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Research Aids: Understanding Family Relationships
Cousin & nth-Removed Relationships ~ A Chart

For a true "relationship" to exist, there must be an ancestor who is common to both individuals. Can you be your own cousin? Yes. If, for example, your great-grandparents were first cousins when they married, then you are your own fourth cousin.

The chart (matrix, really) below reflects the system used by most geneological societies as well as the courts. It helps sort the relationships which usually are referred to as "first cousin once removed, twice removed," etc. It also will aid in deciphering all of those "great," "great-great," and even more "great" relationships, which often prove so confusing.

A word of caution: today, a cousin is normally the children of an individual's aunts and uncles. In colonial times, however, it often meant niece or nephew. When looking at older records, be careful about establishing relationships based on the word "cousin."

INSTRUCTIONS: Find your relationship to your common ancestor using the up-down column all the way to the left. Find the other person's relationship to your common ancestor using the row along the top. Follow the row and column until they meet, and that is your relationship with the other person.

Example: Let's say my g-g-g-grandfather is a common ancestor to a person who is related to me. Let's also say that my g-g-g-grandfather is the other person's g-grandfather. So, I look on the left and go down to where it says 3rd great-grandchild. That is my row. The other person's column is great-grandchild, along the top. Follow them until they meet, and you get second cousin twice removed. He's my 2nd cousin, twice removed.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 Common Ancestor Son or Daughter Grandson or Daughter Great Grandson or Daughter 2nd Great Grandson or Daughter 3rd Great Grandson or Daughter 4th Great Grandson or Daughter 5th Great Grandson or Daughter 6th Great Grandson or Daughter 7th Great Grandson or Daughter
2 Son or Daughter Siblings (Brother or Sister) Nephew or Niece Grand Nephew or Niece Great Grand Nephew or Niece 2nd Great Grand Nephew or Niece 3rd Great Grand Nephew or Niece 4th Great Grand Nephew or Niece 5th Great Grand Nephew or Niece 6th Great Grand Nephew or Niece
3 Grandson or Daughter Nephew or Niece First Cousin First Cousin Once Removed First Cousin Twice Removed First Cousin Three Times Removed First Cousin Four Times Removed First Cousin Five Times Removed First Cousin Six Times Removed First Cousin Seven Times Removed
4 Great Grandson or Daughter Grand Nephew or Niece First Cousin Once Removed Second Cousin Second Cousin Once Removed Second Cousin Twice Removed Second Cousin Three Times Removed Second Cousin Four Times Removed Second Cousin Five Times Removed Second Cousin Six Times Removed
5 2nd Great Grandson or Daughter Great Grand Nephew or Niece First Cousin Twice Removed Second Cousin Once Removed Third Cousin Third Cousin Once Removed Third Cousin Twice Removed Third Cousin Three Times Removed Third Cousin Four Times Removed Second Cousin Five Times Removed
6 3rd Great Grandson or Daughter 2nd Great Grand Nephew or Niece First Cousin Three Times Removed Second Cousin Twice Removed Third Cousin Once Removed Fourth Cousin Fourth Cousin Once Removed Fourth Cousin Twice Removed Fourth Cousin Three Times Removed Fourth Cousin Four Times Removed
7 4th Great Grandson or Daughter 3rd Great Grand Nephew or Niece First Cousin Four Times Removed Second Cousin Three Times Removed Third Cousin Twice Removed Fourth Cousin Once Removed Fifth Cousin Fifth Cousin Once Removed Fifth Cousin Twice Removed Fifth Cousin Three Times Removed
8 5th Great Grandson or Daughter 4th Great Grand Nephew or Niece First Cousin Five Times Removed Second Cousin Four Times Removed Third Cousin Three Times Removed Fourth Cousin Twice Removed Fifth Cousin Once Removed Sixth Cousin Sixth Cousin Once Removed Sixth Cousin Twice Removed
9 6th Great Grandson or Daughter 5th Great Grand Nephew or Niece First Cousin Six Times Removed Second Cousin Five Times Removed Third Cousin Four Times Removed Fourth Cousin Three Times Removed Fifth Cousin Twice Removed Sixth Cousin Once Removed Seventh Cousin Seventh Cousin Once Removed
10 7th Great Grandson or Daughter 6th Great Grand Nephew or Niece First Cousin Seven Times Removed Second Cousin Six Times Removed Third Cousin Five Times Removed Fourth Cousin Four Times Removed Fifth Cousin Three Times Removed Sixth Cousin Twice Removed Seventh Cousin Once Removed Eighth Cousin
Cousin/First Cousin
Your first cousins are the people in your family who have two of the same grandparents as you -- the children of your aunts and uncles.

Second Cousin
Your second cousins have the same great-grandparents as you, but not the same grandparents.

Third, Fourth, and Fifth Cousins
Third cousins have the same great-great-grandparents, fourth cousins have the same great-great-great-grandparents, and so on.

Removed
The word "removed" indicates the two people are from different generations. You would not be a cousin "removed" from your first cousins, because they are in the same generation as you are -- two generations younger than your grandparents.

Simply stated, "removed" refers to generations away (or removed) from a person. "Once removed" means there is a difference of one generation. Your mother's first cousin is one generation younger than your grandparents and you are two generations younger than the same grandparents. This one-generation difference equals "once removed." -- you are first cousins, once removed. Just to confuse matters, a first cousin once removed is a term that could describe either the child of your first cousin (in the descendancy) or the child of your great-aunt (in the ascendancy).

Twice removed means there is a two-generation difference. You are two generations younger than a first cousin of your grandmother, so you and your grandmother's first cousin are first cousins, twice removed.

  

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