Pernar families are Croats and they are mostly from Senj area (Brinje). According to some sources they are from Novigrada near Zadra. In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Senj area and in Zagreb.
Prevalence
About 830 people with faimily name Pernar live in Croatia today, in 340 households. There were 900 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number decreased by 10 percent. They are located in almost all Croatian counties, in 51 cities and 86 other places, mostly in Zagreb (205), Sisak (35), Slavonski Brod (30), Krizpolje in Senj area (25), and in Dugo Selo (25).
Outside Croatia
At least 17 families with this surname emigrated from Croatia to: France (7), Germany (4), Australia (2), the United States (2), Switzerland (1), and to Austria (1). Family name Pernar is present in 11 countries on four continents.
In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned over twenty times, the first time 1679 in source Catholic Church Parish Records.