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

Teel, 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 Teel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Teel in America

Teel is the 4539th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Teel surname appeared 7,814 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 Teel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Teel 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 Teel

The surname Teel originated in the English county of Lincolnshire during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "tel" or "tiel," which referred to a fertile area of land suitable for cultivation. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked on such fertile ground.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Teel can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from the late 13th century, where it appears as "Tele." This document contains records of landowners and their holdings during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Tele," "Teyl," and "Teyle," in various records from Lincolnshire and neighboring counties. This variation in spelling was common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The Teel surname is also found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from the early 14th century, where it is recorded as "Teyl." These rolls were financial records maintained by the Exchequer, which provide valuable insights into the lives of individuals and their occupations at the time.

One notable individual bearing the Teel surname was John Teel, who was born in Lincolnshire around 1450. He is mentioned in local records as a prosperous landowner and farmer.

Another prominent figure was Richard Teel, born in Nottinghamshire in 1520. He was a prominent merchant and trader who played a significant role in the local economy during the reign of King Henry VIII.

In the 17th century, the Teel surname spread to other parts of England, including London, where a Thomas Teel was recorded as a member of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers in 1675.

The Teel family also had a presence in Scotland, where a branch of the family settled in the Borders region. One notable Scottish Teel was James Teel, born in Berwickshire in 1710, who served as a respected magistrate and local leader.

As the Teel surname spread across the British Isles, it also found its way to other parts of the world through emigration and exploration. In the 18th century, several Teels were recorded as early settlers in the American colonies, particularly in Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Teel

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!