town of Teal in West Yorkshire, where it was recorded as early as the 13th century.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname TEAL:

1. Sir John Teal (1578-1650), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Southwark during the reign of King Charles I.
2. Thomas Teal (1621-1688), an English Puritan minister and author known for his work "The Ark of Salvation."
3. Robert Teal (1677-1736), an English mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of the Gregorian calendar.
4. Elizabeth Teal (1693-1778), an English poet and writer known for her works on religion and morality.
5. William Teal (1798-1879), a British engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to steam engines and boilers.

The surname TEAL has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England, where it was likely derived from words related to fertile land or agriculture. While the name has undergone various spellings over the centuries, it has maintained a presence in historical records and has been associated with notable individuals across different fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Teal

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

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 Teal was:

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 Teal has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Teal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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