Teal takes its name from the Eurasian teal duck, whose head stripe is a vivid blue-green. As a defined colour name, it emerged in the 20th century. It became prominent in Art Deco design and has remained a design staple — its balance between blue and green gives it unusual versatility.

Balancing, sophisticated, and calming. Teal carries the calm of blue and the freshness of green simultaneously — it is psychologically one of the most balanced colours. Associated with clarity, communication, and emotional intelligence. Neither as cool as blue nor as warm as green, it occupies an unusually comfortable middle ground.

Teal became one of the most popular colours in corporate branding during the 1990s–2000s — its balance of trustworthiness (blue) and growth (green) made it ideal for financial and technology companies. The "teal organisation" concept in business management (Laloux's "Reinventing Organizations") uses teal to represent an evolutionary stage of organisational consciousness. In medical awareness ribbons, teal represents ovarian cancer and sexual assault awareness.