2000
#4,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,618
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.82
Rare Last name
Teel
A surname of English origin, likely derived from a place name or referring to a person living near a watercourse.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,654 Americans carry the last name Teel. That puts it at #4,563 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,606 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Teel surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
8.7K
1 in 39,606
Census rank
#4,563
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,547 bearers of the surname Teel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4563rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Teel, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Teel
Among Census respondents with the surname Teel, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Teel bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Teel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.9% · 5,877
- Black or African American11.1% · 836
- Two or more races5.2% · 396
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 310
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 54
Timeline
Historical Census data for Teel
Teel appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,814
+196 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 2.65
Rank movement Down 230 places
2020
#4,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,547
-267 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 2.52
Rank movement Down 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,309 | 7,618 | 2.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,539 | 7,814 | 2.65 | +196 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 230 places |
| 2020 | #4,563 | 7,547 | 2.52 | -267 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 24 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Teel surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,539 | #4,563 | -0.5% |
| Count | 7,814 | 7,547 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.65 | 2.52 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Teel bearers went from 7,814 to 7,547 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,539 to #4,563.
FAQ
Teel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Teel?
Name Census estimates that about 8,654 living Americans carry the surname Teel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,606 residents.
How common is Teel?
Teel ranks #4,563 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,547 people with the surname Teel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,654), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Teel.
Has Teel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Teel went from 7,814 recorded bearers to 7,547. That is a decrease of 267 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,539 to #4,563.
What does the Census say about the background of Teel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Teel, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Teel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (5,877 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Teel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.9%), Black (11.1%), Two or More Races (5.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Teel (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Teel mean?
A surname of English origin, likely derived from a place name or referring to a person living near a watercourse. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Teel (2.52 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Teel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.