Teel
A nickname surname likely referring to the teal, a small duck.
The #4,539 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 39,512 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Teel is usually explained as a nickname from Middle English tel or teal, the name of the small wild duck. In that sense, it would have been applied to someone thought to resemble the bird in some way, or perhaps as a proverbial or playful byname. The surname is closely related to Teal and Teale, with spelling variation common in medieval and later records.
History
Historical records show the surname in several medieval English forms, including Teel and Teale. The name appears in English county records by the 14th century and later spread in a range of spellings. In modern usage, Teel is less common than Teal or Teale, but all belong to the same broad surname family.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname writers sometimes grouped Teel with a whole set of bird-based bynames, alongside names like Duck and Drake.
From the historical record
“London, 2. Teal, Teall, Teel.— Nick. < the teal,* a small duck; M.E. UU\ cf. Duck, Drake. The names of John and Thomas Telcock, ca Oxford, occur in the Hundred Rolls (1973) ; probably a masculine form, equiva-”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)