Statius is a Italic praenomen, or personal name, which was used during the period of the Roman Republic, and into imperial times.
It was not widely used at Rome, but gave rise to the patronymic gentes Statia and Statilia.
[1][2] Although it was occasionally used by families of Latin origin, the praenomen Statius occurs much more frequently in Oscan gentes, and particularly amongst the Samnites.
This belief probably arose because many of the people who bore this name at Rome arrived as captives taken during wars between Rome and various Oscan peoples.
Gellius' own name indicates that his family was of Oscan origin.