Albia gens
The nomen "Albius" is derived from the common Latin surname "Albus", meaning "white". Chase classifies it among those gentilicia that either originated at Rome, or cannot be shown to have come from anywhere else. The Albii Oppianici mentioned by Cicero in his oration, "Pro Cluentio", bore the unusual praenomen "Statius", which was scarce at Rome except among slaves or freedmen. It was an Oscan name that seems to have been fairly common in central and southern Italy. This may indicate that at least part of the family was of Sabine or Samnite origin, and indeed the Albii Oppianici were residents of Larinum in Samnium, although the surname "Oppianicus" implies that they had some connection with the Oppian Hill at Rome. The few Albii known from historical sources mostly bear common praenomina, such as "Publius", "Lucius", or "Gaius". The use of "Statius" by an apparently Roman or Romanized family of the Albii was unusual; but although the name was generally associated with the servile classes at Rome, its use among the general populace in Samnium would probably have been understood. The senator Publius Albius, known from a decree of the Roman Senate dating to 129 BC, bore no surname; under the Republic many plebeian families had no hereditary cognomina. The surname "Oppianicus", known from the family of Larinum, indicates that this family may previously have lived at Rome, presumably acquiring the cognomen from some association with the Oppian Hill; but their use of the praenomen "Statius" suggests that they were natives of Samnium. "Pollio", borne by the consul of AD 90, was a common surname of Latin origin, and originally indicated a polisher. The nomen "Carrinas" was long supposed to be a surname of the Albia gens, due to its unusual form. This connection was proposed by Sigebert Havercamp, in his "Thesaurus Morelliantes". However, "Carrinas" does not appear together with "Albius" in any known inscriptions. It would therefore seem to be a separate gentilicium of Oscan or Umbrian origin; Chase notes that Umbrian nomina frequently end in .
Branches and cognomina
The gens Albia was a minor plebeian family at Rome. They were of senatorial rank during the latter part of the Republic, but the only of this gens who obtained the consulship was Lucius Albius Pullaienus Pollio, in AD 90.