The historical archives show the last name Andalon as appearing initially in Italy and Spain, and then in Mexico and the United States, respectively. Reflecting its diverse cultural history, the variations in the spelling of this surname include Andalo and Andaloni (Italian), Andallón and Andayón (Castilian Spanish), Andalón (Mexican Spanish), and Andalon (American English). On the Italian side, Andalon traces its origins to Andalo, a commune in the northern province of :it:Trentino. On the Spanish side, Andalon traces its origins to Andallón, a township in the north-west coastal province of :es:Asturias.
Andalon appears to be a toponym, which means to indicate a name's place of origin or to describe the distinct geographic location where it derives from. In English, Andalon is pronounced ANDA-lawn. The ANDA is emphasized and the lon is pronounced softly. In Spanish, Andalón is pronounced hAn-DA-lÓn. The h is silent, the An is slightly emphasized, the DA is stressed, and the O in lón is accentuated. English and Spanish are the official present-day articulations of this surname.
In the 12th century (1100s), there are early mentions of Andalo in northern Italy in descriptions of a historical Roman Catholic Church, its surrounding location, and the people living in the area. The historical archives show that in references to Andalo, other iterations are used, such as di Andalo, Andaloni, and Andalone. Documents from this time period highlight people identifying as such, either through their first or last names. Members of this early Italian community appear to have migrated to neighboring regions, including Asturias in northern Spain. The spelling of their main identifying name was changed to Andallón, reflecting the Asturian dialectical customs of the time and the prevalent Castilian Spanish language.
Between the 13th and 18th centuries (1200s - 1700s), there are references to Andallón in Asturias, Spain in descriptions of another historical Roman Catholic Church, its immediate environment, and the individuals inhabiting the community. The historical records show that in this part of Spain, Andallón is also referred to as Andayón. This is the case because both the Asturian dialect and Castilian Spanish language use the double ll and y interchangeably.
Starting in the 18th century (1700s) in Guadalajara in New Spain of the Americas, there are people who appear with the Andalón last name. Andallóns migrated to the Americas and the spelling of their family name changed to Andalón. One l in their name was dropped during the migration experience, reflecting the spelling customs in New Spain and the emerging Mexican Spanish vernacular. Mexico gained its independence from Spain in the early 19th century (the year 1810 was the call for independence; the year 1821 was the official declaration of independence). The historical records also indicate that Andallóns immigrated to other Spanish territories outside of the Americas. In the Americas, the presence of Andalóns continue in the early 19th century (1800s) in Guadalajara and in other central-west Mexican states.
Beginning in the late 19th century (1890s), throughout the 20th century (1900s), and currently in the 21st century (2000s), we see Andalóns immigrating to and being born in the United States. In the United States, both the accented and unaccented versions of this last name have been used.
At the present time, individuals with the last name Andalon live on the West Coast of the United States, primarily in the :State of California and mostly in the :City of Los Angeles and neighboring municipalities. Andalóns also live in central-west Mexico, specifically in the State of :Jalisco and mainly in the City of :Guadalajara, as well as in adjacent Mexican states. Over the years, they have settled in other regions of the United States and Mexico. While Andalons have lived in the United States about 100 years and in Mexico over 300 years, Italy and Spain is where they draw their early ancestry, which can be traced back several hundred years.
The subsequent section provides a detailed account of the Andalon surname after its early Italian heritage, focusing on its extensive and well-documented history in Spain, Mexico, and the United States.
In Spain, over several hundred years in :es:Las Regueras, a municipality of Asturias, Andalon (or Andallón) has been used to identify a town, river, street, church, religious festival, military fortress, nobility residence, governmental palace, and Roman relic.