'gens' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'gens', where the root meant 'clan, family, race'.

'gens' passed into English from Latin (via scholarly and historical writing); the Latin word 'gens' was used in Medieval and Renaissance texts and was borrowed into English usage for discussions of Roman social organization.

Initially it meant 'clan or extended family' in Latin, and this core meaning has been retained in English usage, now mainly in historical or anthropological contexts.