The three original tribes from which the Romans were descended were the Tities, Luceres and Ramnes.
The sixteen oldest voting tribes had the names of old patrician gentes. Their members were either from patrician families or lived on land owned by them. As Rome gained more land in the Italian peninsula, more were added, the last in 241 BC. Every member had a vote in the tribal assembly. When they were counted, the majority was taken and cast as the single vote of the tribe. This meant that the large numbers of citizens in the four urban tribes could not influence voting as all tribes had equal voting power. Members of rural tribes could live in Rome and remain part of their original tribe. Senators and knights usually belonged to rural tribes.
| Aemilia | Aniensis | Arnensis | Camillia | Claudia | Clustuminia |
| Collina* | Cornelia | Esquilina* | Fabia | Falerna | Galeria |
| Horatia | Lemonia | Maecia | Menenia | Oufetina | Palatina* |
| Papiria | Poblilia | Pollia | Pomptina | Pupinia | Quirina |
| Romilia | Sabatina | Scaptia | Sergia | Stellatina | Suburana* |
| Teretina | Tromentina | Velina | Votininia | Voturia |
* the four urban tribes of Rome itself, supposedly founded by King Servius Tullius.
This collection of names compiled by Kate Monk. Copyright January 1997, Kate Monk. Last updated May, 99. Copies may be made for personal use only.