Teal
A nickname surname from the teal, the small waterfowl, likely given to someone thought to resemble or behave like the bird.
The #3,976 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 34,547 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally explained as a nickname from the bird name teal, the small duck-like waterfowl. The historical forms cited by 19th-century surname writers point to Middle English and related Germanic forms, with cognates in Dutch. In other words, Teal likely began as a personal byname for someone associated with the bird in appearance, habits, or perhaps as a hunting or countryside nickname.
History
The name appears in medieval English records in spellings such as Teal, Teall, and related forms. Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century surname scholars treated it as part of a small group of bird-based nicknames, alongside surnames like Duck and Drake. It is also possible that some bearers were influenced by or confused with related local or occupational forms, but the bird nickname explanation is the standard one.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bird-nickname surnames were common in medieval England, and Teal is one of a cluster that includes Duck, Drake, and Peacock.
From the historical record
“TEAL TEALE TEALL Martin Tele.— Hund. Rolls. TEALING (Teut.) iia nickname from the waterfowl, the Teal [cp. M.Dut. teeling,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)