In Croatia, Peterlin families are generally Croats (from Petrinja area ), very rarely Slovenes, and . In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Petrinja area and in Zagreb.
Prevalence
About 30 people with faimily name Peterlin live in Croatia today, in 11 households. There were 40 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number decreased by 20 percent. They are located in only five naselja i to in Zagreb (10), Donji Vukojevac in Petrinja area (<10), Koprivnica (<5), Split (<5), and in Velika Gorica (<5).
Outside Croatia
Family name Peterlin is present in 18 countries on four continents. The family name "Peterlin " is used by some 500 people in the United States , about 200 in Italy , and some 100 people in Germany.
In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned few times, the first time 1938 in source Emigration Commission Zagreb.