Norbana gens
The gens Norbana was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned toward the beginning of the first century BC, and from then to the end of the second century AD they filled a number of magistracies and other important posts, first in the late Republic, and subsequently under the emperors. Origin. Because the great majority of Roman end in "-ius", many writers have supposed "Norbanus" to have been a cognomen, perhaps belonging to a branch of the Junia gens. In fact, it is itself a "nomen gentilicium", belonging to a class of  nomina derived from place-names, and ending in "-anus". Such names were common in families of Umbrian origin, although less characteristic of Latin gentes. In the case of the Norbani, the name is likely derived from the town of Norba, in Latium, but, since none of the known members of the gens show any association with the town, it was perhaps an earlier, unknown ancestor who came from there, suggesting the family is of greater antiquity than the available records suggest. For the first Norbani appearing in the late Republic, Ronald Syme suggested an Etruscan origin. Branches and cognomina. The  primary surname of the Norbani is "Flaccus", a common surname that translates as "flabby" or "flap-eared". Other surnames include "Balbus", a common name referring to one who stammers; this is also written as "Bulbus", perhaps with an intentional change of meaning, since "bulbus" refers to an onion.