Have you ever wondered how you are related to your mom’s cousin? Or what to call your cousin’s child? Or what does it mean to be a cousin once or twice removed? If you are confused by these terms, you are not alone. Many people struggle to understand the complex and varied relationships that exist in their family tree. In this article, we will explain what these terms mean and how to use a simple chart to find out your cousinship with anyone in your family.
Contents
What Is a Cousin?
A cousin is someone who shares a common ancestor with you that is at least two generations away, such as a grandparent or a great-grandparent. You and your siblings are not cousins because your parents are only one generation away from you.
What Is a First Cousin?
A first cousin is someone who shares a grandparent with you. For example, if your mom has a sister and she has a child, that child is your first cousin. You and your first cousin have the same grandparents.
What Is a Second Cousin?
A second cousin is someone who shares a great-grandparent with you. For example, if your mom has a cousin and she has a child, that child is your second cousin. You and your second cousin have the same great-grandparents.
What Is a Third Cousin?
A third cousin is someone who shares a great-great-grandparent with you. For example, if your mom has a second cousin and she has a child, that child is your third cousin. You and your third cousin have the same great-great-grandparents.
What Does It Mean to Be a Cousin Once or Twice Removed?
Sometimes, you and your cousin may share a common ancestor, but you are not from the same generation. For example, your mom’s cousin is one generation older than you, and your cousin’s child is one generation younger than you. In this case, you are cousins once removed. The term “removed” indicates how many generations apart you are from your cousin.
To be more specific, you can use the following rules:
- To be a first cousin once removed, you are either the child of a first cousin or the parent of a second cousin.
- To be a first cousin twice removed, you are either the grandchild of a first cousin or the grandparent of a second cousin.
- To be a second cousin once removed, you are either the child of a second cousin or the parent of a third cousin.
- To be a second cousin twice removed, you are either the grandchild of a second cousin or the grandparent of a third cousin.
And so on for higher degrees of cousins and removals.
How to Use a Cousin Chart to Find Out Your Relationship
If you want to find out how you are related to someone in your family, you can use a simple chart that shows the different types of cousins and removals. Here is an example of such a chart:
To use this chart, follow these steps:
- Find the common ancestor that you share with the person you want to know your relationship with. For example, if you want to know how you are related to your mom’s cousin Bob, find out who is the grandparent that both your mom and Bob share.
- Determine the relationship between the common ancestor and yourself. For example, if the common ancestor is your mom’s father, then he is your grandfather.
- Determine the relationship between the common ancestor and the other person. For example, if the common ancestor is Bob’s grandfather as well, then he is Bob’s grandfather too.
- Find the intersection of these two relationships on the chart. For example, if you are both grandchildren of the common ancestor, then find where “grandchild” meets “grandchild” on the chart.
- Read the label of the box where they intersect. This is your relationship with the other person. For example, if “grandchild” meets “grandchild” at “first cousin”, then Bob is your first cousin.
You can use this chart for any type of cousins and removals. Just make sure that you count the number of “greats” in your ancestor’s title and add one to find out what number of cousins you are. For example, if you share a great-great-grandparent with someone, then you are third cousins because 2 + 1 = 3.
Conclusion
Understanding your family relationships can be fun and rewarding. It can help you connect with your relatives and learn more about your ancestry. By using some simple terms and rules, you can figure out how you are related to anyone in your family tree. You can also use a handy chart to make it easier and faster. We hope this article has helped you answer the question: Is my mom’s cousin related to me?
