The surname belongs to the onomastic group derived from the medieval Latin name Perinus, a hypocoristic of Petrus (Pietro, from the Greek Pétros, "stone"). E. Rossoni groups it with Perino, Perinetto and other affectionate diminutive forms of the same name, and documents its broad diffusion in central-northern Italy, with significant presences in Trentino, Veneto, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Lazio.

A. Bongioanni notes that the surname admits multiple interpretations: it may derive both from popular forms of the name Gaspare and from the variants Pero and Piero arisen from the name Pietro. Consequently, there is no single valid explanation for all the lines that bear it, and each case must be evaluated from the specific genealogy of the family.

F. De Laurentiis proposes, for his part, a derivation from Pietri, which reinforces the connection with the name Pietro, although from a patronymic form different from the one noted by the other authors.